Mr. CLARKE, of Kansas. Mr. Speaker, with unusual frequency we have been called upon during the session now drawing to a close, to pause at the portals of the tomb, and to pay the last tribute of respect to those who have mingled with us in the business of legislation. The inexorable summons to the eternal world, which sooner or later must come to us all, has been recently heard in both Houses of Congress, and vacant seats remain to remind us of the uncertainty of all earthly hopes and the final termination of all human am ition and human conflict. The sad duty now devolves upon me of form ally announcing to the House an event already known the death of Hon. JAMES H. LANE, one of the Senators of the U.S. from the State of Kansas. The manner of his death was such that it seems to be peculiarly proper thatl should briefly refer to some of the circumstances attendin the sad event. On the 11th of June he left JVashington for the last time. For several weeks previous to his departure his mental condition excited the serious apprehensions of his friends. Those who knew him best, and were conversant with his wonderful mental and physical characteristics, saw in him a change which excited their most serious apprehensions. His friends were hopeful that a change of scenery and relaxation from his senatorial duties might restore his health and ive quiet to his mind. On his arrival at Stouis his symptoms grew worse instead of better; but he proceeded to his home at Lawrence, and for the time being it seemed that his vigor ous form was stronger than his disease, and he in a measure throw off both his physical and mental prostration. Transacting business with great rapidity, be determined to return to his place in the Senate. He reached StLouis on the 19th of June, only to find himself ros trated with increasing illness. Skillful p lysi clans were at once called to his relief. They found him suffering severely, both in body and mind. He refused to see company, seemed to be impressed with the idea that his mind was failing him, and expressed the wish to go to an insane asylum. Restless and dispirited, and against the advice of his attendin physi cian, who accompanied him, he starte on the 27th of June for his home, his family having already been apprised of his alarming condition. During the progress of the journey his conversation frequentl indicated insanity. On his arrival at Kansas ‘ity he took the boat for Leavenworth, instead of going to his home at Lawrence. Proceeding to the house of a relative in the suburbs of the city, he remained in a condition of mental aberration till the occurrence of the fatal act on the evening of July 1, which terminated his existence. Jnuss H. Lass was born at Lawrencehurg, Indiana, on the 22d of June, 1814. His father, Amos Lane, was a lawyer of distinction; was at one time Speaker of the Indiana HoRep, and was a member of this H0use under the Administrations of Andrew Jackson and Martin Van Buren. The mother of Senator LANE was a native of NewEngland, and was possessed of a poetic mind and of fine attainments. I have often heard him speak of her, even in the wild excitements of political conflicts in Kansas, and always in terms of the highest filial reverence and affection. At the age of 26 young LANE was admitted to the bar. Long before that he had taken an active part in party polities on the Democratic side. At the time of his admission to the bar he was postmaster at Lawreneeburg, Mr. Van Buren being then POTUS. In the contest between that statesman and General Harrison, LANE took the stump for the former, and established his reputation as one of the most effective and popular speakers in the West. He was an ardent advocate of the election of Mr. Polk, and when the Mexican war came on, in 1846, it found him ready to enter the field and fight in the service of his country. At this time he was 32 years of age. He was elected colonel of the 3rd Indiana regiment of volunteers by the general vote of t a men. His regiment formed a part of General Taylor’s army of invasion, and participated in the hard fought battle of Buena Vista, for which both the regiment and its llant commander received the highest encomiums of superior officers. After. 2 years of service, with depleted ranks, colonel LANE returned with his regiment to Indiana. He at once organized tijiie 5th regiment with which he returned to the field and mare ed with the army of General Scott to the city of Mexico. In after years he s oke with great pride of the bravery of the In iana vol unteers; and during the late contest he always took great delight in their brilliant achieve ments. He ha a pride of commandership which always belongs to the true soldier. never knew a man who fought under him in Mexico ask of him a favor but what be granted it if in his power. In 1848 he was elected Lieutenant Governor of Indiana. In 1852 he was elected a member of this House in the 33rd Congress. At the same time he was also elected a Presidential elector at large on the Democratic ticket. Coming to Congress in 1852 he was necessarily active in the Kansas ebraska struggle. Following the lead of Stephen A. Douglas, he accepted the recal of the missouri compromise, and vote for the Kansas Nebraska hill. But though he acted with his party, by which means he wrecked his political ortunes in Indiana, he nevertheless said, on the floor of this House, on the 13th of March, 1864, “ I am no advocate of slavery; I am no slavery propagandist.” From his seat in the HoRep, and following the suggestions of Mr. Douglas and other party leaders, Colonel Lass went to the newly organized Territory of Kansas. He went as the advocate of the doctrine of squatter SO'v'CTElglligflntl for the purpose of organizing a national cmocratic party on this basis in the new Territory. He was disappointed in all his efforts in this direction, and with a keen crception of the nature of the struggle he abandoned the leadership of De mocrac when it pointed to a forcible establish ment 0 slavery in Kansas. From the hour he 1st arrived on the soil of Kansas, in April, 1855, he commenced a life of wonderful activity. He sought at once for leadership, and obtained it, even among those who seemed to be his oppo sites. The commanding position he early obtained in the ranks of the Free State party is in itself one of the best proofs of his great power as a popular leader. The ability of lSenator LANE was in no part of his diversified career so marked as in the ease with which he won and in the firmness with which he maintained his position as a leader among apeople so active, enthusiastic, and intelligent, as gath ered together in Kansas, impelled by a conscientious conviction that they were fighting a battle which could only end in the triumph of universal freedom. At the organization of the Free State party the late Senator was chosen chairman of the executive committee. In the canvass which followed he bore the most prominent part, speaking daily, sleeping often in the open air, and resorting to every ossihle expedient to avoid the rutfians who ollowed his footsteps and sought his life. The Free State movement soon took form in what was known as the Topeka constitution. State officers and a Legislature were chosen, and JAMES H. Lass and Andrew H. Reeder were elected U.S. Senators. In the exciting events which followed Senator Lam: acted as military commander of the Free State forces, and joined with that grand old crusader of Freedom, John Brown, in counseling active resistance to the murderous ropagandists of the slave power. But the crisis passed by the retreat of teruf fians to Missouri. Sanator LANE came to Washington with the the peka constitution. Our country was passing through a historic period. The nation was refound ystirredby politicalagitation. While ere the starth ng news came of the wanton sack of Lawrence by an armed mobaided and encour aged by U.S. officials. Senator Lass hastened from this city. Events moved rapidly forward in Kansas. The troops were used to disperse the State or Topeka Legislature. The Free State leaders had all been arrested or had fled the Territory. The printing offices were destroyed and the news apers were silenced. The Missouri river was hloekaded and all the direct avenues of immigration were held by the armed minions of the slave power. In this our of gloom Senator LANE was marching across Iowa at the head of several 100 armed emigrants, and when all seemed lost to freedom, he entered Kansas from the northern border and once more confronted the enemies of free institutions on their chosen battle ground. The events of this period are full of transcendent interest, in all of which senator LANE acted a prominent part. When success was assured he left the Territory to avoid a collision, and unwilling to embarrass governor Geary in his movements to deal justly with all parties. Senator LANE returned to Kansas in March, 1857. In the canvass then progressing, be confronted Governor Walker, speaking from the same stand, and everywhere upholding and defending the integrity and policy of the Free Stats party. During the Lecompton struggle, preliminary and otherwise, he was foremost in counseling, speaking, organizing. It was in the summer 0 1857, at a convention at Topeka, that he used an expression which aptly exresses both the power he had and the reason or it. He had been denouncing the democratie party for its subservieney to slavery, when, rising to his full height, he declared with fiery manner and thrilling tones, “that as for himself his efforts would never cease till this party was shattered: and until from the Yellowstone in the North to the Gulf in the South, one line of free States should be reared, an impenetrable barrier against which the cursed waves of slavery should dash themselves in vain. Until that time memes, ” he said, in tones that swayed his audience like a rushing wind, “ I am a crusader for Free doml” In 1857he served as president of the Leaven worth constitutional convention, and in March, 1861, was chosen U.S. Senator under. the accepted constitution. His thorough devotion to his country and to his State in the Senate and in the field during the late struggle, is well known to all, and I will not repeat the history here. There was one political act of his life which' I believe Senator Lass sincerely regretted I mean his final vote against the civil rights bill. One who knew him well, and who was with him at the time, thus writes: " We know that he sawand felt keenlythemistake he had made. Nor wasthis consciousnessthe result of the generaldisapprovalof his action on the part of his constituents. 0n the very'da the vote was given, handing the writer atelogram mm theeditor: of the Chicago Tribunc, which advised him to vote for the bill. and warning him that hewould makethe mistakeof his life should he voteagainst it be exclaimed Ah! the mistake has been made; I would give all I possess if it wereundone.’" Mr. Speaker, I have thus spoken of the main incidents in the life of the dead Senator. His restless and fiery spirit has passed beyond the bounds of time. ct it be mine to draw the mantle of charity over all his faults, and let the voice of public criticism be hushed in the solemn silence of the tomb.