Martinsburg gazette. [volume] (Martinsburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1833-1855, 1839-08-08

crowd hurry out to the square IN front, ana from a
balcony on the main entrance, the Pope blessed
them all! Cannons thunder. bells chime, Rome "a
alive. At night, ST. Peters is then illuminated.
Traceries of light showing off all its architecture;
and then ut dusk, a thousand torches suddenly light
up the whole building-it ought to be seen, not
spoken OF.
THE CHARACTER OF WASHINGTON.
The beautiful eIusion which the reader will find
below, is the production OF the chaste and classic
mind of the late venerable aud distinguished Sena-
tor from Rhode Island, MIR. RoDniSs, and was oc-
casiuned by the following circumstances; During
the Session OF 1878, Mr.. WEBSTER entertained a
large party of friends at dinuer, among them, the
venerable Senator we have named. The evening
passed off with much hilarity, enhyened with wit
and sentiment but, during the greater part oil the
time, Mr.. RoBBIEs maintained that grave but pla-
cid silence which was his habit. White thus apPa-
rently distracted, some one suddenly called ON HIM
far a toast, which call was seconded by the compa-
nv. He rose, and ia his surprise asked if they were
serious in making such n demand OF so old a man;
and being assured that they were, he said II they
would suspend their hilarity for "a few moments he
would give them a toast and preface II with a few
observations. Having thus secured a GREATNESS
stiffness, he went on to remark that they were then
on the verge of the 22d of February, tho annlyetsa-
nv OF the birth of the great patriot and statesman.oi
ntI county, NipAh III -
10 honor; and he hoped he might be allowed the
privilege of an aged man to recur tor a few mo-
menis to past events connected with his character
and history. He then proceeded, and delivered IN
the most happy and impressive manner the beanti-
fnl speech which now cruces our columns. Inc
whole company were electrified by his patriotic en-
lhusiasm; and one of the guests, before they sepa-
rated, begged that he would take the trouble to put
on paper what he had so happily expressed, and
c.r;.I a conv Er puhlicnfinn. Nh. tx. ObllulngIy
complied with his request on the following day, but
by some accident the manuscript got mislaid, and
eluded all search for il until a few days ago, when
II was unexpectedly recovered. and is now prescn-
ted to our readers :-Nationai hteAigencer.
On the near approach of that calendar day which
gave birth TO WAsHISGToN, l feel reminding within
me some of those emotions always connected with
the recollection of that halowed name. Permit
me to indulge them, on the occasion, for a moment,
in a few remarks, as preliminary to a sentiment
which | shall beg leave TO propose.
/ consider it as one of the consultations of my age
that | am old enough and fortunate enough to have
seen that wonderful man. This happiness is still
common to so many yet among the living, that less
il thought of il now than will be in after times; but
it is no less n happiness to me on that account.
While a boy, at school, I saw him for the first
time; il was when he was passing through New I'm
gland to take the command in chief OF the Ameri-
can armies at Cambridge. Never shall | forget the
impression his imposing presence then made on my
Young imagination; 80 superior did he seem 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 ofmy own feelings as
inspired BY that presence, and which ! could not Of.
ten enough repeat:
| "Cledo equidem, nee vaua 6des, genus essc deorum
saw him again at his interview with TlocBAM-
BEAU, when they met to settle the plan of combined
operations between the French fleet and the Ameri'
| can armies, against the British on the Chesapeake !
and then | saw the immense crowd drawn together
from all tho neighboring towns to get, it possible.
one look at the man who had throned himself in ev-
ery heart. Not one of that immense crowd doubt
ed the final triumph of his country in her arduous
conflict; for every one saw, or thought be saw, IN
WASHINGTON, her guardian angel, commissioned
by Heaven to insure TO her that triumph. Nil des-
perandum was the motto with every one.
"Nil desperandum, Teucro duce, auspice Teucro"
In after life, when the judgement corrects the ex-
travagance of early impressions, l saw him ON sew
| eral occssions, but saw nothing at either TO admon-
ish me of any extravaganza in my early impressions.
The immersion was the same | had the anne over
powering sense of being in the presence of some SUI
perior being
/, is indeed remarkable. and | believe unique in
the history Of men, that WAsHISGroN made the
! same impression upon all minds, at all places, and
at ORCH. When his fame FIRST broke upon the world,
il 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 ali envy, because above all emulation: for no
one then pretended or has pretended to be-at least
who has been allowed to be--ihe co-rival of WASH
IEeToE in fame.
When the great FREDERICK OF Prussia sent his
nortrait TO WAsHiYGToN. with this inscription upon
i. "From the oldest Generalin Europe to the great
eat General in the world" he did but echo the SEN
timent of all the chi9alry Of Europe. Nor was this
sentiment confined to Europe, nor to the bounds OF
civilization; for the Arab Of tho desert talked Of
WAsuIEGroH in his tent; his name wandered with
the wandering Scythian, and was cherished by him
! as n household word in all his migrations. No
| cline was so barbarous as to be a stranger to the
name; but every where, by all men, that name was
placed at the same point Of elevation, and above
comneer. AS il was in the beginning, so it Is now
of he future we cannot speak with Certainly. Some
future age. in the endless revolutions Of time. may
rroduce another WAsHINGToE but the greater
prchabiEty is that he is destined to remain forever,
a. he now is, the Phenix of human kind.
What a possession to his country is such a fame!
PSuch a
"Clarum ct venerable nomen
"Gent6as!"
| To all his countI ymen it, gives and forever viii give,
n na,sport 10 respect wherever they go, to wbate-
vey mart of the Globe; for his country is in every
other identified with that fame.
What. then. is incumbent upon US, his country
mem Wby, to be such a People as shall be worr
! Inv Of such a fanne-s People Of whorn IT shsil DO
! said, "No wosder such a People have produced