The Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [D.C.]) 1837-1845, 1841-05-22

i W
From number of sketches noU pysrariasfor the
Perhaps there was no individual in our country
more highly endowed with intellectual gifts than the
late William Writ, the greatest public blunder Of
whose whole that late in life and ut the
eleventh political hour he suffered himself to be
nounced candidate for the Presidency by party
with whom he had not before acted But be this as il
may, all must admit who knew him, that whatever
Mr.. Writ did he did conscientiously. We all know
and feel that" to err is human" and We have yet to
learn that error is proof of selfshness The Roman
Cato when he found that
This world was made for Cesar I"
flew TO suicide He might have Stunned the deed,
and outlived Cesar, as Mr.. Writ did the excitement
which made him Presidential candidate and still like
him have served his country. The post of honor is
private station otener than politicians are aware
Of but still without guile they have often quit it to
turn to il without reproach. Until this event, Mr.
Writ pursued the tenor Of his profession through
along life, dignying with the official statesmanship
of Attorney General of the United States and not as
mere lawyer, who like drudge horse only go in
the gears Of particular vehicle but adjoining and il
Illustrating it with literature and science His know
sizes was profound as his legal requirements while
his political information and sagacy kept pace with
his other improvements His genius of the first
ORDER and he improved it with the most seduous care
He exerted his mind at times an author then as an
orator, and daily lawyer, while his efforts in each
department improved his general powers and gave him
that variety of information and knowledge which,
when combined with genius, makes what Mr.. Writ
really was, truly great man. Not great only in poll
tics, literature law, but great in each and ALL like
Lord Brougham. Many Of his countrymen were
his superors in some departments ofearning they
may be said to have been his superors in some natural
endowments but for universally and variety Of talent
perhaps he was not surpassed. .. ..
Mr.. Writ had none Of the adventurous aids of high
BIRTH fortune and connexions to assist him up the step
of Fame. He was compelled to force his own way,
unai ded and unfriended and like many other great
men of our country, he taught school for manten-
ance while he studied law. 1t was during that time
while he was student, or Immediately after he was
admitted to the practice that he wrote the letters of the
British Spy" The description Of the nori homines
the new men, which he eloquonty gives in one OF
those letters applied apty to himself The eloquence
with which he describes the elevated purposes of
tory, exhibited his own devotion to the art while
showed his capability ofexceing in it. ~.
It may be said to be almost the peculiar privilege
| an American to win his own way by the gifts which
nature has given him, with the certainty that success
will wait merit. Wealth and family influence, it il
true, have great weight in the start of young man
but in the long rum superior talents will gain the prize
no matter what may have been the early disadvanta
ges Of their possesso provided the resolution to be
true to himself comes not too late The history of al
most every departed well of almost every living
worthy Of our country proves this remark and it il
right that it should be Perhaps this, than any
other feature in Republic, tends to its durability
while it renders it glorious. The great of tn,
people seldom wrong in their Judgments and there
fore it is that with them talents meet with Just apple
citation whenever they become known, at least talent
for oratory. IS |,s .a.
Mr.. Writ had all the qualifications for ohtainin
the popular good will. He possessed fine person
remarkable amenity of manners, colloqual qualities
the first order, wit at WILL and he abounded in anet
dotes, which he related with remarkable peasantnes
: and tact. A stranger, on entering assembling
, where Mr.. Writ was would Immediately on percei,
ing him. have supposed him a superior man. HI
person was above the middle height with an inclina
ton to corpulency his countenance "sicked o'e
with the pale cast of thoughts )" his mouth was nel
} formed, and u physiognemist would have noted tina
the compression of his lips denoted frmness, and hi
smile, good humorod irony. He had Roman nose
the eye of cerulean blue, with remarkably arch ex
preston when he was animated and of calm thought
fulness when his features were in repose His fore
head was not high; but it broad with the phreno
logical developments strongly marked-particularly
the poetic and perceptive faculties. His hair was
sandy and his head bald on the top, which, with
Byronian anxiety, he tried to hide by combng the
hair up over the baLiness-and it was much his Gus
tom, when engaged in oratorical display, to pre-
serve its adjustment by passing his hands it, HI
much careful in this regard than is the elo
quent and chvalric Preston, who, though he wears
wig, seems not only Indifferent as to who knows it
but of the wig ITSELF for in the sturdy breeze which
blew over the Canton course, at the Baltimore Con
ventioD it nearly left him-he the while apparently
unconscious as he fulmlned to the vast and wrapt mu
titude. Well the Caro.inan may not love the aure
as Cesar did, because it hid his badness but he de
served to have it voted to him long ago for his elo
quence. 1a.a# .. ~1-.
General Harrison used to tell-peace to his ashes
| 'au hotioh hNihS Stdttuue W nane anu laHic
he gladdened the hearth at the Bend with stories
of the worthless past and present. how he remembered
to have seen Patrick Henry, in the heat of his glor
Gus defamation, twist the back Of his wig until il
covered his brows and any one who has heard tn,
Senator from Carolina, would say that the resemblance
between himself and his illustrous relative exende.
| from great things to small ones.
| AT the first glance at Mr.. Wits countenance whel
he was not engaged in conversation business, tn
observer would have been struck with the true dgn
of the man, whose mind seemed to hold all its ener
gies in perfect control His selfpossession was per
feet. When he arose to address the court or Jury
there was no hurry, agitation about him, as W
perceive in many men. On the contrary, he stoo
collected, while his enunciation was deliberate an
slow He stated his proposition with great simplicity
lin fact, it was generally sefevdent one, the ap
plicabity ofwhch to the case, lift intricate an