The Arkansas advocate., 1836-07-08

! fest attribute of mind, that awed the comba- tants into respect, and challenged their hon. aget
 The intellectual character of Huph l.: White would bear fair and honorable com parlson With the first talent in the Senate, As an orator, In the popular aeeeptation of the term, he IS not so distinguished us many members in the House of Congress. He pos sesses little of that rich profuson of imari- nation, which throws such charm over the oratory of Clay, or Pinckney. or Wirt But if oratory means the carving of the point, and the demolishing of adverse posi- tens, he has few superors. As a reasoner and debater, he has shown strength and CO., gency ofNargulnent, on more than one occa- sion, which would rank him as one of the ablest logicians on the floor of Congress, fiis speech upon the Indian question, which was made too, under circumstances Ill which few men would have chosen to appear in their seats, was considered one of the most power ful efforts ever made in that body and of the same character were his speeches upon the Panama Mission. In the discussion of the latter, Hugh l.. White was particularly dis tingdlshed-and the combatants of that de- bate were no striplings in mind and attain ments. The protoundest talent in the nation
 
 brought to bear upon it; but the speech of Hugh l.. White was pronounced to be the ablest exposition of the powers of govern ment made during the whole discussion. 1 The character of his reasoning partakes of the dominant quality of his mind. He never descends from the lofty position of honor and self respect, to avail himself of the cunning tricks of controversy, or of adroit subterfuges -or to avoid conclusive arguments by stroke of wit, or conceal beneath flood of idle Reclamation the falseheed or weakness of his premises. He attacks no subject in the .fank but marches up, bold and fearless, to the ffont, and marks out his positions with such precision, and lays his premises so deep and sure, that he seldom fails to reduce the enemy. This is the order of mind that seems peculiarly adapted to the discharge of diff cult and heavy duties. Of our seven Presi- dents, but one was an orator; and he was the most unpopular that ever sat in the Chair. In the bold characteristics of his mind Judge White approaches nearer Washing ton, Monroe, and Madison. Madison, 1t Is well known, was wonderful logician Eve ry subject which he touched seemed moulded in the greatness of his own mind-and of him 1t might be safely said, as it was of an other great man, that he never undertook to prove, what he did not establish yet Mali- son possessed but few of the charms and graces of oratofy.
 Asa Statesman, Hugh l.. White has sus- tained character for talents equally honora- ble to his station and his country, till he was sixty two years of age. No man ever doubt- ed them. He had grown old in honors and envy or jealousy had not breathed word of dissatisfaction-hc had held some of the highest and most responsible offices within the glft of the people, and he discharged them as they never were better, before or since. But in his sixty third year, 1t was discovered that the public had been deceived -that this great debater and profound States man had no mind. Alas, political consistency! And what increases the wonder of the dis covery Is. that those who had ever been read fest to acknowledge his talents and extol his worth, are the first to make the detection Whether the deficiency of talents be as great Tn the venerable statesman, as the want of honesty to the political inqulstor, we leave to the people to decide.
 His consistency as politician has long been proverbial. A change of adminstra- tions creates no change in his doctrines, throws no new flashes of light upon ques- tion, and brings to view no unseen excellen- cies which before were not known to exist. The waxing and waning of poaoer bring no uneasiness or terrors to hin-and the peri odical ebbing and flowing of opinions, leave his principles firm aud unshaken as the ocean rock, while the empty spray serves but to cleanse them of their dross. In the admin. lstration of MT. Adams, he opposed the ex- tension of Executive Patronage upon pa'inci- ple.--ln 1885 these principlesha not changed, and he opposed it again. Those who thrive and fatten by Awning and sycophancy, and float on the tide of party through every admin istraton, call this adhesion to principle. ssde- sertion of the ranks.'' Hugh l.. White be= longs to no ranks, and never did, but the ranks of the Constitution. And when many of those who f1ay have happened to agree in opinion with him, are found sliding into CT TOT, he asks only to be permitted to retain his original ground. But let not the subject be too closely sifted, lest it be found that his accusers have deserted principle-and they may find that the charge of inconsistency is more easily imposed upon others, than 1t is shaken off when truth has fastened 1t upon i themselves.
 To the calm and philosophic observer of the tide of human affairs, who IS unacquainted 1 with the moral code, and the pliancy of cen science, of the humble fraternity who live by sycophancy on one hand and detraction on the other, it would appear strange perverslon of the laws of society, that such man as the Western Cincinnatus, now when he IS grey
 with lonors and years, should need friendly hand to repel detraction and defamation. But the fanatcism of party stops not at lnconsist- encies and absurdities. If the Father of his Country had defamation hcaped upon him, : maiipnant Slander and charppS of moons lS-