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The eleventh President of the United States died, near Nashville, of a chronic diarrhea, after a very short illness. Pre sident Harrison closed his career within a month of the day of his entrance upon the duties of his office. President Polk in about three months after his term had expired. Of 11 ex-Presidents, Messrs. Van Buren and Tyler alone remain among us. Mr. Polk was the youngest man ever inaugu rated as President, only 49 years and 4 months old when he took office. His con nexions were members of the old revolu tionary party, who had aided and favoured independence before and during the war of 1776. James Knox Polk was born in Mecklenburgh county, North Carolina, No vember 2, 1795, and at the time of his de cease was 53 years and 7 months old. Some accounts make his ancestors Irish, others Scotch ; some say the original name was Pollock, others that it was Polk. We think is probable that they emigrated to the colonies from the north of Ireland. It appears that this branch of the family had resided in Maryland, in Pennsylvania, in North Carolina, and finally removed to Tenessee. Andrew Jackson stated, in 1844, that he had known James Knox Polk from his boyhand, and that ‘a citizen more exemplary in his moral department, more punctual and exact in business, more energetic and manly in the expression of his opinions, and more patriotic, does not live.” Mr. Volk’s father is, we think, still alive—he was a farmer, and removed to Tenessee in 1800, when James Polk was in his eleventh year ; it is also said that he acted as a surveyor, and with his family had to toil hard for a lving in the valley of the Duck river, then a wilderness. James Polk was the oldest of ten children, required the rudiments of an English and classical education near his home, and after years of suffering from a very painful com plaint was received by a surgical operation. He gained high honours at the university of North Carolina, was assiduous, persever ing and regular in his attendance, a good mathematical and classical scholar. In 1819 he began to study the law with the celebrated Felix Grundy, of Nashville; was admitted a member of the bar of Ten nessee in 1820 ; and was well employed in his line. He served as clerk to the Ten nessee Legislature, was next a member for Manray, his place of residence, and in 1825, in his 30th year, elected to Congress. Af he was opposed to a national bank, he hesitated to express that opinion for the first two years in which he sat in Congress} but after Mr. Van Buren went to Washington as Secretary, to wit, in August, 1830, Mr. Polk began to give the Tennesseeans some hints about “the monster.” Upwards of 24 years since he mar ried the daughter of Mr. Joel Childers, a merchant of Rutherford county, Tennessee, Mr. Polk had no children—was unoistenta tious, quiet, domestic, and religious -~ not fond of show, dancing, dissipation, and late hours. Mgr. Polk was a member of the Pres byterian Church. It is greatly to his credit that he had the reputation of being no duel list, no rambler, but a steady opponent to speculation. He was 1+ years in Congress, and 2 or 3 of these years Speaker, having been chosen in December 1835, and in September 1837. No more thorough-going partyman could be found than Polk; he was very in dustrious, and, while on the floor of Congress, was reported never to have missed a vote. As he received a vote of thanks at the close of the session of 1837 for his impartiality as Speaker, it may be inferred that he had great control over his temper. He was a ready debater, delivered long and animated speech es, and was one of the few hardworking legislators in his day. To those who saw him when on a visit to this city, during his Presidential term, his coutenance and man ner bore the impress of anxiety and care. In his intercourse with the public he was affable and courteous ; his voice was strong but unmusical; he was clear-headed, and capable of grasping, comprehending, and explaining complicated matters of public interest; a polite and attentive listener ; and so regular and devout in early life that Governor Branch affirms that during the four years that he was at college he (Mr. Polk) never once missed prayers. His per sonal character was irresponsible. “Of Mr. Polk, as a private gentleman, and as known to us in his social and domestic relations,” said the editors of the National Intelli gencer, “we have no disposition to speak otherwise than with entire respect. —New York Tribune. Maize.—Some doubt having been enter tained whether the maize plant, which grows almost spontaneously in tropical climates, could be successfully cultivated in this coun try, an experiment upon a small scale hag been made within the ornamental enclosure in St. James’s Park, by permission of the Commissioners of Woods and Forests. The seed was put in on the 24th of May last, and, though for some time retarded by easterly winds, the young shoots came up well. How ever when the plants began to feel the cheer ing influences of light and air with a hotter sun, the success of the experiment was abun dantly testified by the vigorous aspect of the little crop. It was inspected yesterday by several gentlemen interested in agriculture, all of whom expressed their astonishment at the rapid progress made within 45 days, the greater number of the plants having grown one inch every day since the present sultry weather set in. The spot selected was not favourable to the experiment, being close to a nursery of young trees and flowering shabs, which, in a great degree, tended to deprive the plants of the benefits of light, sun, and air. It is calculated that 30 acres of maize would be worth £ 400, if the soil be of an average quality and properly drained. The cultivation of maize has been deemed of so much importance by the Council of the Royal Agricultural Society of England, that two very able papers have already been pub lished in the society’s journal, explanatory of the properties of this plant, and pointing out the best system of culture. Should the experiment now in course of trial in St. James's Bark succeed to the extent predic ted, it is presumed that it will be very gene rally adopted throughout the kingdom— London Paper. Some carious phenomena connect them selves with the use of manganese in glass. If the quantity employed slightly exceeds that which is necessary to prevent the per oxidation of the iron, or if the glass has been exposed to too great a heat, it assumes a fine pink or rose colour. Indeed, where glass con tains an excess of manganese, although i6 may preserve its desired whiteness, it will, wider the influence of sunshine, slowly change, and become gradually more and more pink. This change may be frequently ob served in the glass of the windows of old mansions ; and it is not an uncommon oc currence that a ship proceeding to tropical climates with white glass in her cabin win dows, returns home with glass of fise rose tint. Much of the common flint glass is dis tinguished by this peculiar colour, produced the employment of an excess of the oxide of manganese. Art Journal, Human Life.—Hope writes the poetry of the boy, but memory that of man. Man looks forward with smiles, but backwards with sighs. Such is the wise providence of God. The cup of life is sweetest at the brim, the flavour is imparted as we drink deeper, and the dregs are made bitter that we may not struggle when it is taken from our lips. Flattery.— Wherever there is flattery, there is always a fool in the case; if the parasite be detected, it falls to his share ; if he be not, to his whom he deludes. Auchlan?—Printed and published by P. Kunst, at the Southern Cross Office, Shortland-Street,
Newspaper Details
Auckland Daily Southern Cross
Auckland, Auckland, NZ
Fri, Dec 28, 1849
Page 3
Full Page
Clipped by
Robert C.
USA 29 May 2026
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