Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1843-05-05
Correspondence Of the Newark Sentinel.
THE FIVE GREAT MEN OF EUROPE.
I-WELLINGTON

TRAFALGAR SQUARE, LONDON, 1872
writer in Blac wood's Magazine has truly re.
marked thar there is bu, one man who fills the uni.
versl eye ofLondon.' There is butIone man t, whom
the whole great metropolis from the pa,riclans of
Grosvenor square TO the begears OF ST. Giles are
ready to doff their hats, and, if need be- 10 raise
cheer, And no wonder, for every body knows him.
II you take an early walk into st James Park down
by the Palace, ten to one but you will meet very
old man, with very thin face, and very White hair
and tremendously large nose galIopnp rapidly tow.
ards the Horse Guards AS he rides along, the urch.
IN pulls of his ragged hat, and the sentinel by the
Palace wall 'salltes and even tn , m IN If h,s,nes.
who has seen him hundred times, stops in his hui.
RED walk TO take another look at the old IRoN DrKE
When he arrives al the arched passage which leads
through the War Office into Parliament street, and
where two fierce looking fellows, in green coats and
brazen helmets, sit all day keeping guard on Two
black horses, Nhence known ns the Horse Guarl.,)
he wheels his charger and dashed back again towards
Buckingham Palace and thence through Plccndilly
10 Apsley House. fine bracng ride for the veteran:
and long may he cnl,y 1t, for his own qualification,
and the patriotic urchns besides!
Neither of the two greatest men of England
tves of,his country. Brougham is n Scotchman;
Wellington is an Irlshman. The distinguishing fen-
ture of the Dukes character, however, is one which
rarely belongs to his coun'rymen prudence. This is
his cardinal virtue ana although it has cheated HIM
ont Of some brilliant exploits and kept him in the
rear guard Of Torysm. II has hept him. too from
many military and political folly Akin to this rare
quality, and perhaps quite al prominent in his charac
ter, is his unwnvering honesty. No Wing in the fer
vor of pnriiAan malice, ever questioned his regry;
no historian ever charrd hIn with cruelty and il
adds new glory to is venerable form that his head
was never whtened. ,n! his hardy cheeks were never
furrowed, by sorrowful remorse To these two DUAL.
tiles if you add that OF unlrng industry, you have
the whole secret of success in the cabinet and the
field ii Is the combination of these ni,liiios which
gives much we GIT and interest I, hi, o, hes in
the House Of Lords, for he is orator. the ordinary
sense OF that term. He knows nothing about elocu.
ton II speeches are rude and unadorned, some
times approaching TO barb"rlsm, bur they all char.
acerzed by great peneira ION, great research, and
great honesty. Mr.. Webster on his return from this
country expressed his deep surprise AT the cearness
vigor, and business like style Of the Dukes para-
mentary efrrls.
1t has long been pleasant occupation Of amateurs
10 drawiin ii conparls,ns between Wellington and
Napoleon bu, cannot conceive that they will ad.
NIT OF much comparison save in department of
greatness, and even there the reasonable admirers of
Wellington must adm, Nlpoleon's superiority. Ma
poleon was his superior ASA soldier in every quality
but prudence, and this sometimes carried by Wei.
lngton to the verge of tmidl'y. Let MS bu, contrast
their histories. The early victories OF Napoleon were
game over the splen Id armies of Italy, commanded
by such generals as Wurnser and the Archr!ukc
Charles Wellngton's were achieved over sembar-
harlans on the plans of Hlndosian Il @ triumphs of
Italy were but the forerunners Of still greater rumphs
over the Mameuke cavalry Of Egypt, the well train
ed Infantry of PRUSSIA, an the heavy armed battalion
of Rus of the unparalleled exploits of Wagram, Aus.
tcrtz, Jena and Marengo and finally of the conquest
OF almost The whole civilized word.-Durlng much of
this Time Wellington was main tanning unequal con-
test in the Peninsula, with all the natives OF the
try in his favor and only the generals OF Napoleon in
opposition. This war was lally brought TO a sue
cessful issue after having mrre than once narrowly
escape destruction. The great masters themselves
never met bu, Waterloo. In this battle the
world is pretty generally agreei that Napoleon
guilty ot no errors OF generashp and must have ti-
umphed but f the almost snpel human bravery of the
English troops, and even thai might have been
come bu for the timely arrival Of Butcher.
Here the parallel mus, end To contrast them ms
statesmen, as politicians as dplomalsls, would be an
insult to tn Illusir)us Corsicln. There have been
great generals before Nnpoleon-perhaps ms great
he-but II was reserved for him to unite the highest
degree of excellence IN the alb net to be nj the
time great Commander, overhrowing the armies
Of Europe-a great Statesman, controlling the affairs
of his wide spread empre-a great Dlpomatsi, over
reaching the widest ministers of his cnemies-a great
Flnancler restoring nation from the depths of anar
chy and beagary to comparative affluence-a great
L1wgver, framing code which still governs half of
Europe-a great Orator. pronouncing imprisoned
harangues TO his sol ers-a great Converser enchant
ing his Court with his sprighiline and vlvarity-a
Member of the Institute, discussing science with the
sarans-a Connoissenr in Architecture and the Arts
identifying his capital and filling her galleries with the
masterpieces Of the Vatican. The poor schooboy of
Corsicn, the obscure adven furer Of Pars--he has
made his own history Of the world for nearly quarter
Of n century!
To oppose all this, Wellington can produce in ad-
dlon TO military successes, his able negociaons with
the courts Of Snain and Brazil and at the Congress
Of Vienna, his Premiership in England, ani his advo-
cacy Of Catholic Emancipation; and estimating these
nj Their highest value they 'rflng in comparison
with the varied ACHIEVEMENTS of Napoleon. have al
ways thought that Wellington owed his high reputa-
ton not much to the brlllinncy ofhs exploits, as
TO the eminent services rendered TO civilized Europe
leading their crusade against the overerown tyranny
of Napoleon. The battle OF Waterloo was the grea-
est of battles, not from The magnitude Of the armies
engaged, or from the consummlte skill in their dspo
sion, manGuvres but from the deeply lmpor ant
Consequences thar ensued,
To an Engllshmnn the name of Wellington is al
WAYS associated with the roaring Of the Tower guns
which announced thai Their great enemy was finally
laid low and lsa name always dear to them. But
with all his services his pnce is not the highest in
the roll Of military glory Nelson is the national he
70, and very naturally too. The Navy is the boast Of
the kingdom, and Nelson is the boast Of the Navy
He d.at ot thav uht ao(n