The daily Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1841-1845, 1844-02-09

beap.r with his tsttersd robes--all had become the
prey OF that enguphins Oblivion, Which seemed now
ready 10 ershfouJ han and all biz hogs bu' "hA,
when striving 10 sscsndl lie east the all-compre-
bending eye OF g~nus around hlan and, ~ II ~ ms,
gic, the Invested of Its ierrors, and s'oou
clothed in eooTs which caused thrills Of pleasure 70
chase each other through his frame. change comes
ov,I the spiri OF bis dream and be stands "iihin =
spacious theatre, and upon s broad Stage iu''
display ofeyery passion and principle, OF every virtue
and vice, which human nature is heir TO, The many
leayed volume of man lies open before him. as wen As
that book whose pages are Inscribed the kho"irueo
OF the world The sigh, created within his breast
new hope--insIilled fresh animation into MS near,
and gave impulse TO hr mind which would MOI,
could not be controlled.
Up to this time he had regarded the press as mere
aboi-saving machine, by which the strength OF ms
hands and fingers could be increased, and esofed 10
Il not through choice, but necessity Now, IN TINS
great metropolis, there food for the minds eye may be
found IN every direction he was permitted 10 see .a
dc per into its mysteTes lie saw In II the lever OF te-
| volulion; the means whereby his giant country
could be aroused action; the dehroner OF kings ana
the ruler Of ompres and he applied himself inc sSan
Iy, iron ihe rising Of the sun even unto me going
down Of the same towards perfrctng his skill IN It's
| ma ma ement The vain and conceited nurselings oil
aristocracy passed hm by haughiily and scornfuly,
but he needed them not conscious OF an honest heai
the smile of satisfaction played around his lips. lie
bchelJ in The SIMPLE instrument which furnished him,
hose mighty would crush the false idols Of Euro
pean customs and Asialic supel stion.
Ii is, gentlemen, always pleasant sight TO witness
the in anlile struggles of genius. Behold the young
aspirant after fame--ihe noble student with his pale
and maj My brow and soul-i eye in his search for I'M
mortality! In his solitary walks IN The sweet quiet OF
evening" or, in his lonely c, II during the gloomy al
lenoe of night he coniempates the wisdom and works
of his God, keeps unslumberiDg watch over the
lettered mage of science He the smallest hbre
of the thnnest leaf which pus forth 10 the morning
| and peIsbes Mn each flower which blooms
upon the way side and in each tree which fJursheS
As well in the EARTH the ocean, and the sars--a
necessary part of the great system of the Universe =
He drinks deep The inspiring cup OF philosol ny, and
hears in the hum of each insect IN the carroll OF each
bird the low moaning Of the winds, the dea!ening
of the tempest, and the oud crash OF the thunder
"a strain of music, sweeler by far than any that ever
yet WIS raised pie, lute shell. he gathers
from the fields OF nature rich stores Of wisdom, and AS
pifes to be great he throws aside enyy-that nexious
| feeing-and rivalry constitutes with him but new
incentive TO exeroD. II leads HIM TO make himself
more than olhers-nut others iess than they are II
his rival should eap up, and pluck blight honor from,
the pale faced MOON he would scale the heavens and
"num er every star" without attempting 10 tar
nsh the brig hit fame hch that rival had acquired.
| Such was Franklin at this period Of his life Day
after day came and " ent, yet brought end TO his
task. Night followed night; yet his wearied limbs
found rest: unblest by beauty's smile, unpited by
beautys tear, riendless and paIoness, he was, me-
vertheless, nJefatgabe in his exertions His taper,
that melancholy emblem Of thought, shining through
his garrett window, and penetrating the murky veil Of
darkness, often startled the robber and incendiary in
their pracal course, and often paled its light be-
fore the morning beam Still unconquerable desire
to excel, and to do good kept bright the glow upon
| his cheek, and the fire in his eye. The FURNISHED
goal Of fame lay glitterDg before him, and he resolved
to win the high prize, perish, gorousy, in the at
tempt. In reviewing this portion of his history he
has remarked with generous pride, that he passed
through the storms Of youth notwithstanding h's ex
posure to evil company, with unsuled reputation
and, under the most eminent necessities had never
used any cringing submissions, resored to any
meanness OF expehent for a subsistence His exam
pie thus far is invaluable legacy TO us gentlemen,
and TO our country.
We have to view him in a light. In DC
tob r, 1726, again he reaches Philadelphia but the
boy has grown into the man. aud, unlike the Inexpe-
rienced wanderer of former day. he comes with
determination formed and habits setted-he comes
with the boarded wisdom of the pasthe comes armed
with the weapons OF reason and know ledge to do bat
Tie IN the cause OF suffering humanity, TO against
evils and preJudlces, and TO benefit mankind. The
period o. his usefulness begins. Nov hose
~ho So LIT befriend,d him, when hel pessness re-
quitd most help TO peTlence the result of lis abos;
and he himself TO receive the Just need of virtue
From this time We the star OF his destiny in the
ascendant, rising rap dly towards the zenith and be-
tukenng glorious setting. The obsti uctions which
vtse' his paul fttnoNcut anu WIN "a
/ firm and unfa,rng step in the progress OF fortune
and preiernent. lie laid the foundation OF the pre-
sent Philosophical Society, The first OF the kind es-
iablished on this continent, aud through is instru-
mentality created taste Tor letters, aud a spirit of
emulation in the community. He published his
celebrated Almanac, oontainiog the sayings Of
:" Poor Richard" or the wise msNms Of every age
and cline a work which contributed so much to-
wards he promotion OF industry, morality and econ,
my, that u repu bshed and distributed by order
| their resi- throuuh Eno nd nd
France, and which, for s sound ard unsophs-
caed good iense, c, ntinues TO be remembered with
no little pleasure in those countries well our ow
lie edited paper apart from politics. devoted his
tory, science and Literature, which together with his
other efforts led TO the Adjustment OF the City Po-
lice and the Public Library; and the erection OF the
Philadelphia II, spia and the Pennsy wanna College
SO comprehensive Was his N nd, and unw,aried
was he IN his e1uIts TO reform abuses correct error
and remove evils, that The most common comforts and
cons.niences OF life received a kindly touch from 5
hand. Its impress seen in the decent street and
the shady side walk and was Acknowledged by the
happy family when gathered around The pleasant
heaub or the warm Stove. II Is felt even at this day
IN the general expansion Of his works and operation
of his pnneipies; but revealing in the blessing We
/ forget him who blessed.
To mention all the acts which he performed al this
time, would be to enter into narration too tedious
for the occasion yet each and every of them -
most worthy your consideration. | cannot, though
fail TO call attention TO one trait Of charsc er
which he now cxhIbited-t is needless for me & say
one worthy your imitation. We have en that he
lowered, like guardian angel over the city Of Phila-
delpba, and, always, kept a watchful eye upon the
province Of Pennsylvania. We have seen him doing
every thing that done-incrcasing the virtues,
purifying the morals, nursing the SICK clothing the
poor, and feeding the hungry. Still, such was his
modesy and prudence, that II appear d when he was
most Give, as II he was not acting. In the Ian.
gusge Of H,chylus concerning Amphiaraus, it may
justly be said Of him,
To be, and not TO seem, was this mans maxim.
HIS mind reposed upon It's proper wisdom,
| And wanted no other praise