The Last Days of ex-President Polk.

New Zealander, Volume 5, Issue 387, 29 December 1849, Page 3

The Last Days of ex-President Polk.

It gives rise to many very Painful reflections to read the following account of the closing scenes in the life of the late President, as given by a Nashville correspondent of the Nexo York Herald. Mr. Folk's fatal illness, it appears, was induced by over-exertion while arranging the details of hii spacious mansion, and more diiect'y by 'he hbour of placing the books in his large library. For the first three days his complaint (chronic diamha), which was with him of many yean' standing, excited no alarm-— but the diieaie baffling all the skill of his medical advisen, other aid was called in, but to no purpose. Mr. Polk continued gradually to sink from day to day. The disease was checked upon him four days before his death, but his cotutitution was so weakened that there did not lemaiu recu« perative energy sufficient in the lystem for healthy reaction. He sank away so slowly and insemibly that it was eight hours before he died after the heavy death respiration commenced. He died without a struggle, simply ceasing to breath, as when deep and quiet sleep falls upon a weary man. About half an hour preceding his death his venerable mother entered the room, and kneeling by his bedside offered up a beautiful prayer. The scene was strikingly impressive. Major Polk, the President's brother was also by his bedside, with other members of the family. On the succeeding day the body lay in state, and the mansion was everywhere shrouded in black. Maionic ceremonies were performed over the corpse before it was encoffined. The coffin bore the simple inscription : — "J. K. Polk, born November, 1795. Died June, 15. 1819." The body was deposited in the Grundy vault, temporarily ; but it will soon be removed to a vault on the lawn of the ex-Presidential mansion, where a willow now stands, and over it will be erected a stately marble cenotaph ; thus the body of the President from Tennessee will lie entombed in the heart of its capital. Mr. Polk, by will, the evening before his death, gave the lawn to the State, in perpetuity, for this purpose. Mr. Polk lent for Rev. Dr. Edgar, of the Presbyterian Church, seven days before his death, desiring to be baptized by him. He said to him impressively :— "Si (—lf I had supected twenty years ago that I should have come to my death-bed unprepared, it would have made me a wretched man ; I am about to die, and have not made preparation. I have not even been baptized. Tell me, sir, can there be any ground for a man thus situated to hope ? " The conversation fatiguing Mr. Polk too much for him to be then baptized, it was postponed, to take place the next evening; but in the interval the ex-Pre-sident recollected that wheu he was Governor and lived there, he bad held many arguments with the Rev. Mr. McFerren, the talented and popular Methodist minister of the place, his warm personal and political friend, and that he had promised him that when he did embrace Christianity, he, Rev. Mr. McFerren, should baptize him. He, therefore sent for Rev. Dr. Edgar, made known this obligation, expressed his intention to be baptised by his friend the Methodist minister, and accordingly was so. Mr. Polk died worth 100,000 dollars, the bulk of which is settled upon his amiable lady.— Circular.