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"We Americans are the most excitable people

on earth we have plenty to eat and to drink,

so we seek war for sport, that we may exhaust 66 ourselves and our exuberance."

"Look at the mighty Mississippi! Twenty "hundred miles you may travel on his waters; go "on for days and nights, and see no change; it is "a valley that would contain all Europe."

On the morning after the Free Trade measures were carried in the House, I saw Mr. Calhoun for the last time. After a struggle of two and twenty years, Truth and He had been successful, but no personal exultation sparkled in his eye, or triumphed in his words. The measure and its great consequences alone occupied his thoughts. "And "there will be no re-action," said he, "which "ought always to be avoided; I have ever most carefully guarded against it."

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"I refused the Mission to England, because the "Peace was to be made here; England did not "want war. I should have been of no use there; "here I could do much." It is generally acknowledged that Mr. Calhoun was prevailed upon to re-enter the Senate to effect this object, and that

the generality of the Whigs had coalesced with his party upon this point; certain it is that they (the Whig party) voted with Mr. Calhoun during the Session of 1845-6, on every subject, Free Trade alone excepted.

"Mr. Calhoun, you are very dear to England "for the sake of this Peace and this Free Trade.” "I did not think," he answered, "that my name

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was even known in England, where I myself “have never been.”

"The British government has exhibited the greatest wisdom, judgment, and magnanimity. "Had there been the least false step on the other "side-had the speeches in Parliament, or the "articles in the public journals, been of an exas"perating character-we could not then have 66 arranged matters on this side as we have done. "No two men could have displayed more integrity "of purpose, more forbearance, and more sagacity, "than Lord Aberdeen and Sir Robert Peel."

From a singular coincidence of circumstances, I had the happy fortune to convey to Mr. Calhoun the testimonies offered to his worth by many leading men.

"The President declares that you possess his

perfect confidence and his highest personal "esteem. Buchanan pronounces you pre-eminent "in talent and in virtue. Mr. Crittenden, Mr.

'Winthrop, Mr. Benton, Mr. Hannegan, have all

expressed for themselves and their respective "parties, the highest encomiums that men can "utter of each other."* And Calhoun spoke not; but his eye glistened, and in silence he took my hand, and pressed it. How few have been indulged with such a privilege; a stranger and a sojourner among them, to me it was permitted to convey the tribute awarded by these distinguished Americans to the virtues of their fellow citizen.

Inflexible, self sacrificing, and proud, this extraordinary personage is akin to the great names of antiquity; his sentiments are proverbs; his forecast is prophecy. He is self made; no external advantages have contributed to the formation of his mind and character; he received no elaborate

* Mr. Crittenden is the representative of the politics of Mr. Clay, in the Senate. Mr. Winthrop is the Whig leader in the Lower House. Mr. Benton and Mr. Hannegan are the Democratic representatives of different sections and parties of the west.

college education; derived no advantages from extensive foreign travel; no thoughts nor words from the prompting of other gifted men; he has never crossed the Ocean. Simple and frank, no secrets, no mystery, exist in his presence; all that he thinks, or hopes, or observes, is expressed in unreserved and natural truthfulness; no suspicion clouds his bright mind, and his remonstrance is administered openly and directly, for he deals not in the vulgarity of calumny. He is pledged to no party: "I am the partisan of no class, nor, let "me add, of either political party. I am neither " of the opposition nor administration." He holds in supreme contempt all arts to obtain popularity; independence and integrity to him are of priceless worth:

"His honour is his life, both grow in one,

"Take honour from him, and his life is done."

Twice he has turned aside his footsteps from the Presidency; once for friendship's, once for duty's sake.*

"I will not sacrifice the shadow of a

* "During the second term of Mr. Monroe's administration, the names of six candidates were presented to the people of the United States for the Presidential office-Mr. Adams, Mr. Crawford, General Jackson, Mr. Clay, Mr. Lowndes, and Mr. Calhoun. The names of

"principle for its possession; and never, never

the two latter had been brought forward, the former by South Carolina, and the latter by Pennsylvania, and both nearly at the same time, without its being known to either that it was intended. They were warm and intimate friends, and had been so almost from their first acquaintance. They had both entered Congress at the same time, and had rarely ever differed in opinion on any political subject. Mr. Lowndes was a few years the oldest, and the first nominated. Mr. Calhoun's nomination followed almost immediately after. As soon as he heard of it, he called on Mr. L. and stated that it had been made without his knowledge or solicitation, and that he called to say that he hoped the position in which they had been placed by their friends towards each other would not affect their private and friendly relations. That he would regard it as a great misfortune should such be the effect, and was determined on his part to do everything to avoid it. Mr. Lowndes heartily reciprocated the same sentiment. It is unnecessary to state that they faithfully adhered to their resolutions; and these two distinguished citizens of the same state, and nearly of the same age, set the noble and rare example of being placed by friends as rivals for the highest office in the gift of a great people, without permitting their mutual esteem and friendship to be impaired."

"In the progress of the canvass the talented and lamented Lowndes died, in the prime of life, and Mr. Calhoun's friends in Pennsylvania, with his acquiescence, withdrew his name, rather than subject the state to a violent contest between them and the friends of General Jackson. They had maintained throughout the canvass the most friendly relations, and were both decidedly opposed to the caucus. On his withdrawal, he was taken up by the friends both of General Jackson and Mr. Adams for the VicePresidency."

*

*

*

*

"The Senate was so nearly equally divided at one time,* that it was believed that the friends of the administration would intentionally so arrange it as to make a tie, and throw the casting vote on the Vice-President, in order to defeat General Jackson's election. His friends became alarmed, and some of them intimated a desire that Mr. Calhoun should leave his seat to avoid the effect, stating, * Upon the Tariff of 1828.