The daily Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1841-1845, 1842-10-08

SKETCHES OF CONGRESS.
WAsHnNeroN, Sept. IA, 1912.


Of rather prepossessing exterior. Nature IS more
equal in her gifts, than Of her enyious children
think She, generally, in degree, II not an kind as
lLbutes them proportonaiy. Some she endows
with intellect and rare qualities-upon Others she
bestows happy temperament and sangune DISPOSE
tons. Some she surrounds with the trappings ol
wealth and temporal prosperityto others she gives
the mind TO and refuse such yanities. Upon
the distinguished subject Of our sketch she has be-
slowed SSH feet aud good proportions"
Nor let those who want such attributes enyiously
despise them for they will exhibit at once their ma
levolence and ignorance OF manknd Tar better than
talent ottenumes they recommend to iavor-success
is found 10 accompany them, and leaves poor merit
painting behind.
In DAYS of ancient times, we read, the favoring
multitude elected their rulers by mathematical pro-
portions. The taiest kind of the chosen
objects of the popular regard. The Sauls and Eneas
were men of stature they confirmed their merits by
their inches; and extraordinary height was ever
among the unsophiscaled, extraordinary desert and
the primitive word which signifies ruler, is equally
applicable 10 the human altitude.
Height Of person being then with the earlier set
tiers in Ontario and the regions crcumjacent, synon-
ymous with commanding qualities, Frank Granger
soon outsripped in popularity all his competitors, by
oyerreaching them in his shoulders. HIS head might
not have been wiser, il was more elevated than
theirs and the rude settlers of that country then
timated their leaders they did their Liberty poles
the greater their height the more wotby OF admi-
brazen head.
And another reason still added to his popularity.
Aware how evanescent the influence which depends
upon the accden al elevation of stature-(or another
person OF more fortunate inches might soon have over
taken him)--he determined to acquire moral as
well as hysical renown. And chance supplied him
with means, for which he had applied in n to ma
ure. An individual of his section Of the country,
member of fraternity, whose secrets were inviolate
by oath, pretended to reveal what he never knew
nd uafh nHb tpp,u II have
to confess d ubly false, he would have betrayed his
brethren, and deceived a creduous, horror-seeking
public He disappeared-by whose agency, unless
his own, was never northumberland even II he met
the fate surmised by some, his Punishment was de-
served, if not its method, in the opinions of all.
And now Mr.. Granger mounted the hobby-horse
Of terror, and with DRY TANKS drove it over the
str cken fields of the West; that, in short time
It's presence became as dreadful to the unreasoning
multitude, as the Phantom Horse to poor Mat. Lee,
in Danas story of the Buccaneer. And the storm he
had raised assisted to raise, he governed at will
the spirits he had croked aided his purposes and
upon The current of popular feeling whose course he
directed, he rode safely into the harbor of his wish
es. lie reached Washington by 'Alorganizing" his
district.
And, in accordance with the physical laws of ma
ture the motion continued after the impelling
had ceased to act. The supposilious death of Nor
gan procured for him not merely his Congressional
career, but also seat in the Cabinet his presumed
popularity piOuuueu, nave sIioWn, upon one pny
steal, one moral cause, elevated him above his de-
serts, as, probably, his hopes. Who would have sup
posed that the abduction of one obscure individual
could have exalted another otherwise perhaps OBJ
scure, to such unexpected honors
But this Is the fortune of man the stepping stones
OF our ascent are not much deeds Of fame,
various virtues the msfortunes and the vices of 9TH
ers. AS the man of strength, from the carcase of
the dead lion extracted the honeycomb, we, seiz-
ing upon opportunities neglected, unthought of by
Others fashion the elements Of our greatness of the
wrecks of human folly and passion.
In the Cabinet Mr. Granger exhibited no more in
decision, yindictiveness of purpose incapacity,
than in his previous career; those who have thought
should recoect that in his then elevated position
these qualities of the mind became only more dist n
guishable. And many might have supposed, from the
less marked appearance OF these and other weakness
Of his former life, that he would have deserved
even the distinction conferred upon him, had he moi
attained IT, So has it been the peculiar nfelicity Of
this gentleman to have forfeited the favorable opin
ion Of his friends, by the very it was hoped TO
be increased! AS if fortune had been most inimcal
when seemingly most proptious
He was, It's true, but short time in the Cabinet ::
long enough for his fame. He was either most eyre
giously imposed upon by others representations,
superatively nconsiderate Of judgment too easily
influenced or too rashly directing. We would rather,
however ascrbe the mperfecons of his policy to the
knayish suggestions of those who surrounded him,
than any depraved intentions OF his own his head
more deficient IMAM MS HcaTt, LOT dlIOuTn e
has lived long among men, he knows but little
of mankind, as there many people who have
sailed around the world without ever having been
in it,
His appointments to office as censurablc as
his removals and herein he INDUCED too much IN the
qualification of private spleen: his errors of judy
ment were many, but in this, am sorry TO say, he
exhibited unnecessary degree of selfish feeling,
too nearly bordering upon official malversaon. But,
although must condemn the motives that induced
his action in this respect, will pass over the mis-
takes themselves, they can be rectifed by his
successor.
His manner of leaving the cabinet, too, was undi &
nifed as if when he had obtained undeservedy, he
must retire disgracefuily. He sometimes coquetted
with he President: sometimes with his "whig as
sociaes the fear of offending the latter and the de-
desire Of office predomnated alternately; and he
approached in his disturbed cause one end of
the Capitol the other, as the centripeta or the
centrifugal forces most prevailed His ''whg" col
leagues demonstrated with him in public and IN pr-
vae the New York delegation cut his acquaintance
and the philosr phica Attorney General sent him an
essay on the "True Greatness of the Soul" Great
pressure from without bore upon him he shook in
the wind he feared the increase of the storm he
'resolved and reresoved" till rendered almost des
perate by conflicting emotions the fiat of party pre-
vailed over his wishes and perhaps his judgment -
with such look and such exclamation as our
first parents on their departure from Eden, "And
must leave thee Paradise 2" he sent in his reluctant
quasi resignation with the buoyant hope that such
services his could not be dispensed with
But when he found the President not made
Of "penetrable stuff" nor estimated his services
al his own valuation" He foamng fled the fight
And yet the honorable member from the nfected
district has some good qualities, both as man and
speaker. Besides his good looks, which are univer-
sally acknowledged, he has in his speeches happy
collection of words; as Mrs. Maaprop would say, he
is known "for the nice arrangement of his epaphs.',
He is seldom tedious, nor foolishly oquaclous his
sentences generally well arranged, and his obser-
yations oteutmes judiciousy illustrated. And
though he has twice mistaken the bent Of his
genius by supposng irony to consist of inflated terms
of abuse and sarcasm but species of vulgar crimi-
nation, with little more discipline and better cul-
tivaied taste, he will make respectable declaimer
would advise him to study Canning, More and Sheri-
L IL Al. 4. IL. L.