The Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1822-1829, 1822-09-17

aud .lr. GtoHun.
! Mr.. Butter, of Lincon's Inn, in his recent
publication, entitled Reimbursement has
the following ingenious and candid pasta
grs -
1 The Reminiscent Las frequently wished
Tor leisure 10 compose regular review Of
the code cru, the muster piece OF Bona
parties legislation, aud likely IN become thr
evil code Of the whole European cont
nent.
! In The midst of his victories, Bonanarte
asplred 10 Legislative flme.--The Kcmnis.
cent apprchcnds that the five codes of law,
compiled under the eye Of Bonaparir, tho
IN some respects Justly Objectionable, will
always be honorable 10 his memory. lie
himself thought so iasorably of them, as To
express 10 a friend of the Reminiscent,
wish, that hr might descend 10 posieriiy
with these IN his hands, II Is greatly Ia be
desired, that some one, properly qualified
Tor the TASK, would favor The public with n
comprehensive view of their lending prnci-
Pies and those of the law OF England. Tn
fortunately, such work can he expected
from none but aporaon who is at once con-
versant with the principles, The theory, and
The pra, tee of the jurisprudence III both
countries; and Romilly is no more.
The Discussion sur le Code Civil shows
the manner in which that code was COMP.
led Bonoparte appears in them II great
advantage. The magistrates who assisted
at them possessed nnfrequenfly great Ia
'chts hut Bonapafte iIngaestionab " enters
the listswith them ;genrrally shows himself
Their equal, al times their superior, and al.
ways takes the humane and liberal side
ltadds 10 his honor, thai between him aud
his assessors, no distinction Of rank ia ever
dlsccrlable; Pliny could mol aet with grea-
Ter ease, or speak with more freedom be-
fore Traian, than the assessors OF Bonaparte
acted and spoke before him.
or Mr.. Sheridan, Lord Melville and Mr.
Grattan, our author says---
Strange rs II may appear il nevertheless
Is true, that common sense and dignity were
possessed by Mr.. Sheridan in an extraordi.
nary degree; but they were 80 eounteract-
ed by hablnal procrastination and irregu-
ldfity, that he was scarcely known Ia pos
sess thela-lle had very little information +;
had even little classical learning but the
powers OF bis mind were very great. lie
had huppy VEN Of ridenle he could,
however, rise 10 the serious and the severe .
and then his style Of speaking was magnif-
cent but even IN his happiest illusions, he
had too much of prettiness.
lie objected 10 the coalition, TO NJ. Fox's
secession from Parliament, 10 ms strong
language IN iasor Of the French Revolution,
and predicted as Is said, the disastrous con
sequences ol his India Bl still, he uni
formly adhered 10 MIR. Fox aud supported
| IL I,
for the display Of his talents: hence he WIS
not debator--one WHO attacks and de-
/ lends on every occasion thai CALM hlm forth.
II Is observable, that, Of this kind Of orato-
ry,anliq1ity has left ns no specimen anil
tliht m modern Europe, ii has mol existed out
Dillingham;. Lord North MIR. Pit, Mr.. Fox,
eXcelled IN II The fri, perhaps, surpassed
the two others in this useful, il may, per-
haps, be called, most useful species Of ora
tory. But, though Mr.. Sheridan WAS no
debatcr,he was sometimes most ficiiDus in
an epgrnmnatic reply.
Mr. Dundas had mol lhos. occasional dis
plays which raised Mr.. Sheridan SO high in
! public estimation but he went out in all
Weathers,was always able, and often trium-
phant. His Scottish accent was very strong,
and, on the whole, rather served than iniu-
/ red llia orafory.
| Nature denied 10 Mr. Graiinn many of
he most important qualifications of an ora
tor, and his taste was that Of Cicero but
she gave hun genius and industry. The
| consequence was, that he WAS generally
tho'I 10 be the first Of the second class Of
orators IN our time. His speech in 1910,
IN favor of Catholic Emancipation, may be
considered as complete specimen Of his
peculiar style of oraloly. II presents, a.
the writer has observed on another occa-
slon, an union Of eloquence, imagery aud
philosophy, which Is rarely found in any
composition. Nothing can show more
strongly than comparison between MIR.
Grattan & his lmitators, the vast space which
IS ever disccrnable between man Of real
genus, philosophy aud business, aud mere
artist IN language.
AT the end of May, 1920, Mr.. Grattan,
came, for the last Time 10 London. On the
first day of the following June, the writer Of
these pages called upon him and, being
informed that he WAS extremely i'll, Wa
retiring, without having seen him; but Mr.
hrattan, having heard that he WAS in the
house, sc.it for him. IL wasesiden; that he
touched the moment OF hls dissolution !;
5't the ethereal vigor of his mind was un-
snbdued, and his zeal for the Catholic cnuse
undated. lie pressed the writer by the
hand -" It's" he said, Gail over but
viii die IN the cnuse.--i mean to be carried
~ the House of Commons to.isorrpw
beg leave of The Speaker to take the oaths
8ltllng--and then,to move two resolutions"
These he mentioned tn the writer but
spike 50 indstinctly, that the writer could
enly perceive generally, that they were sub
st1nilally the same az the clauses which he
had preixed 10 the Bill, which, in 1912, he
brought into Parliament for the relief of the
f'1ibnlica IL, ,,p..su.I 4 Ia. /.