Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1843-07-28
LITERARY NOTICES


New YoRK. GnEELy q McELRArn, l6O NASSAU
STRERT.-lt has often been matter of complaint by
the present as well as the preceding generation that
the speeches of our most eminent public men have
seldom been reported in such form as to be trans
mitted 10 poslery. With the exception of strag-
Cling speech or two from james Madison, Alexander
Hamilton, Patrick Henry Fisher Ames, and one or
two others, which have been preserved in Wilson's
collection, oil the parliamentary eloquencc of our car
ly history has been allowed to perish. We all feel
this to be national loss. But we rejoice, however,
with the editor Of Grahams Magazine, that an intelli.
gent and ardent friend Of Mr.. Clay has resolved thar
his speeches shall not be left to perish in the general
wreck. Their publication, in two large volumes on
good paper and in fair type, at the low price of orc
dollar, will place them within the reach of all classes
| of our citizens and is a contribution to our standard
literature which we hail with especial satisfaction-
The intrinsic value Of these speeches is much en-
HANGED by the fact that they devoted to the euc
dalton of such great national questions as the Tariff
Public Lands, Internal Improvements, and the Cur.
rency-.opics which invested with the same in
terest now, that they have always possessed, and
which will undoubtedly be the themes of political dis.
cusslon for many succeeding years lie who studies
these speeches thoroughly will have stored his mind
with thestrong arguments in favor of these great ma.
tona interests.
The speeches Of Mr. CLAY are preceded by mo-
NOR OF the llusrous statesman and orator. written
with great cIoqnence and ability by Mr. Henry J.
Raymond of New York. Mr.. Raymond was edn-
Gated at the University in this place and is known to
most of our citizens accomplished scholar and
, gentleman, every way qualified to execute the task
, he has undertaken. The memoir fills some two hun
dred pages and traces the history of Mr. Clay from
his early childhood to the time Of his leaving tho
Senate IN l64l. We copy the concluding uararraphs
n as specimen of the authors style
: We have thus recorded the prominent public servi.
Il ces OF Henry CLAY with an historical sketch of hi,
a country Just sufficient 10 render them intelliable-
~ His personal biography has been left untouched I'm,
1t will readily be seen that those noble qualities of mind
n and heart which have made glorious his bubble life
r. must have invested his domestic relations with tho
. highest charms. lie bears about him that su-nst
= mark of greatness, The power of being great IN lttle
L. things of lending to the most common incidents Of
es lite dignity winch stamps them with the horoism of
~ his personal character In public life he is the great.
- est statesman of his age. His eloquence with which
II the nation is most familiar, sin fact one of the SLIGHT.
H. est elements OF his fame; in deeper source than
this resIstiess as s must be sought the secret of
n, that power which has rested the nation upon his arm
and interviewer his PRINCIPLES with the very frame.
81 work OF her policy All helmpulses ofhs hcart-tho
or instincts OF his n1tnre-are those Of s'aie,m1n No
ms crisis however sudden fearful surprises or ds1rms
~ him. In the most perous emergences when upon
the counsel or decision of an hour hangs the fate of
his country for years. his lofty minds moves with the
" same undaunted strength the most trivial con-
an Germs, In the beautiful words Of WORDSWORTH we
II, NAV describe him as one,
" "Whose powers shed round him in the common strife
ISL Or mid concerns, of ordinary life,
or constant influence peculiar grace;
III But who, if called upon to face
=, Some awful moment, to which heaven has ioined
" Great issues, good or bad, for human kind
as Is happy as lovcr-is alfred
"a, With sudden brightness Ike n man inspired;
tut And through the heat of the conflict keeps the law
re In camness made and see what he foreslw"
80 In all his public life Mr. CLAY has eyinced firm
reliance upon great and enduring principles and in
this, DeraDs, be fpuui IS h 4
power and foresight 4 fundamental truth is ALWAYS
DIS stronger than any man and by building faith and
firm reliance upon II the shall receive portion
I'D o. ITS strength and see roulh the mts of the hour
the future to which it leads The confidence Of Mr.
CLAY IN the leading political principles which have
H. formed the rule of all his long public life has sDrunp
err from firm faith in their permanent truth and not
from that blind devotion to a rule merely because il
ms IS abstract which belongs, sometimes, men WHO
have something of greatness IN them, bus who lack
int the essential wisdom profit by experience. Though
firm IN maintaining the rights of each norton of The
m state, he never allows passionate and blind defence
INC OF them To- plunge the whole into disaster and ruin
III, ne ieels that the principles which our government
e'- based have high worth-not only of themselves
but for the sake Ofthe ructure of ne
iue glory we have erected upon them and M sofa,v al
vas thus he is willing peril their fruit ss de.nc.
tie has none of the zeal of thnt ignorant worshippe
an who d 20 meath the ruins of the Eahosan ,enp
for the fuel on which II rested to feed the fame upor
the its affairs. Though he has ever proved hmAif ,
jealous deend'rot the t4ht' of man, in all coun,ris
len and conditions he never seeks the destruction of es
tabIished order, CARELESS f the happiness of thos
old most nearly concerned; nor even N the assertion
Right would he deemlt wei, to 'rrmple with ruth
less violence, upon all the institutions which nigh
900 stand IN his wlY and rush holdi5ng to the end k
ny the cannon ball,
APPS sharering that may reach md sha;tering VIII,
,uld it reaches"
And His democratic principles therefore, arden, an
spontaneous as they nro, tompere by deep reve
Tue renee for the permanent reason of the State, and
sts profound regard for the wo-benI of hi, fellows Al
ews his aspirations to build up, not 10 tear dlwn-t
this create not 10 destroy. All the safeguards ther
ID which the sound wisdem of the people trumphng an
OLD establishing law hat Of transient impulse ha
and thrown about individual rights he reverences and
ats long they 10 be needed seeks to preserve
V. Like SoHnLERs Wallensein, while he knows tn,
the flight OF des trucii0n IS straight and swift he fee
nave that,
ms, -" the road the human being travels,
Ma That on which BLESSING comes and goes both folio
The river course, the valleys playful windngs,
80. Curves round the cornfed aud the hill of vines,
~ Honoring the holy bounds Of property.
'nls Mr. CLAY has always been the proud champon
DO that political party which maintains The true purpo
er) of civil government 70 be. not merely the prcyentio
itor of Wrong but the establishment Of Right mer
- ly TO define and punish offences, but 20 confer bles
I ings and secure the highest good those who Ii,
mat beneath is henignant sway. HIS ru lie life hn. bee
full consecraed to the development Of this great prime
1t is pie; and his efforts yet have been
tended with full success they have been ofentines
saving service to the country; and the eve Of Ho,
secs IN them the germ, of power which shall y
oco work itself free from all crushing calamity and
., complish the great end for which it was frat p
en forth. He one of those great men whose nRuenc
rue even when unseen and despsed, is potent and CO.
trolling. The spirit Of his life has wrought eve
err more than his active otorts and far more than ar
mo other statesman amongIs he has thus given sireng
10 those principles of public policy which alone co
duct nations TO the height of prosperity. The value
his public services can only be worthily set for
:: when candor shall have made faithful record of i
III life and his and Just IN proportion MS that r
past cord IS incomplete VIII hs great friend Of manki
be defrauded of honor II rash and unwise
lay. ask that his should rightly esteem and full
in reward them. But in the old religion the lshn
" made sacred the object upon which it fell, so ev
and now does Death halow the victim whom he s,rk,
Future generations will not lose sight OF his wor
those words of W sdom which, uttered BY his livl
ap- voice. fall too unnGeded upon our hearts shall cor
such is the power Of dispensing blessings, viii
Ia, Provd nee has attached to the truly great and goc
the IN 'ey ca,lo 'E' he m'.nou ADVANTAGE 10 III
ia pie; and the wisdom, which might have been slsi
w to ed at the comfortable, becomes oracuar from
y !" shrine"