Litchfield enquirer. [volume] (Litchfield, Conn.) 1829-current, 1833-05-23
From HE Portland advertiser.
TRISTRAM burgess.


reason to be proud. He is emphatically
son of her institutions, having raised himself
from the Iaborious occupation of a cooper to
a distinguished position in Congress, having
educated and informed himself, SO as now to
take high rank among the first men 10 our
country, and this by the impulse of his own
industry, his own unconquerable mind.
Mr.. Burgess is under six feet 10 height. well
built, with hazle eyes, and very marked face
Indicating in very great degree, the charac-7
ter Of the man. About the eye, or the eye
brow, there is much that resembles Mr.. Clay.
There is a wildness, sort of enthusiastic ex
preston, which have always found to mark
u character greatly distinguished from that of
the ordinary lot of mcn-and though am no
scientific physiOgnomist, nor phrenologist,
yet am believer in both, and the more we
contrast mems heads with what we know 10
be their characters, the more am confirmed
in my belief. For example, the man that
merely glances at Mr.. Webster, and does not
see him to be an extraordinary man, is blind.
The eyes of Mr.. Calhoun are an index to his
life and his feelings. The eyebrows and
mouth of Mr.. Clay distinguish him at once
to the most careless observer. The Sinking
face, the ever smiling wrinkles, the haIfturn
ed eyes of Mr.. Van Buren,, are the most per-
feet indications of the man. For curiosity
attempted to pick him out of crowd of two
thousand persons or more, at the White House
the other evening, and succeeded 10 less than
ten minutes. after hunting through three suits
OF rooms. To know his life is to know him,
for his character speaks in his face.
Mr.. Burgess is 6S years old this month (Feb-
Tuary.) His head is bald his eye wild. his
manner in debate SO animated the motions of
his hands, which bouncing like claws. as it
were, upon an adversary, fall so forcibly, ia
tally, one may add. that he has not been In
aptly termed the Bald Eagle. No person has
agreater command oflanguage than Mr.. Bur-
ges. No one in Congress has so many ex-
pressive words, so many expressive meta
pliers, so many weil-pointed Illustrations, so
many well directed shafts. In the war of
words he has no equal. Wo to the man who
measures such weapons with him. His quiv-
er OF arrows is inexhaustible. His bow is al
ways drawn. The quicker the combat the
better for him. In that rough. off hand, i'm
mediate skirnishing, the picquet fighting as it
were IN debate when advancing guards meet,
Mr.: Burgess is the happiest man ever met
with. He will lay whole platoon PROSTATE
at move. Instrumentation is wanted, it goes
like the ancient Catapulta with terrible force
upon the walls ola enemy to demolish whole
regiments at blow. If some stout champi-
on, Goliath like, is sent to meet him, his sling
lays him low. Thus Mr.. McDufie is often
quoted. Ii denunciaton, if argument are
weapons too dignfied to be used upon an ad-
yersary over confident in his strength, Mr..
nurges viii draw upon his wit, in which he
Is Well gifted, and soon make him ridiculous.
Ihus MIR. CambreIiDg, and Mr.. Daniels have
been often quoted. 1t is said that Mr.. Bur-
ges is the only man of whom John Randolph
was afraid. In graphing him, Mr.. Burgess
must have found his equal 10 words, in meta
phors, in wit, but perhaps not in denunciation,
But Mr.. Randolph was slenced by one of
those appeals ad hominens, which he himself
was in the custom Of using with so much ef
feet upon others. -
The great advantage which Mr.. Burgess has
IN debate, over many men, is in his readiness.
and in his ability to fight with any kind of
weapons. Ifclassical illustration or reference
IS useful. his industry, and taste as scholar
tfor ne is scholar as well as politician, and
IS as well read in Cesar, in Liyy, and in Ho-
mer. as in Nautilus or Seybert give him the
choice of well tempered words, and well
matched illustrations. In this there are great
advantages, which the student who now can
see ne utility IN the classics, will see when he
comes upon the world. And here, in passing.
49, '~AS NS ICCI d kInu OF NOW nor
ror at the prescription which some Goths and
vandals are raising against all the models of
creek and Roman literature, that the best de-
baters In Congress are scholars, fine classical
scholars, all that know of, with the excep.
ton OF Mr.. Clay, who, if he had the cult, at
cd taste OF Mr.. Everett, would be one of the
most powerful men the world ever saw.
whose very faults are a stammering and hes
'tat'on, IN debate. which study could have
prevented, whose very spirit is clogged for
want Of words, and when he has spoken from
inspiration as it were, cannot find words to
write what he spoke without reflection,
#ot which contend arise from neglect in
early life to get that command Of words
which every classical scholar must have
Indeed there are times when Mr.. Claws pan-
tomime is better than his language,-and now
let no man tell me that il burning thoughts
are not expressed in good words, they cannot
have the effect which they would otherwise
have. Nor let any man say, unless he is
qualified to speak, that the comparison of
words in different languages, the necessity of
fixing due definition to esch, and thus Of se-
lecting the best and ittest for application, and
particularly the study of the parent languages,
are not the best discipline for that ready de-
bate. which, ifyou are ready speaker, must
give frequently dozen words for the same
idea, and then impose upon you the task of
instant choice. To all Of this must add the