The Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1837-1845, 1841-09-21

gisms may entangle his feet; O'Connell's cleo
tric sarcasm may scathe him; Sir Robert Peel's
polished shafts may whiZ around his ears, orquiver
In ms feshybut there he stands, honest and unaw-
ed Joseph, gathering up the fragments Of his last
nights speech, and displaying fresh columns oil
figures for renewed attack on some civil or
ecclesiastical abuse, which has been buried out
oil every body'a sight but his by the accumulat-
ca DUST oil centuries. And he lpiH be heard.
II the Commons cough and scrape him down,
he VIII tell his story to the People and prove il,
too, by the nine digits-and the People will be-
heve II. NO man in the Kingdom has done so
much TO expose and reduce useless expenditures
as Mr. Hume. Many political leech has been
scraped from the Treasury and turned out TO
get his bread by the sweat of his brow, by his
coarse hand. His untiring patience in chasing
a ialsehood, or false estimate, through wide
waste OF parliamentary papers, till he drives it
out INTO the sunlight OF open exposure, has
given bluff, dull-looking Joseph Hume a strong
hold upon the affections and confidence of large
masses OF the ax-payers of Great Britain. But,
his star is dmmed. He once fourished as the
representative Of Mddlesex, the metropolitan
county. Al the first election under her Males
ty, he was driven out Of Middlesex, after des-
perate struggle, and sought refuge in Kilkenny,
Ireland, for which he now sits"
MIR. Hume fairly in his seat, up stood little
man, dressed in little frock-coat and taking of
his hat very deliberately, commenced putting to-
gether some /" shocking bad" rhetoric, with a
weak, fiat voice. "Who is Mat?' said /, in
rather an impatient tone, to stout John Bull at
my elbow. "Who is that! Lord John Rus
sell 2' replied he, with frown which seemed TO
say, "Who are you, that don't know Lord John
Russellm was all attention in an instant--the
man and the subject. The leader of the House
of Commons was defending his administration
against the assaults of the Opposition. He
spake as one having authority: but was sadly
disappointed in his appearance and manner
Long ago had | sketched his portrait with my
minds eye as the Collingwood of the Reform
battle of 1880, and the illustrious descendant OF
the patriot and martyr Russell of 1850. True,
1 had been told he was small in person-but SO
were Hamilton and Napoleon, thought l. was
chagrined that had brought so large standard
across the Atlantic with which to measure him
His speech was dry skeleton of what might
have been in eloquent hands splendid argu-
ment His lordship is as much indebted TO the
reporters for his oratorical reputation, as was
Beau Brummel to the taors for the beautiful
symmetry of his person. His speech which,
within the walls of ST. Stephens Chapel, rioted
an hour on slaughtered rhetoric, appeared in the
columns of the Chronicle the next morning,
decked in all the Establishments Of Blair.
Lord John Russell is one of those fortunate
men who have been elevated to commanding
station by extrinsic and accidental circumstan
ces Early enrolled among the Liberals, he
brought to the aid Of that party in trying cri-
sis the powerful support OF great family int1u
ence The favorite son of the Duke Of Bedford
with the blood of freedoms notable martyr run
ming in his veins, was sure 10 command the
respect of his political associates. Combining
large share OF tact with treless industry, Lord
John secured to himself conspicuous post in
the great Reform Bill struggle, and in the iina
conflict, when victory crowned the assault or
the proud citadel Of arstocracy, he was found
at the head Of the advanced column, Since
then, he has been the accredited leader Of the
Wings in the House of Commons. Va ell, the
Secretary for the Colonies is good minister
shrewd, cautious, laborious. If he has his SINH
litude among our public men, ii will be found in
our late President. Certainly his appearance
reminded me of Mr.. Van Buren,. The contour
of his face, and especially that expressive fea
ture, the mouth are very like those Of my dis
tinguished countryman. Nor does the resem
blance stop with the external--it enters the mind
and pervades the heart The cool tactician
who leads the popular branch of her Majesty's
Parliament has crowd of active followers, but
not one enthusiastic friend in all her domin-
ions.
One who had been taught to regard the Bri
fish Parliament as the home Of all that is pro-
found in craftsmanship and lofty in eoquence
lctlS Ill dCuluS NOiu WllCu iuHlhuS HIS SyS WV
the catalogue Of its prominent names. The
fine, portly figure, and the gentemanly, digni
fed mein of Sir Robert Peel are the very pros
opopeia of Conservatism. He possesses rare
skin at keeping things as they are But should
the helm of power be again placed in his hands
he must make large concessions TO the ruling
spirit which rides in the storm--REFoRM-or re-
linquish his post or dismast the ship of State
The far-seeing Baronet will adopt the first alter
native, and his Toryism will be more ultra-Lib-
eral than the Whigism of Charles james Fox
or O'Connell, the lion of the House, may pos
sibly speak in another place. His figure cannot
be drawn at single stroke Of the crayon.
i What / have said Of the dearth OF great
statesmen in the Commons, is equally true of the
Lords Earl Grey, the last OF the old school, is
POLITICALLY dead Brougham is bad leader
TOO combative and dogmatical to be loved and
obeyed by his equals Gin rank, he has no others }
and too incautious and original to receive the
entire confidence, though he will the alteration,
4 of his interiors. An cratic comet, made to re
yolve in no orbit but its own, beautiful in the
distance, but grand and terrible in its proximity.
| Lyndhurst is great lawyer, and great bigot.
| Wellington is ng-headed manager, and har-
dened soldier. He would control statesmen at
whitehall, as he did soldiers at Waterloo. Mel
bourne-pshaw! =
| Yours, &c,
i