THE STAR OF THE NORTH. .. Jlt , t fcpuin ■ . ■ „■ , t J Wr Weaver Proprietor.] Troth and Rigbfe~G*4 aid ear Country- g [Two Dollars per Amu, yOLUME 3. TUB STAR OF THE HORTII Is published every Thursday Morning, by R. W. WEAVER. OFFICE—Up stairs in theNcw Brick building on the south side of Main street, third square befuw Market. TEHMS :—Two Dollars per annum, if paid w>thin six months from the time of subscri bing ; two dollars and fifty cents if not paid within tho year. No subscription received for a less period than six months: no discon tinuance permitted until all arrearages aro paid, unless at the option of the editors. ADVERTISEMENT! not exceeding one square will be inserted three times for one dollsr,and twenty-five conts for each additionl inser tion. A liberal discount will be made to those who advertise by the year. - ■ ■ T-"* ADDRESS OP DOB. GEO. W. WOODWARD. or WILKESDARRE. Delivered on the occasion of the Erection of a Monument to the Memory of„ Francis K. Skunk, Montgomery County, Pa., July 4th, 1851. LADIES AND GENTLEMEN—FELLOW CITI ZENS; Whether tho time, the plsce, or the oacasion be considered, it is good for us te be here. The time is auspicious. It is the anni versary of our Nation's birtb-day. Seventy five years ago this day, in that city, the roar of whose cannon, ushering in this glorious more., has scarce died on our ears, a trans action was consummated which mado thir teen subject colonies free and independent Stater, and made he authors immortal. And here we aro assembled in one of fhoße thirteen Strtes—on a spot endeared to every Fennsylvanian as the birth-place and tlie grave of a most worthy son of our noble State—in a connty distinguished for its Wealth, its fertility, its industry, and for the number of able men whom, from time to time, it has sent into the public service, and which, moreover, bears the illustrious namo of MONTGOMERY —a name suggestive of " tho times that tried men's souls," and which re-stamps the memory with tho gal lant scenes before Quebec. And the occasion is full ol significance and interest. We come not to pay our court to living greatness We come not to offer propitiatory sacrifice to power. Wo come not, even, in the full tide of gushing grief, to mourn the recent dead, and with funeral pomp to consign " dust to dust." Our purpose is higher still'- The occasion belongs to Patriotism—to In tegrity—to purity of life and morals—to that heroic patience, which' content 1 to toil', achieves as lis juM reward, a victory over tho adverso circumstances of life. It is virtue which we oomo to celebrate. We build up these' material' substances—we carvo these lines and emblems—wo orown this monument, as signs and memorials of the goodness and tho greatness which wo rejoiee i to honor, and which we' desire to perpetuate. The time, the place, tho occasion, then, are worthy of this vast assemblage. It is meet that old age, and vigorous manhood, and hopeful youth and female beauty should gather around this consecrated place, sacred 10 the memory of FRANCIS- RA SHCNK. and on this day, hallowed in tho annals of hu man liberty, nnile in recording a solemn act of testimony to the signal virtues of the man whom, living, we loved, and who, though dead, lives in the affections of his admiring counlrymon. It is good for us to bo here! U has been said'that in good works them is no need of a precedent; but if we need ed precedents for what we do here, we could find litem-in every age and nation of our race. Mausoleums, Monuments, and Pyramids—Temples, Towers, and Tsmbs,—■ the sculptured marble; the chiseled stone, anil" llieengraved brass, have all been used K> perpetwitß the memory of great events and'of distinguished' men. The most solid' and enduring materials have been resorted w, as if to hinder death' and' time from ob litorating the virtues of those whose frail bodies, obedient to the universal decree, have crumbled into dust. "All tbeso people, eays Diodorus Siculue, speaking' of tile Egyptians, "considering the duration of human life as a period extremely short and unimportant regard with the utmost atten tion the immortality which virtue leaves be* hind it. It is for this reason that they call the houses of the living inns, as affording only a temporary residence, whilst they give the namo of eternal habitations to the tombs of the dead, from whence none ever issue. Henco the indifference of their kings in the edification of their palaces, and their unbounded profusion in the construction of tbeir tombs." And hence came, we may add, those *at pyramids in the valley of the Nile, that seem "like the funeral gates of Pgyph ft het triumphal arches, reared to the memory of the illustrious death Pharaoh is there, with all his people, and his sepulchres are round about him." This country is too new, and the people have bean too much occupied in subduing forests and building cities and towns, to present to the aye of the traveller those nu merous and gorgeous memorials of departed greathess that are found in oldor oountries. And possibly our republican institutions are Unfavorable to such displays of posthumous honors. But yet wo have many events and ibAraetem in our history, brief as it is, which are well worthy of commemoration by all tha means w|ji,ch genii}*, and art and wealth can command. Pfor hqvo we been alto gether unmindiul of monumental commem oration.. The Washington Monument at Baltimore, the Bunker Hill Monument, and that which, delayed too long, is at l.ast being built by the nation to the memoß of him BLOOMSBURG, COLUMBIA THURSDAY; AUGUSW, 1851. who, "first in waf and first in peace, was first in the hearts of his countrymen," as well as numerous other structures in various parts of our county, attest our sensibility to the worth and effect of such expressions of gratitude and affection. Not to mention others, I would remind you that General Montgomery, already referred to, and whose name this county has appropriated, a warm hearted Irishman, and as brave and accom plished a General as ever led an army to- the tented field, earned for himself a monument of pure maible, like this, which Congress errected to his memory, with emblematic devicices, in front of St. Paul's Church, New York. But Pennsylvania has been peculiar ly backward in this species of devotion, owing, perhaps, in part, to the severe'sim plicity of Quaker manners, which reject all ostentatious expressions of gratitude and reverence, however honorable and patriotic, and however due they mny confessedly be. And yet, what State has more of storied greatness to tell to future generations than Pennsylvania? Founded by deeds of peace, where is the material and visible sign of our gratitude to I'enn ? Nurturing and claiming for her own, Franklin, and Godfrey, and Uittenhouse, and Muhlenberg, and Wayne, and Wilson, and Sbippen, and Hush, and a host of others, whom she reckons among her jewels, where are the Pennsylvania monuments to any of these men ? In Penn sylvania, the Declaration of Independence was signed, and the Constitution of tbo United Slates adopted. In Pennsylvania, some of the most deeieive battresAnd trying events of the revolution had their location. Here, almost in sight of us are Valley Forge and Germantown. Pennsylvania has always poured out her wealth and' her blbod to de fend the country's honor and our common liberties—and yet no Pennsylvania monu ment lifts its head' l? the clouds to tell of the great deeds of which she has been the theatre, and of the great men who have il lustrated her annals. It is vain to say that such memories are worthless, for we all feel that they have power to animate, and encourage, and instruct—still more vain to presume them enduring, without aid from external and visible objects, for all mere memoties arc like shells gathered on the shore, or like figures inscribed in the sand, ttybe swept away andpblilerated forever by the next surge. v Our present work, therefore, is not with out precedent, though precedent be not neei'ed, and among its recommendaliors is the possibility of its becoming itself an ex ample for Pennsylvania imitation. FRANCIS- RAWW SMUNK, was of German descent. He was born at this placs, 'Trappe,' Montgomery county, on the 7th day of August. 178 ft. The'house in wliich he was born, like tho tabernacle of flesh in which dwelt his soul, has passed away, but it is an interesting fact that there are but abont throe hundred yards of space between what was his cradle and what is his grave. A brief space for the career of an immortal being ! And yet, the segment of a circle resting on these points, was found sufficient for the display of tho energies and the virtues of his character, and lor the full and useitil employment of his life. The unpropitious name, "Trappe," was derived from a house of public entertain ment kept here at art dtsrly day, which had steps up to the front door, and as there was no sign, it was called the Trappe, whioh is a-German word-for steps. Governor Shunk had on the seal he wore three steps, with the motto, " I rise," —a sign and a motto which, with exquisite taste, has been traced ou his monument. His father, John Shunk, was the son of Francis Shuuk, who emigra ted from the Palatinate of the Rhine, in. Germany, about the year 1715. His mother Elizabeth Ilawn, was the daughter of Cas per and Barbara Rawn, the former of whom also-emigrated from'the Palatinate in Ger many. These ancestors of Governor Shunk are all held in most respectful and affeclion-- atc remembrance for tho many virtues that adorned ttieir lives and sweetened social in tercourse. In the case of Governor Shunk, as in the history of almost every man who has raised hi.nself above his fellbWs, the mother exerted a- controlling influence in the formation and development of the char acter of the boy ; and, like most men who have been blessed with a good mother, ho felt the full measure of his indebtedness to her, and cherished her memory with filial piety to the last hour of his life. "His pa rents were not able to furnish the means, or spare his lime to secure, in the ordinary way, even the rudiments of an education.' Much of the time of his childhood and youth was devotee to manual labor; he was hired out when not more than ten or twelve years of age, to the neighboring farmers, to aid them in their agricultural pursuits. He has been heard to say that, among the sweet est hours of hia existence, were those, when returning from ihe toils of the week to the home of his childhood, he was per mitted to repose his aching head upon the tap of his mother, and listen to the soothing accents of her voice, consoling him under his trials, and encouraging his hopes for the future." 1 have taken these statements from an excellent discourse on the life and character of Governor Shunk, by Dr. De Witt, an elo quent Divine of Harrisburg, aud I introduce tbem here for the purpose of making two remarks. The first. is on the importance and value ol maternal infiuonce. I have already hinted that, tbo biographies of al most all distinguished men reveal tho fact so distinctly stated by Dr. De Witt, in regard to Gov. Shqn)t) tbat the moulding-influence of ttie mother, more than all other agencies, gave shape and direction to the character of the man. The first and most vivid impres sions of the child aro associated with the family circle, the household, and the hearth stone ; and theso associations, while they are the earliest and the fondest, are the most enduring and distinct—absence cannot weaken them, and the cares of life, though they come in like a flood, cannot overwhelm them. From every point of life, not excep ting the bed of death, the hoart goes back to the scenes of childhood, like the shadow on tho dial of Ahaz. The heart is forever young— " Forever young—though life's old age Ilath ever nerve unstrung; The heart—the heart is a heritage That keeps the old man young " And there, in that home of the heart, among those endeared scenes of childhood, shut out from tho vulgar gazo of the world, sits enthroned maternal love, that lends enchant ment to the place, and makes it all that is I meant by the magic words, " HOME —SWEET HOME !" Oh, is it strange that gentleness, and piety, and love, such as a mother's, in the midst of subduing scenes and influences, should be able to tamo tho wild and wayward spirit of the boy—to revive bis desponding hopes—to point his eye onward to prosper ity and renown, and upward to an inheri tance that is incorruptible, and fadeth not away ?' let mothers realize their power and understand their mission. God estab lished this family relaliou lor great and ben eficent purposes; and these are to be work ed out chiefly thiough a wise exercise of the mysterious power with which he has cloth ed the mother. When young Shurk pillow ed his head in bis mother's lap, that power set its seal on his spirit; and now behold this monument that has been reared to his memory, and this waiting throng assembled round his grave, and read in these the re sults of her counsels and her influence.— Could that fond mother have seen her boy with the eye of faith, as "he, above the rest, In shape and gesture proudly eminent, Stood like a lower," about 4o take upon himself the highest in this great Commonwealth ; could seen with what fearless integrity he wielded tho pow ers his countrymen so cheerfully confided to him, and yet, wit'i what meekness he bore bis blushing honors; could her eye have caught, through tho shadows of the future, the outlines of this graceful shaft and this vast group ; could her car have heard tha voice of eulogy which a nation's gratitude has raised to the boy she nurtured, oh, how would her bosom have swellod with emo tions too big for utterance. Then tvould she have understood her relation to these results—that she was the motive power in that character destined for so illustrious a career; and whilst I know not that the pros pect could have stimulated her to do more than sho did to train up her son in the way he should go, she would have seen her re ward in that, when he was old he did not depart from it. Mother and Son both rest now from their labors; and we may trust that, in the family of the redeemed in Ilea ven, they enjoy tho full trui'.ion of that de lightful intercourse which, commerced in the domestic circle, shall know no change, but increase, through ihe countless ages of eternity. The other observation to wliich 1 referred is, that this story of Governor Shunk's boy hood should encourage the sons of poverty and toil to aim at those distinctions in life which, under our most happy political insti tutions, are open to them as well as to oth ers. Drt Dett'itt adds, in regard to young Shunk, "Notwithstanding his want of fa cilities for securing an education, his unti ring industry, combined with his earnest desire for self-improvement, enabled him to make such advances in learning that, at the early age ot fifteen, he became the teacher of a small school, and soon after the instruct or of the village school where lie was born. From that time until 1812, he seems to have been employed as a leachei; during the few months of the year-the school was con tinued, and tho rest of the timo in tho pur suits of agriculture. The intervals of toil were devoted by him to the improvement of his mind, in every useful branch of indus try." I I wo:Id that I could' address myself now ' to every boy, and especially to every poor ! boy, not only in Montgomery county, but throughout our land. I would point them to the elements whioh' combined to give ruccoss to young Shunk—"untiring indus try," and "his earnest desire for self-im provement." It is not the blazonry of the Herald's office—nor pedigree—nor dusty records of genealogy—nor family—nor friends—nor wealth—nor anything but "un tiring industry" and an "earnest desire for self-improvement," that will mako full-pro portioned and useful men. And theso, thank God ! never fail. What boy is more scant of means—more straightened in circum stances, than was Francis R. Shunk ? and yet, he overcame the disadvantages of birth and lortune, and made himself a name more enduring than the materials of his monu ment. I love ta contemplate such examples. I love to withdraw my eyes from the tinsel foppery of our cities ; from the mincing gait and the mustached lip ; from the wasp-like form and the faint complexion of the beau monde, and fasten them on the hardy and ro bust sons of toil. It is refreshing to sea how Grm ibey tread the earth ; how stalwart, and solid, and healthful they are.—And there is something in agricultural labor, let me tell the farmer boys of Pennsylvania, better cal culated than any o'.bcr employment, to de velope, not only the physical proportions of the man, but the judgment, and all the ster ner qualities of the intellect. And suoh la bor affords intervals, when books, if well chosen and rightly used, may be not only a refreshing recreation, but the means of qual ifying for other spheres of duty and useful ness. Study the example of Shunk ; catch its full meaning, ye sons of toil, condomned to indigence; and as ye pause in labor, and wipe the sweat from your eyes, look here ; See this Monument. Be s|il 1. Listen to its eloquent teachings. It is voiceless to the ear of flesh, and yet it speaks a language your inner man can hear. It tells you to lave the political institutions of your coun try, which recognize no distin'ctio'ns of birth or wealth ; "to shield them, to sa\'e them, or perish there 100 -it bills you to cultivate "untiring industry" and "a desire for self improvement;" to fulfil duties to which' yob may be called with fidelity; to live the life and die the death of a christian man, and as ye return to your labor, and pursue it till the evening, beat there lessons on your heart of hearts. In 4812, whilst the Government was still at Lancaster, Mr. Shunk was appointed by General Andrew Porter, then Surveyor Gen eral under Gov. Snyder, to fill a clerkship in his department, and here he won tho confi dence and friendship of both of these distin guished men. When the Government was removed from Lancaster to Harrisburg, be ] had charge, in connection with Captain McCallister, of the removal of the Records of the Surveyor General's Office, which they carried iu a team wagon. A great part of the way Shunk walked, but occassionally rode the off-horse of the team, by the side of Captain McCallister. Such was the en try of the future Governor of the Common wealth into the Capital of the State. While emplojed in the Surveyor General Office, he commenced and prosecuted tlm study of the laiv with Thomas Elder, Esq., of Harrisburg. In 1814, he marched as a private to the defence of Baltimore against an invading enemy. Soon after, he was chosen, first, an assis tant, and thon the principal Clerk of the House of Representatives, to which office he was annually elected—whenever tho Demo crats were iu majority—for sixteen years. I ! speak without fear of contradiction, when I . aver that the various, complicated, and res- | pons'ibfe dudes of that office were' never more faithfully or skilfully performed, than by Francis R. Shunk. Indeed, my impres sion is, that his administration of that Clerk ship has become an acknowledged model. Tho Journal of the House, kept by the Clerk, must exhibit from day to day, an exact transciipt of the proceedings of the bod'y. No matter what confusion prevails—no mat ter wfiat blunders the Speaker or tho mem bers on the floor may mako, the Clerk must fall into neither confusion nor blunders. He must understand parliamentary law perfectly) and be familiar with the duties of the Chair and the eourse of legislation. His eye must be ever ready to see who rises to a motion, and his ear open to hear what is moved though his hand may be engaged in enter ing a motion made the moment before. A' resolution, or motion, or amendment, is sometimes sent to the Clerk's desk in a chirography that would*defy an unpractised oye, perhaps that of the writer himself; and sometimes a member, in the haste of the moment, or from want of practice in com position, repeats or omits words, or parts of a sentence, until he makes "confusion worse confounded." On such occasions, the tall lorm of Shunk would rise on the instant, and in a clear ahd distinct voice, would he read off the resolution, the motion of'atnend ment, aS readily 1 as if it were m print, and in the perfeotness of language in which it ought to have been expressed. Often have I heard members of tho llouße express their grateful feelings to him for the assistance rendered them on occasions of doubt and difficulty, and for the grace and good nature with which ho rendered it, causing them no embarrassment and mortification; but help ing them to results whioh they were too ig norant or too awkward to attain of them selves. He was wont to direot- inexperience and to encourage modest talent on the floor; while, all the time, his own appropriate du ties were performed with exactness and promptness. In the tsanscribing room, his systematic habits and his ever-vigilant eye preserved, through all the changeful stages of legislation, the laws that were passed, in the accuracy of the letter. As Clerk of the House of Representatives, he had, more- I over the disbursement of large sums of public money, for the expenses of the House; and while the history of that office shows that the most scandalous peculation is possi ble, the fair fame of Francis R. Shank is un tarnished by the breath of suspicion. "It is required of a Steward that he be found faith ful ;" and faithful was this man ever found, but never more scrupulously faithful lhau where it is most easy and common to err, in the keeping, disbursement and accounting for of public money.—His reputation was so high as Clerk of the House of Representa tives, that on tho organization of the Board of Cansd Commissioner*, he became Secre tary of the Board, and addressed himself with his customary assiduity, to arranging anil systematizing the details of business in that most importaut office. In this situation ho made himself familiar with everything connected with our system of internal im provements, of which he was at all times an intelligent and devoted friend. That for so many years he performed du ties so important and various, to the perfect satisfaction of the public, is a fact that goes far to justify the honor we are here this day to do to his memory. And let it be consid ered that those duties were comparatively humble. How little is there ia the incessant toil of a Clerk to reward ambition ? His du ties, like those of the housewife, are ever recurring and never finished. Complaints and reproaches are ready for him if his work be not well dorte' aird in good time ; but if it be, it is considered a matter of courtfo th'alt bis work should be well done, and the wo'rfd continues to gaze at more conspicuous ob jects. In the winter of 1838-9, whilst Shunk still held the Clerkship, that memorable epoch in our political annals known as the ''buckshot war," occurred. During those stormy days of terror and threatened vio lence, Shunk stood firm and unmoved in de fence of the Constitution and the usages of the House. His counsels were continually sought and highly esteemed ; for they were the counsels of wiedom, and prudence, and patriotism, and firmness. The incipient steps to an organization of the House were taken under his direction, as Clerk of tho last House; and to his unflinching courage and fidelity were due, in a great measure, the final and constitutional organization of the Legislature of 1839. and the preservation of the State from frightful scOnes of blood shed and civil war. Directly on tho accession of Gov. Porter, in 1839, he appointed Mr. Shunk Secretary of State, and he became in virtue of his of fice, Superintendent of the Common Schools ot Pennsylvania. As Secretary ol State, he maintained the reputation, he had gained in' inferior stations, whilst he bent all the ener giesßf his position to tho sccomplishment of the benignant purposes of the Common School Law. Having himself been schooled jnpoverty—knowing with all the fulness and Htalness of personal experience, the deplo rable destitution of poor children in respect to education, and holding, as an elementary truth of his political creed, that it was the duty of a paternal Commonwealth to relieve their unblest condition, he entered upon the duties ol Superintendent of the Common Schools of Pennsylvania with a zeal and en ergy that showed his heait was in his work, and which, if he had continued in office, could not have failed to produce the most beneficial results for the poor. Retiring from tho Cabinet of Governor Porter, Mr. Shunk removed his family to Pittsburg, ahd there established himself in the practice of his profession. He had mar ried, many years before, a daughter of the late Governor Findlay, and they had reared an interesting tomily at Harrisburg. The many friends w'holn lib had'made in eVery part or the State, by his obliging mhtinerk ih the various positions which he had held, found always a hearty welcome to his hos pitable mansion, ahd' were entertained with unaffected civilly. Agreeable, however, as were the civilities and hospitalities of this excellent man, and his amiable family, they were less honorable to him than were the shelter and support which he afforded to his aged father, w'hosfe lakt daye'he soothed with thd most affectionate care. He extended protection and assistance, also, to his father in-law, the late Gov. Findlay, in the days of that excellent man's adversity. Nor were his charities confined to his own kinsfolk. With a big, warm heart in his bo sgm, that could feel for his fellow man, his hand was ever open to relieve the destitu tion and distress that came under his eye. I have said that he removed to Pittsburg, to practice his profession ; aiid'l'haVe rfeasfih to believe that he looked forward to long years of happy retirement, in that city, from the turmoils of public life. There, in the bosom ol his family—whose idol he was— in the midst of a large and wealthy popula tion, whose confidence as a man and a law yer ho enjoyed, be had'a right to otitic i path exemption from the harrassing cares of of fice, and'a lucrhtive practice of his honora ble profession. But his dreams of domestic retirement | and of his professional prosperity, were as unsubstantiafas the dreams of public men generally are. There were highly respecta ble citizens who had long looked to him as the Governor of the Commonwealth. A ven erable man on the Juniata told me, that he had vofed for Francis Ri Shunk for' twenty five years before he was nominated. There were many others whose thoughts had long turned to him in connection with that high office, though they had not manifested their wishes by so direct an expression. In 1844 the canvass became active between the Iriends of the Honorable Henry A. Muhlen berg, of Berks county, and those of Francis R. Shunk. The nomination was to be made on the approaching fourth of March; both candidates were native Pennsylvanians, and both were Germans; both had served fiAith fully and acceptably in various public trusts, and both were eminently qualified in all respects, for the Chief Magistracy of this groat Stale. The contest was animated, but honorable. Before the Convention met, pub lic opinion seemed to be in equipoise be tween these two favorite sons ; hut, on the assemblage of that body at Harrisburg, on the 4lh of March, 1844, the friends of Mr. Muhlenberg were lound to be in majority, and he accordingly received the nomination of the Democratic parly for the office of Goveror. The friends of Shunk acquiesced in the result, and the ranks of the parly clo sed up i* support of Mr. Muhlenberg. Shunk ever loyal to his principles, gave his unre- 1 served support to the nomination, ns Mr- Muhlenberg, equally loyal to the same piin ciples, would undoubtedly have done hrtd his competitor been tho nominee. In the course of the ensuing summer, however, Mr. Muhlenberg, by a sudden summons of Divine Providence, was taken ftom this scene of trial to his reward on high. All hearts mourned this sudden taking off of their selected Chiet; but all eyes turned in stinctively to Shunk as the man to- take the place of the lamented Muhlenberg, and to be the stmidafd bearer of the Dem'ocrncy in the approaching contest. The same Con vention met again, and placed Mr. Shunk in nomination ; and the friends of Mr. Muh lenberg yielded to him tire same geneious support which had been accorded to their favorite.—Thus, in oire and the samo cam paign, occurred two beautiful illustrations, one by each section ot the parly, of sincere devotion to the usages of the Democracy, and' of unqualified submission to regular nominations. The Whig party had for their candidate in' 1844, a worthy and distinguished citizen, who combined in himself the elements of popularity in an eminent degree : but nei ther the popularity of General Markle, nor, the repugnance which was felt to Mr. Shuuk's radical opinions on various sub jects by men who were his personal fridßds and admirers, could avail to defeat his elec tion. His hold on the affections of the peo pie of Pennsylvania was too strong—he had been tnod too long, and was too well known as ah'upright man, a sagacious Statesman, and a faithful public servant, to render his eleiilioli doubtful. His majority was deci sive. On lire 21st of January, 1845, in the Cap ital of our ancient Commonwealth, before tho representatives of nearly two millions of people, end in the presjnee of many of that people, stood Francis R. Shunk—the poor boy of the Trappe—to take tho oaths pre scribed by the Constitution of the United Slates and of l'ennsyluania, and to assume upon himselt the duties of Governor of this great Slate. Behold tho man. Survey him well; his majestic form—his benevolent countenance—his commanding mien. He comes not to an inheritance of honors won by the brave hearts and strong arms of o feudal ancestry. He boasts no patrician blood. He bears on his manly person no miserable baubles as insignia of royal rank. But there he Hands, a plain, simple, repub lican olAtzen— Sprung from lowly fife, inuroJ to toil, tried in public trusts, and always found faithful—and now about to assume the high office to which the free suffrages of his admiriug countrymen liavo called hiiti- Oh, if was a spectacle on which men ahd angels rejoiced to Ibok'/ Ahd'it was a sceiie that illustrated the beauty of our institu tions, which open tip a pathway for the hum blest cottager, from the obscurity in which he was born to positions of distinction and ho nor. No where else in our ill-governed world, only in this beloved land of ours—can such scenes be witnessed. In other lands, the cottager must toil on iu his cheerless and hopeless obscurity—thankful if lithe and tax gatherers—if Church, and State, ahd' Stewards of princely landlords, leave him' daily bread for himself and his little ones. If aspiring thoughts rise up in his mind, which God stamped with immortality, he mtist stifle ahd subdue them ah if they were tho suggestions of an evil spirit. Let him not think of place and power—of honors and renown—these belong, lie is told, to the rich acd well born— his only solicitudes rrrUM limit themselves to daily bread: To him the motto "raise yourself," 19 an uhmeaning taunt—there are no sfqw for him. But it is the glory of our institutiohS that they repress no soul) and quench no Promethean fires. May they be as enduring as the race of man! Having-traeod the more prominent pas sages ih the life of Governor Shunk, from his boyhood to his elevation go Gubernatori al honork, fshall not detain you by follow, ing him through his administration and his re-election by a greatly increased majority. This is not a suitable place for discussing the measures of his administration. Hi# State papers are all marked with great abili ty and a thorough understanding of the civ-! il and political history of the Slate, and they' exhibit tho highest regard for the public mo rals and the general welfare. You all know with what solicitude he guarded the public credit—with what sternness he resisted the ter.denoy of capital to oppress labor, and with what energy'he rebuked'the rage for corporations which prevailed amongst us. In reference to out covenant obligations to sister States, no man was more sound than Governor Shunk. Regarding the institution of domeslio slavery as a political evil entail ed upon us by the potver of the mother country, whilst we wore subject colonics, ho rejoiced in its extirpation from the soil of Pennsylvania, and was content to wait until 1 other Slates, in the exercise of their sover eign and exclusive jurisdiction, should see fit to expel ilTrom their borders. Ho under stood the rights of the States too well, and' he felt tho force of our constitutional'com pact too sensibly to countenance the sedi tious movements that are sometimes made iu the northern States for the abolition of this institution i i Slates which choose for tho present to retain it. Ou the whole, his administration of the government was highly satisfactory to the people, and creditable to himself. He sur rounded himself with able, experienced and upright men, who won and retained the popular confluence in an enviable degreo. In contemplating the career of Governor NUMBER 28. Shunk, we are dazzled by no corruscations of genius. He never achieved some great deed Which nd oilier man could have ac complished. Military exploits which ad dress themselves most strongly to the admi ration of the multitude, were never his.—— Though a good speaker, he had no claim to the peculiar powers of an orator. Though well read in the history and laws of his country, and familiar with both German kind English literature, he was not in the usnal acceptation of tho term, a learned man,' and was neither an historian nor a poet. Npr was there any thing peculiar or extraordi nary ia the duties to which he was called. Many other men have occupied the same stations with credit to themselves and ad vantage to the public. It may not by fo'bk ir.g intently at any 0116 part of his fife, or any one of tho many fine achievements' of his intellect, but only by taking into view the whole circle, from the cradle to lite grave, that we attain an adequate conception of 'he Mafn. ft is then we see how harmonious aWpy one. Despondency and gloom sctitoin'settled on his brow. There was u' lightsomeness, a joyousness that made his very step elastic in the days ol his health)' ahd traiieTused into' his conduct almost a boyish cheerfulness, which seme, unac quainted With hlifcharacter; looked 1 as a weakness, and others considered as viola ting the proprieties ol his elevated situation But he could not help it. If a kind look, a cheerful remark, and a cordial shakfe of the haiid would give any pleasure to thb poorest man he met, it was not in his heart to with hold them. If spoitiveness would makb.lhb children around him happy, he could nof re fuse it though it should be at the expense ctf the grivity" of thb GbverubCcf 1 the Com monwealth." This is an exalted tribute by his reverend friend and neighbor, who knew him well, but it is all'deserved. If there ever was a mkh for whom the proverb might be claim ed, "An honest men is the noblest work of God." that min was Francis R. Shunk.— This praise was accorded to him by all who' knew him, even the most heated and zeal ous of his political adversaries, and whdl higher famo can a public man achieve ! It is recorded of Aristides nnd Epaminonda*, as a remarkable fact, that though entrusted with public treasure, they lived and died poor. So with Shnhk. Living near the treasury most of his life, and in the midst of temptations thkt have overcome the vir tue of many a'man, his palin was never soiled with'a'bribe —malice in its phrenzy, never impufed to him peculation or and he lived end died phot 1 . Honest atnfct abounding corruption—honest in spite of temptation—honest when unseen as well ak : when watched—honest in the recesses' of the official closet, as well a 4 in' th'e'gaze of the world, Shunk stands forth ah-immortal exarpple of integrity, for the adiniration and imitation of prosperity'. Afid'theri now beautifully does the nffec lior.ato character of his heart, as described by Dr. De Witt, blend itself with the ster ling character of his life. You all know how fond he was of escaping, even for an hour, from the excitements of public life, to these tranquil scones of his own, hie native land. It was hero that bis whole hoftit (low ed font. Hero was the homo of hi* birth; and the graves of his fathers.—Hero wastho good old Church where his infant accents firs! mingled in the publie worship of Qod— hore the fields in which'be toiled' for daily bread—here the school-house where he cul tivated his owh intellect, whilst he taught oilier*—and here were the Children ol hie charge, now parents therrfselvos, coming around htm to bestow marks of homage and 1 affection, and pointing out to their children, their "good old friend, Frank Shunk." Very pleasant and hearty were those greetings— very pure and deep were the affections thus indulged and expressed. And 'here, id thte midst of the friends of his youth—in the place of his early struggles and 'triumphs lie desired to be buried. Like the patriarch' of old, ho "charged them and said unfo them, I am to be gathered unto my people : bury me with my fathers in the cave thaf is in the field of Ephron the Ilittite."