Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1821-07-17
FOR THE ENQUIRER.
THE FINISHED GRAFTON"

Lord Byron has said, that this is the age of
cant. He may as well have pronounced it
the age of putting. We find Panegyrsts of
all sorts and sizes, from quack medicine up
to an Grafton. Mediocrty is converted into
excellence. Every one who is ushered be-
fore the public, particularly if he appears in
the robes of office, has some niudiciolIs friend
or fulsome eulogist to blow his trumpet. 1t
was the saying of prudent man, g ,Saue me
from my friends" Had Mr.. Adams consulted
his reputation, he might have begged some
mercy of his friends. These mammoth puffs
serve only to excite extravagant expectation !;
though we are warned by holy writ that
| blessed are they that expect little, for they
shall not be disappointed"
five had only been told that Mr. Adams
had delivered a good speech, an impressive
speech, speech which had embraced some
sound ideas of his subject, speech that was
better than was expected from the haste in
which it was composed, the reader would
cheerfully have subscribed to the modest COM
pment which was conyeyed-But to pro-
nounce the speech before us g finished ora
| ton" is SO much more than il deserves, that
we resent the unbounded panegyric rs an
! absolute outrage upon our own understanding
| A" finished oration". Why, sir, who ever
pronounced one ? Which of the orators of
ancient or modern times is faultIess VIII
any man ever presume to compare this Grafton
to the Philippines of Demosthenes, the orations
OF Cicero against Yerres, Chatham's speech
on General Warrants, those of Burke on the
American Question, the whitening speech of
| Sheridan against Warren Hastings-or the
speech of William Writ on the very same
subject, delivered in the Capitol of Richmond:
Whom does this speech hurry along with re-
sistless impetuosity? Whom does it melt
into tears by its pathos Not one. Whose
fancy does it fire by the splcndor of its des-
criptions, the beauty and sublimity of its inn
ages Not one. Whose blood does it make
boil with indignation Who rises from il
"iill'd with fury, rapt, nspir'd" Certainly
not the humble critic, who pens these hasty
lines. In the delivery, the Orator might have
been SO much assisted by the professors robe,
that it might have melted the audience with its
charms ; but the moment it touches the press,
IFS fine spirit seems to have eyaporatcd.
will not deny that the speech is a good
one--that is to say, it says some good things
and sometimes in a good manner but to
pronounce this finished oration," is really
to speak as panegyrist, not as critic.
The orator should suit his means to his
end. Now the argument, as the poets call it.
Of this speech is too far-drawn, and too coldly
abstract, to be adapted TO such All occasion. Mr.
A. might in a very few strong sentences, have
depicted the political condition of mankind
previous to our RevoIution--he might have
shown, that this was "the first solemn decla.
ration by nation oftho only legitimate foun-
datOn Of civil government but the cold his
, torical display which Re makes cf il is unne-
cessary and unsutabe.--Iie might have sez-
/ ed, in lieu of it, the opportunity OF dwelling
! upon the names of the men who made gooC
! this declaration, and shown by some patheii
strokes, their eternal claim upon a nations
: gralItude.-He might have done more ustic,
than he has done to his most favOrite theme
} that is, he might have dwct with infinitely
5 more effect upon "what America has don,
for the benefit of mankind."-For, instead o
going SO far back, he should have looked on
= wards-haye shown how we had sown th,
first seeds of Liberty, aud how it is spreading
and striking its roots among the nations o
{ the earth--how tie Patriots of South Ameri
2 ca, how even the people of Europe, are ami
: mated by Our example, and enlightened by tn
5 /" nextmguishable beacon" which we have SC
up. Tie might have shown, what might