Herald of the times. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1830-1846, 1839-08-01
THE CHARACTER OF WASHING
TON.

THE CHARACTER OF WASHING
TON.
"Tbe beautiful eflusion which the
reader will find below, is the production
of the chasle aud classic mind OF the late
venerable and distinguished Senator
from Rhode Island, Mr.. RoBBISs, and
was occasioned by the following circum-
stances During the session Of 1878,
Mr.. WEBSTER entertained large party
of friends nj dinner among them the
venerable Senator we have named
The evening passed off with much hi
larity ,enlivened with wit and sentiment ;
but, during the greater part of the time,
MIR. RoBBiNs maintained that grave but
placid silence which was his habit
While thus apparently distracted, some
one suddenly called on him for toast,
which call was seconded by the compa-
ny. lie rose, and in his surprise asked
il they were serious in making such n
demand OF so old a man /; and being as
sured that they were, he said if they
would suspend their hiarity for a few
moments he would give them toast
and preface it with few observations. -
Having thus secured brea:hless still
ness, he went on to remark that they
were then on the verge of the 22d OF
February, the anniversary Of the birth
Of the great patriot and statesman Of our
country, whom all delighted TO rcmem-
ber and to honor aud he hoped he
might be allowed the privilege OF an
aged man TO recur for few moments to
past events connected with his character
and history. He then proceeded, and
delivered in the most happy and impress
sive manner The beautiful speech which
now graces our columns. The whole
company were electrified by his patriotic
enthusiasm and one Of the guests, be-
fore they separated, begged that he
would take the trouble to put on paper
what he had so happily expressed, and
furnish n copy for publication. MIR. X.
obligingly complied with this request on
the following day, but by some acciden,
the manuscript got mislaid, and eluded
all search for it until few days ago,
when it was Unexpectedly recovered,
and is now presented to our readers
"On the near approach of that calcn-
dar-day which gave birth to WASHING
TON, l feel rekindllng within me some
of those emotions always connected with
the recollection of that halIowed name.
Permit me to indulge them, on this occa-
sion, for moment, in a few remarks, as
preliminary to sentiment which shall
beg leave TO propose.
A nT ~ a =
tons Of my age that | am old enough
and fortunate enough to have seen that
wonderful man. This happiness is still
common 10 many yet among the living,
that less is thonght Of it now than will
be in after times but it is no less a
happiness to me on that account.
While boy at school, | saw him for
the first time it was when he was pas
sing through New England to take the
command-in chief Of the American ar
mics at Cambridge. Never shall | for
get the impression his imposing presence C
then made upon my young Imagination
81 superior did he seem to me to all that
/ had seen or imagined OF the human
form for striking effect. l remember
with what delight, in my after studies, !
came TO the line in Virgil that express
sed all the enthusiasm OF my own feel
ings, as inspired by that presence, and
which | could not often enough repeat
"Credo, equidem, nee vana fdes, genus csse
deoruin.''
saw him again at his interview with
RocHAMBgAU, when they met to settle
the plan Of combined operations between
the French fleet and the American ar-
mics, against the British on the Chesa-
peake and saw the immense crowd
drawn together from all the neighboring
towns, to get, if possible, one look at
the man who had throned himself in
every heart. Not one of that immense
crowd doubted the final triumph of his
country in her orduous conflict for eve-
ry one saw, or thought he saw, in WASH
INGTov, her guardian angel, commission
ed by Heaven TO insure her that triumph
Nil desperandum was the motto with
every one.
"Nil dcsperandum, Teucro duce, auspice,
Teucro.'
In after life, when the judgment cor
rccts the extravaganza Of early impress
sions, saw him on several occasions,
but saw nothing at either to admonish
me OF any extravaganza in my early i'm
pressions. The impression was still the
same overpowering sense of being in the
presence Of some superior being.
Ii is indeed remarkable and believe
unique in the history Of men, that WASH
INeToN made the same impression upon
all minds, at all places, and at once
When his fame first broke upon the
world, it spread at once over the whole
world. BY the consent of mankind--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, or has pre-
tended to bo-corrival Of WASHINGTON
in fame.
When the great FREDERICK Of Prus-
sia sent his portrait to WASHINGTON, with
this inscri ption upon it, "From the Oldest
General in Europe TO the greatest Gen.
sral in the world" he did but echo the
sentiment of all the chivaIry of Europe.
Nor was the sentiment confined to Eu-
rope, nor to the bounds Of civilization I;