New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1844-03-05

he saw the duty of Government, the duty OF the
Ieopie 10 themselves, the duty 10 promote the
cause OF Liberty Throughout, the world by making
tbs the greatest, the best, and the happiest ma
ton on eafth--an example, an encouragement
and boast TO all who love liberty.
It's remarkable that the idea which Washing
! ton 1T the close of his career, seemed most cs,e
eiaI.y esirouS to impress upon tie Nation mex; 10
The preservation OF the Union, was Inc necessity OF
National sclf-lehanee, self-protecton and iu6e-
pe..dence Of the influence OF Foreign Govern
! lnents-separa;ion from their policy and power
not dependent on them for any thlng-PAruca-
! i.,ry not for the manufacture OF opinions. He
sought to make Us truly independent Nation
peculiar people, Jealous o., good works, that
would demonstrate the excellence OF our lnSt!tu-
tons by their beneficial results upon ourselves.
| lie left the Nation with character Of quiet M
,lepenc;cnce-yvith the disposition and power 10
supply themselves and develop their own re-
soarceS--nct to be mere "hewerS Of wood and
drawers OF water" 10 other Nations, mere pro
ducers of raw material for Europeans 20 shape
INTO the fabrics Of skill, and then return TO US at
eur double cost He knew that the American
genius and mind, the activity, energy and inge
nulty of this free people, were prominent, and
that good Government with independent self
|
eminent IN power, prosperity and glory.
To re0aginSte the idea, TO present il in new
and enlarged form, to make ii practical, was TIE
great political movement of the man of ouS age
From that time he proceeded steadily IN the gra-
dual development and modification OF the mighty
scheme Of national measures which the Wing
party now upholdS The life of that man Is the
history of the nation for quarter OF century.
The American who knows not the connection be-
tween that life and the benlticen; influences OF
Government during that period IS sadly ignorant
of the history of his country. It's TO be inier-
red that there is person III this assembly so ~
norant, and therefore all details may be omitted
as SupertiuoIs.
Out from the Revolutionary age the Nation
came, mighty mass OF materials, with certain
general proportions and capabilities. yet without
distinct form, without definite outline, expression
or finish To shape that mass of material was
to be the purpose of another TIME,-the work OF
another MAN.
There was once sculptor who said something
like this" In every block of marble there Is Il
statue, an image OF perfect beauty which only
needs the eye OF genius to discover 1t and the
hand of genius TO uncover it." Our modern ar
lists first mould In some plaster material the ii
gurc which they have imagined, and then with
due corrections, commit 1t to a stone-cntter, who
performs the heavy labor oil copying 1t III the last
ing Misunderstanding to The designer only 1.-The
finishing touches" But about three hundred
wears ago. there was in Italy an artist, great IN
every thing he undertook real genius, who did
these things III his own way; and that was often
little different from other peoples ways The
consequence was that he did two or three re-
narkable things which are likely to be rcmem-
bcred with admiration when whole schools ana
generations of critics who have censured hun Tor
his violations OF rules are forgotten. Tins man
is commonly called Michael Angelo, in our rude
way OF pervertng the sounds OF continental
names Whether he suits the coGNosCENTi or not,
il is enough for us to know that he dcsigpcd and
reared "the vast and wonderous dome" OF ST. Pc
tcr's-that he painted the Last Judgment III the
Sistine Chapel, and that he was not only such an
architect and painter, but he was also eminent as
a sculptor. And he so far disdained the aids and
convenienccs of art, that having looked at the
block OF marble, and having developed inhls mind
the form Of beauty to which it was adapted, he
struck boldly into it himself, chise in hand, and
worked without model or pattern TIL he brought
out in the marble the form which before existed
only in his mind.
That was the way in which OUR man, the man
oil OUR age, worked to achieve the purpose OF OUR
time Ii he had been scholar, philosopher, an
abstractionist he would have made proper
model for some practical genius to perpeuate in
the never dying reality. 1t ne had been such d
one, he would have left US an essay on Govern
ment which would have ranked above those OF
Sydney, Locke, Montesquie. But that would
not satisfy him. lie saw in his MINDS eye the
image of human perfectbiIlty, OF approximate
perfection in Government. He saw 1t III the leryid
Imagination of warm youth which is so full oil
the spirit of heavenly charity that il hopes all
things, believes all things, trusts all things" lie
saw it thus, and forever retained that patriotic
:. faith, hope and charity" and that youthful fer
y0r; for he is one of those who are ALWAYS Young.
He did not wait to develop his idea experiment
ally in plastic and perlshable material. lie saw
it in his own mind and he struck boldly INTO the
block itself. He saw that the Revolution quarred
the mighty mass from the mountains: 1t must
have shape, expression. He saw---he felt IN HIM
self the Ideal, the image OF American Republican.
isrn the future nationality, the genius OF Demo
cracy, ardent, energetic, bold, confident III It's
own resources, and resolute to develope them INTO
action and utility. Embodying IN himself the
genius and character of the coming age, he thus
conceived the principles and measures'that were
essentia! TO our nationality. He tOreshadowed
them in his earliest movements, and produced,
perfected and illustrated them through all his long
career, which frightened il proceeded like " the
dawning light which shineth more and more unto
the perfect day.
He stood at that early moment in magnificent
contemplation of the uniformed mass produced
by the Revolution. He gazed at it as Michael
Angelo did at the half.shaped gigantic block,
which, under his chlsei, afterward became the
colossal statue of David, immortal and holy as
the sacred fame OF its Scrpturai original. He
saw in it the g.orious undeveloped form, the far
proportions of good government, animated by the
majestic, benign expression of harmony, peace
IL .41.alE l..