" A TRIBUTE TO THE MEMORY OF GENERAL TAYLOR." From the " Alta california," Oct 15]

New Zealander, Volume 7, Issue 494, 8 January 1851, Page 3

" A TRIBUTE TO THE MEMORY OF GENERAL TAYLOR." From the " Alta california," Oct 15]

The following bemitifnl i elation of the wiitei't> impressions of the gooJ old man who has gone home to his final reward, is from the pen of the gifted delineatoi of Swedish domestic life, Miss Fretleiica Bremcr. I saw him but twice, the heio of the Mexican war, the chict man in power in the United State, the late? President, Zachnry Taylor ; but enough to feel that I saw in him — " An honest men, the noblest work of God!" The first time was a beautiful evening, on the green grounds around the white house. The Potomac glistened in the setting sun, a band of music in the giouucls was playing the " Stt»rp<ingled Banner," and a gay crowd of men and women, and children, with nui'aes and negroes, wcie walking about, enjoying the evening, the music, the green giounds and the view of the noble river, with the Washington Monument, in giant proportions, rising 1 on its banks. President Taylor was among them, not as the kings of Euiope when they comedown among the people, surrounded by guards or star-spangled alt- lidanls; no; but urattetided, alone, plain in attiie as the plainest of the citizens around him, the greatest pait of whom weie stiangers to liitn. Yet he seemed to feel ih'it be wna among friends, and liis honest face and unassuming bearing, his straight-forwird, friendly manner, the firm and cordial pressure of his hand, made a friend even of the stranger who was for the first time introduced to him. He stood ibpie serene, smiling to the childien who weie running about and tumbling in the grass in unconstrained liberty. I'le spoke of the pleasure they gave him. It was truly a republican seene — one of tlnse we would see mere of on carth — where all distance between men, all diilerence of rank and fortune are done away with, and life is a»ain an Idyl full of innocence and heiuty iv the lap of gieat nature. May the star-span-gled banner spread wider and tvider oter such scenes, such banquets of life ! The next tims I saw President Taylor was in one of ihe splendid rooms of his mansions, and with him his beautiful daughter, the sister of the gtaces — Mtb Biiss Political questions, to which he was called to attend, detained him for some time from us. When he came he was cordial and simple in his manner, as before on the green grounds. "Vet be seemed to me not quite well, and as if he was trying to cast off from his mind a cloud. And so he dul, as a gallant man and a true American gentleman attending to ladies. He spoke to us of the Indians, annng whom he had been much, and whom he knew well. And as he spoke he brightened, and his speech flowed on so pleasantly and so cheerfully, tbat had we been egotists we would have forgotten how time flowed on, as we forgot the storm which gathered without and rattled at the windows. It was a few days afterward that I heard in the Senate the low, thrilling tones of Daniel Webster in« teirupt the discussion going on, that «• a great misfortune threatened the land," the President of the United States was dying, wai not expected to outlive that day. And that very evening how changed was the gay scene in the White House ! Death was there, was laying his heavy hand on the beloved father of the family— on the elected head of the Republic of the United States. Yet serene was he even now. In death he grasped the hand of his wife, aud said, "My dear wife, I am not afiaid to die. I liave tried to do my duty I" And that stern monitor — so feaiful to many — came to him on his death-bed, as a comforter, as a soothing an^el. But he had long, long since made of him a friend. Duty had been and was the spring of his life and actions His friends arid his foes (and he had such in war and politics) must join in acknowledging that truthfulness and conscientiousness were the unswerving qualities of his mind. In these virtues he was great. I saw him but twice, and for a little while; but as 1 saw him, 6 and with what 1 have heard of him, 1 can well undeist.ind that brave men, his companions on the, battle-field, have wept as children nt his death, and tbat there is, within that White House, a heart, who after tha* death never moie will feel the joy of of life. Yet happy is she who can live and glory in such memones. And happy the man who lived and died as he, who on his death-bed, looking over a life of urcat military and civil impott, could serenely say, "I am not afraid to die! I have tiied to do my i duty."