Literary cadet and Rhode-Island statesman. [volume] (Providence, R.I.) 1827-1829, 1827-06-27

haps his cOuntIng-house abilities could express
However, Burke's liberal principles were toe
great fault in the eyes Of his constituents, foi
talent and patriotism 10 excuse, and he lost hl:
ensuing election. l think he thus mentions the
sudden death of an Alderman Coombe, with
pathos.
Gentlemen, the melancholy event of yes
terday, reads TO us an awful lesson against be-
ing too much troubled about any of the objects
OF ordinary ambition. The worthy alderman
who has yesterday been snatched from us
whilst his desires were as warm, and his hopes
as eager as ours, has feelingly told us what
shadows we pursue"
He concludes with these plain, unprctending
ren;arks:
trenble when ! consider the trl,s. which
| have presumed TO ask. l coniidcd too much
in my intentions. They were really pure and
upright, and am bold to say that ask no i'll
thing for you, when on parting pray that
whomsoever you choose to succeed me, he may
resemble me exactly in all things, except nv
abilities to serve and my fortune to please you. -
He sometimes expressed himself with o
coarseness of which he should have been
ashamed: "Thc SOW OF imperial augury,' and
"pigging in the same trucl,le bed" His la
mentation over the fate Of Marie Antoinettc is
tender, gallant andhappy. "But the days of
chivalry are past he exclaimed, " or thou
sand sabres would have started from their
sheatls in the cause of suffering beauty, Of in
suited humanity
On the whole, Edmund Burke A" is a name
that keeps the name of his country respectable
in every other on the globe" Contemporary
authors and statesmen have given his merit
their need Of applause; friends and political
enemies united in shedding the tear of sympa-
thy and respect over his grave. Doctor John
son declared that any person who retired with
Burke under shelter during a shower ofrain,
would leave his company with the impression
that he was most extraordinary man. So
great was his influence in 1894, that in what
ever scale his talents were thrown, it was GER
tain TO preponderate. The government looked
TO him for support, the people for assistance,
and in that momentous era of his life, TO his
praise be it spoken, that he acted like true
patriot, an mistaken politician, lover Of his
country's glory and a friend to his king
While Burke figured in the English commons,
HENRY FLOOD shook the sister senate with
his eloquence. regret the ipsutiiciency ofmy
information respecting this great man. He
possessed good estate in the county of Xii.
kenny, and though lawyer, never sought, at
any rate never obtained, eminence at the bar
The only speech Of his which have met with
III pldtc, 10 one IN Wnlcn ne was Dttcr
against Grattan, and think that they did them
selves no credit by their aclTmony and abuse
The extravagant attention paid to his rival,
lost Flood to the Irish cause forever. He pur-
chased an English borough and brought forth
several plans Of parliamentary reform, which
elected the attention of Fox and Pitt. His
scheme proposed an addition of one hundred
members to the house, who should be elected
w the resident householders, a part Of the
British people which before had no vote in the
election OF representatives. Tho opposition
was grounded on the hazardous time l792)
which had been chosen to make the exper-
ment, and that there were members enough to
despatch the public businesss On one unfor-
tunate occasion, Flood made long speech on
the Hastings trial, subject of which he had
no information, and gave his enemies a plenti-
ful harvest of triumph over his fall. The ex-
posure OF his ignorance was more than he could
survive, and it is generally supposed that he
died of broken heart. Several years after
wards, Grattan paid this tribute to his memory:
" Flood was an incorruptible patriot. He
handled trivial cause as Hercules did the
dIstaff; but with mighty subject he grasp
ed the thunder Of Jupiter" This extract will
give an idea of Floods eloquence, delivered
ag1 inst Grattan in 1885,
and IN my counry's opinion, if | did not stand |
far above the honorable member. did not
come here dressed in rich wardrobe of words |
to delnde the people. ! was not one of those
who promised TO bring in bill of rights, vet |
neither brought in the bill, nor suffered annth- |
er to do IT. am not ono who had threatened !
TO lmpcach the chief justice of the kings |
bench for acting under an English law, and |
afterwards shrunk from that business. am
not the author Of the simple repeal. I have
not come at midnight and attempted by a vote
of this house to arrest the progress Of reason,
and stifle the voice Of the people. am not |
he mendicant patriot, who was bought by his
country for a sum of money, and then sold his }
country for prompt payment. A man Of
warm Imagination and "A brilliant fancy might
omctimes be dazled by his own ideas, and
or moment fall into error; but a man Of
onnd head could not have made so egrog ogious
mistake, and a man OF an hone, heart would
ot have persistedin it after it had been dis
overed. For myself, the whole force ofwhat
as been said against me rests upon this, that
once accepted an Office. But is a man the
,ss patriot for being an honest servant TO the
rown' have taken as great a part with the !
rst office in the state AT my back, as ever the
ght honourablc gentleman did with mendac-
y behind him."
To this speech, Grattan made the following
ply:
I" Sir, it is not the SANDER of the bad tongue
bad character which can dcfamc me. No
IAN who was not himself dishonored, can say
lat ever deceived him, no country has ever
llled me cheat. But can suppose man | I
different character, a man not now in the I
ousc, but who formerly might have been here.
will suppose il Is his practice 10 abuse overy
an who differs from him, and TO bctrav every
an who trusts him. | will suppose him ac- $
'c, and divide his life in'o three Stages In ,