Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1843-07-01

these opinions was started, under the form of
Southern ReUieU, he lent il at once the jealous aic
OF his high scholarship and abilities contributing te
IL, indeed, large part of the mastery articles which
adorned il, and which won il, while it continued tc
exist, more brilliant reputation than any like pub.
LEGATION ever obtained in this country. On more
than one occasion nearly half the papers of the Re-
view were OF his composition and his, et il be re.
collected, none of that shallow facility, born fol
the encouragement of the rag and paper trade
which writes fast in proportion as i'll, and which
need never STOP simply because it had no occasion
10 have begun.
Other powerful hands, however, upheld with him
the honors of the Review-the various, the astute
the sententious COOPER, master Of almost every
part of science, Of great amount of literature and
! giving life and force to every thing he touched by
the epigrammatic conciseness and livelness of his
style; the ingenious and able ELLIOTT the elder
the curious and elegant skill Of the accomplished
and amented MORT in literary antiquities and his
tory these, with occasional efforts Of the vehement
McDUFFIE, of the rare legal ability and wit of ET-
TIGRU, the sense and exactness of MITCHELL KING,
the mathematical analysis Of WALLACE, the laborous
scholarship of HENRY, with now and then paper
| from youthful or less marked contributors
whom we need not name, made up together an ar
ray of talent such as the South has never, on any
other occasion, thrown upon any literary undertake
ing Able and elegant writers, however, as those
whom we have named were known to be, il was con-
tinuay felt that the contributions of Mr.. LEGARE
were, beyond all competition, the most brilliant that
graced the work.
Meanwhile he was slowly adding to these literary
honors the more substantial ones of professional
success Of which a high token came, about 1880,
in his election by the Legislature to the Office of
Attorney General of his State. That post he con-
tinued TO occupy until, in 1882, he was, upon the
| separation of Belgium from Holland, nominated by
Gen. JACKSON to the new legation at the former
Court To that station he at repaired, as one
the easy duties of which replaced him amidst the
delights of European scholarship, with dignity
that gave him access every where, and with leisure
to turn that access to account. Already intimately
versed in the noble study of national law, rich in
the historic knowledge which is its basis, and COM
manding nearly all the diplomatic tongues he need
ed nothing, except little practice of the routine
and ormalities of his place, TO be one of the most
accomplished Ministers that we have sent
abroad. His public functions sat lightly on him,
therefore, at Court with which our national rela-
tons are not important. Placed there, with large
| command of his time, in the midst of country
where learning has always fourished, where great
and ancient Libraries have been accumulated, Paris
within easy reach, Gottingen at hand, Berlin not
far off, and the learned bodies of Northern Germa-
ny 1.-THE most eruditc country in the word) ready TO
lend him their vast stores, he flung himself afresh
into study, with all the ardor of scholar whom
no amount fto could tame, a genius strong enough
to take any load of knowledge on his back and walk
lightly under it.
Heretofore he had chiefly cultivated, as to litera-
ture that of the classic languages and of Southern
Europe-diaects of which the sweetness and wealth
in elegant letters drew his preference. Now, how
ever, he fell upon German-with which his ac-
quaintance was slight-determned to master the
empire of learning which its writer's form OF them
selves. This was the main occupation of his Sec
ond stay abroad, from which he returned adm-
rable German scholar. part Of his stay was also
devoted to fresh course of Ancient Jurisprudence
and Roman and Civil Law, under the great SAvIG-
NY, of whose matchess learning and abilities we
have often heard him speak with wonder and delight.
! Upon the accession of Mr. VAN buren, 10 the
Presidency in 1887, he was recalled; leaving be-
hind him las we have reason to know among the
learned and the diplomatic bodies with which he
had held intercourse, an impression Of abilities and
requirements which will long do his country honor.
| He was soon after his arrival at home elected to
Congress from the Charleston district, and took
his seat almost Immediately in the Extra Session,
called by the new Administration TO deliberate on
the measures necessary to remedy the wide and
terrible financial disasters which reckless and
ignorant tampering with the currency for party pur
poses had brought about. In the debates that en-
sued, his principal speech was, for the wide and high
view which it took of our financial condition, the
solid yet comprehensive manner in which he treat
ed the subject, the variety and nobleness Of know
ledge with which he illustrated it, and the force as
well as splendor of his entire discourse, felt to be
truly mastery effort, fit to rank him among the very
greatest speakers of his day. 1t placed him, too,
openly in the Opposition, as of that seeding por-
ton of the old Jackson party who, against the inan-
cia Jacobnism Of the hard-money men, took the
name of Conservatives mode of opinion to which
we have already intinaed that the mind and feel
| ings of Mr.. LEeARE tended in general
| Brilliant, however, the figure which he
made throughout that Congress on all the questions in
which he took part-excep perhaps, that of the con-
tested Mississippi election, where he certainly took
the wrong side-he thrown out at the next cleo
ton by the coalition which had mean time enSued in
Carolina between the Calhoun and the Van Buren,
parties-enemies that had long exhausted upon each
other all the mutual wrongs and vituperation by
which party or personal dishonor be inflicted !;
but destined henceorh to offer, their sudden and
afectonate union, Christian spectacle such as the
world has rarely seen.
Restored by this defeat to the uninterrupted pur-
suit of his profession, Mr.. LEGARE resumed it ac-
lively and with great success, both in the courts of
his State and before the Supreme Federal Judi
ciary In these hp aroad euccassf,ily q number NJ