Litchfield enquirer. [volume] (Litchfield, Conn.) 1829-current, 1839-08-01

CHARAcTER OF WASHING TON.-As one ofthe
vratifSed listeners when the brief but admi.
able sketch (Which Is subjolned IN an ex-
Fact from the National Intelligencer) wns
we transfer It to our columns wIth
he confidence Of doing what wall % very
agreeable to our readers
We vet seem to feel the influence OF the
silence, with which, in inc mlo ca;
reer of festive gaiety, this tribute 0y an 9a
man eloquent TO the foremost man Oh all TINS
vorld.W Who was an American too was re.
ceivei and treasured up by that company OF
tr,,e- hearted Americans and we rejoice 10 |
the opportunity Of now extending its circuia-
ton. SIS
TAs Character of Washington. The bean-
t;f,l efflsion which the reader will find be-
low. Is the production Of the chaste and clas'
aic mind Of the late venerable and distln-
Ouished Senator from Rhode Island. Mr..
Robbins. and was occasioned by the follow
in9 circumstances During the Session OF
1SS7- a. Mr. Webster entertained large par"
A. nf friends at dinner; among thems inc
venerahle Senator we have named. Tne
evening nassed off with much hilarity, enll-
vaned with wit and sentiment; but, during
the greater part Of the time, MI. Robbins
maintained that grave but placid silence
which was his habit. While thus apparent
lv distracted, some one suddenly called on
him for q toast, which call was seconded Dy
the company. He arose, and 10 ms SURPRISE
asked ifthey were serious in making sucn a
demand Of go old a man; and beng assure9
that they were, he said II they woul1 suspeI99
their hilarity for few moments, ne would
Give them toast, and preface it with few
observations. Having thus secured q breath.
les stiffness, he went on to remark that they
were then on the verge Of the 22d Of Febru-
arv. the anniversary ofthe birth OF the great
patrios and statesman Of our country, whom
ali DELIGHTED to remember and to honor; and
he hoped he might be allowed the privilege
of an aged man to recur for few moments
To mast events connected with his character
and history. He then proceeded. and deliv-
cred. In the most happy and impressive man
ner. the beautiful speech which now graces
our columns. The whole company were
electrified by his patriotic enthusiasm and
one of the guests, before they separated. beg
ged that he would take the trouble to put on
paper what he had SO happily expressed, and
furnish copy for publication. MIR. X. obi
lowing day, but by some accident, the manu-
script got mislaid, and eluded all search for
II until few days ago, when it was unex-
pectedly recovered, and is now presented to
our readers:
On the near approach ofthat calendar day
which gave birth to WAsHINGToN, feel re-
kindling within me some of those emotions
always connected with the recollection of
that hallowed name. Permit me to indulge
them, on this occasion, for moment, in q
few remarks, az preliminary to sentiment
which shall beg leave to propose.
consider il as one of the consultations OF
NV age, that am old enough and fortunate
enough TO have seen that wonderful man.
This happiness is still common to 90 many
yet among the living, that less is thought Of
it now than will DO in after-times; but il Is
no less happiness to me on that account.
While boy at school, saw him for the
FIRST time; It was when he was passing
through New England to take the command-
in-chief of the American armies at Cam.
his imposing presence then made upon my
young imagination; go superior did he seem
10 me to all that / had seen or imagined of the
human form for striking effect. | remember,
with what delight in my after studies, came
to the line in Virgil that expressed all the
enthusiasm of my own feelings, as inspired
by that presence, and which could not often
enough repeat:
"Crsdo squidem, nee vans fdes. genus esse dso-
rum sssl.,i' "A s.@t{.4 4 III.
saw him again at his interview with Ro-
cHAMBEAu, when they met to settle the plan
i of combined operations between the French
feet and the American armies. against the
British on the Chesapeake and then saw
the immense crowd drawn together from all
the neighboring towns. to get, If possible.
one look at the man who had throned him
self 10 every heart. Not one of that inn
Vnenso nrovw1 Ac,,hso1 AA<, Anal s~;,,,,nvh &c ~.
country in her arduous conflict; for every
one saw, or thought he saw, in WASHINGTON,
her guardian angel. commissioned by heav-
en- to insure to her that triumph. M despe-
Sas,dun was the motto with every one.
"Nil desperandum, Teucro duee. OF euspiee leu.
In after-life, when the Judgment corrects
the extravagance Of early impressions, saw
him on several occasions, but saw nothing at
either to admonish me of any extravagance
in my early impressions. The impression
was still the same had the same overpow.
'ering sense of being in the presence of some
superior being.
lis indeed remarkable, and I believe I'M.
tque in the history of men, that WAsH1NcroN
made the same impression upon all minds, at
at all places, and at once. When his fame
first broke upon the world, il spread at once
over the whole world. BY the consent of
e1aankind-by the universal sentiment-he
was placed at the head of the human species:
above all envy, because above all emulation:
for no one then pretended. OF has pretended
TO beat least who has been allowed to be-
the co-rival Of WAsHMGToN in fame.
When the great FRRDRRrcK Of Prussia sent
mas portrait to WAsHrNGToN, with this in
ecription upon It, From the Oldest General
"a Europe 70 the greatest General IN The
world" ne did but echo tho sentiment of ali
the chiva!ry OF Europe. Nor was the senti.
snent confined to Europe, nor to the bounds
p clvillSaIlon TOR the Arab Of the Desert
talked Of WASHINGTON in his tent: his name
wandered with the wandering Scythian. and
was cherished by him as a household wnrd