Southport telegraph. [volume] (Southport, W.T. [i.e. Kenosha, Wis.]) 1840-1850, 1840-12-08
From Brougham's Historical Sketches.


From Brougham's Historical Sketches
NAPOLEON AND WASHINGTON.
The following extract is from an article by Lord
Brougham, contrasting the characters Of Bonaparto
and Washington. 1t is powerful sketch: Bona
parc great in tho council, in the cabinet, and III tho
field is yet designated q cOnqucror and tyrant.
With capabilities, perhaps greater than were ever
before cenercd III one man, he exhibits the spccla-
re Of the perverson of his powers to attain selfish
end That ambition which properly guided might
have conferred lasting benefit upon the world. was
employed only to elevate It's pOssess)r, and without
in any manner by his acts ameliorang the condition
of his fellows he yet GREAT ButIt IS that kind
ofgreatness which gives of sorrow than plea
sure to contemplate. We mark his progress HAT
OF a mighty conlagration, we struck by its gran
cur but mourn the dcsolatlon which follows it. Boz
nlparte was great bur his greatness rowns upon us
from the pyraml of bones which himself raised, and
when we look in vain for the necessity to Justify his
immense sacrifice of blood and 1reas1re, we inward
ly pray iiat the world may not again witness such
greatness. What American will not feel more proud
of his country, and of her men, when he reads the
following contrast and knows that it is true:
How grateful the relief which the friend
Of mankind, the lover OF virtue, expcrien-
ccs, when turning from the contemplation
of such a character, his eye rests upon the
greatest man Of our own or any age; the
only one upon whom an epithet SO thought
lcssIy layished by men, TO foster the crimes
Of their worst enemies, may be innocently
and Justly bestowed In Washington we
truly behold Il marvellous contrast 10 al
most every one of the enGowmcnts and the
vices which we have been contemplating {;
and which are so we'll fitted 10 excite a
mingled admiration, and sorrow, and alb
florence. With none of that brilliant &C.
MUS which daZzles ordinary minds with
not even any remarkable quickncss Of APP
prehcnson with knowledge less than al
most all persons IN the middle ranlSs, and
many well educated of the humber classes
possess 4; this eminent person is presented
10 our observation clothed in in attributes
"a modest, as Enprecnding, as little calcu-
lated to strike or TO astonish, as if he had
pissed unknown through some secluded re-
gions of private life. But he had Judge
ment sure and sound; steadiness ofmind
which never suffered any passion, or even
any feeling to rulile its calm; strength
Of understanding which worked rather
than forced its way through all obstacles
removing or avoiding rather than over
leapng them. Ii profound sagacity, an
shaken steadiness Of purpose, the entire
subjugation of all the passions which carry
havoc through ordinary minds, and often
tines lay waste the fairest prospects Of
grcanesS-nay, the discipline Of those feel
Ings which are wont to lul or to seduce
genius, and to mar and to cloud over the
aspect Of virtue herself-joined with, or
rather leading TO the most absolute self
denial, the most habitual and exclusive de-
Nution TO principle-if these things can
constitute Il great character, without even
Gllckness of apprehension, or resources Of
information, or inventive powers, or any
brilliant quality that might dazzle the vu-
gar-then surely Washington was the
greatest man that ever lived in this world
oainSpired by Divine wisdom, and upsus-
tanned by supernatural virtue.
Nor could the human fancy create \
combination Of qualities, even TO the very
wants and defects of the subject, more per
iec,y fitted for the scenes in which il was
his lot TO bear the chief part; whether we
regard the war which he conducted, the
political constitution over which he after
wards presided, or the tempestuous times
through which he had finally TO guide the
bark himself had launched. Averse as his
pure mind temperate disposition naturally
was from the atrocities Of the French Re-
'olution. he yet never lcant against the
cause OF liberty, but chung to it even when
degraded by the excuses Of its savage vo-
taries Towards France, while he renro-
J2ed her aggressions upon other states.
and brayely resisted her pretensions to con-
'IToI his own, he yet never ceased 10 feel
The gratitude which her aid 10 tho Ameri-
can cause had planted etornalIy in every
american bosom; and for the freedom OF
" ""uon which had followed the noble ex-
""'P'c o. ms countrymen in breaking the
mains OF thousand years, he united with
nose cooh'rymen in cherishing a natural
sympathy and regard. Towards England,
@'om ne had only known as tvrant, he
never even in the worst times If French
turbulence OF home, and ininrv 70 foreign
states, could unbend from tho n,,;,ndc 81