New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1845-01-14

ilcited, prosecuted, often betrayed by parties OF
all sorts, religious ard political, foreign ant do
nestle; has he ever been the partisan of any, al
the expense Of principle, Of ngat, Of humanity
challenge you for single instance. You are
pleased 10 stgmatjze him as tic b:awlcy OF fac
ton, yat al other times your complaint is ths: he
does @ot coniinc himself to a faction but daIes,
impartia'ly, to brawl across the Atlantic, snd
like the terrible Mexican Secretary OF Air. Tyler,
to Interfere as the phrase runs in our domestic
Institutions What is he to 90, then Why,
what he has ever donc-leaYc inconsistent c.viI
and calumny TO Gle of their own impotence and
pursue his high course oiimpartiality--dctire, not
negative, mpartiality-which, white making his
own count'ymen the first object Of its eff rs, has
word of support and heart of sympathy for the
oppressed of whatever cline, creed or color. Was
such the impartiality OF Washing onl In Wis
dom, also, O'Conuell will, think, be admitted
his equal without debate The fourth epithet
seems rather equivocal eulogy. Call soldier
moderate or a lawyer conscientious, and you
probably SANDER him in his professional rcputa-
ten. The dsiDtercs.edncss' OF Washington is
indeed his distinctive quality. Ycthe, ] presume,
ENACTED the wages OF his military and civic Of
fees as O'Connell accep's the spontaneous tri-
bate of his country gratitude. There sths small
difference, moreover; the former seems TO have
sacrificed nothing 10 the service Of his country
unless you coun; the condition OF prospects OF q
plain farmer; whereas O'Connell is known to
have ;elinquishej, for the then unhopored aud
unsalaried calling Of agltator, professional IN
come Of sixty TO eighty thousand dollars a year,
with the assurance, beside, OF the highest profess
sional hono.s in the gift of MS sovereign. This
should obtain him, too, some share in your next
attribute of sei.sacrifcing'-a quality, how
ever, which | am far from thinking TO be tho
characteristic Of his greatness. But where arc
Wasmngton's sacrifices 1ha. he declined
thud teru!' But was there 70 coubt vi sue.
cess And could Success have, in any respect,
advanced, while defeat might disgrace, him
WeiLtined retreat, IN the other hand. would have
promised, IS in fact II gave, HIM the higher po-
siLion Of a sort of guardianship over the govern
mcnt OF which, IN Office, he would be but tie en-
We'd upper servant HIS course, then, in this
particular, should call prudence, not sacrifice.
Was itthat he did not establish himself monarch
Of the colonies he had conquered fan omission
for which some writers have iuolishly cxtolled
him. But grant this in his power. he had still
done less than the tyrant' 5 la, who idid doon.'
not colonial but "A more than earthly crowi.'
But will You admit that he could have taken up
our provincial one-you 50 proud (and JUSTLY OF
your Revolutionary flthoIs ! For me, think
far ,uo well Of these f,thers'-bravc, intelligent
aud triumphant to imagine II 10 have been pos
slble for even Napoleon That is 10 say, man
o. tilty-lold the energy, as well ss ambition, OF
Washington. Yet, it must be on suggestion OF
some such extraordinary se!tdenlal that you can
consider Washington inlmltable' For as
General, or as a Statesman, Or, what is rarer,
union of both, | would undertake 10 point you out,
in history, a hundred Washingtons whereas
be il in good or evil, cal him demon or dsmi.
gcd-I might defy you, or the world, 10 show me
a secoad Daniel O'Connel.
Receive, pray you, sir, with candor TO my
motives but with0u. mercy 10 my mistakes, tic
preceding remarks, They leave 10 Tie character
Of Washington enough for Americans, for human
nature, n be proud OF. More might, you know,
be said did not The merely defensive nature OF
my purpose permit the reserve OF my inclination.
While would amend the maxim nihit de NOR
tuiS, &C. by substituting rerum, l an not for
brutaIly exacting the pdole truth, about living
or dead only that what is told be tolera5y true.
This rule can alone render OF much value to pos
terity that pa,rimony which it is SAID to derive
from the lives of the good and great. Imagine
the character of O'Conncll transmitted orly
through the Neio. York american or the Dublin
Pilot. So, likewise, of that Of Washington -
Yet, you, | fear, would denounce as impolitic,
not to say imp.ous, the hand that unveiled a sin.
gle infrnity of your inimi!able founder of ma
ton forgetfu, however, lhatl This principle would
protect equally the reputation which you have
been laborlng TO Willy, on the same page. But
your ido!at:y is as unwise as your vi;upcfaion
Superstition is no less detestabc aad dangerous
in civil than in ecclesiastical polity. Or, if per-
fiction above humanity serve the best for exsm
pie, why not burn our histories, revert to the dis
c4rded fables of the Romarce:s, study st. George
the spccioSa mirdcuia--and Amadis-not omit
ting tdat paragon Of virtue not less than of chiv
airy, the illustrious Knight of La Mancha.
Your ob't. serv't. J. OCoSNELL.
P S-The Albany Advertiser end Boston
Courier, who have copied this article OF the
American will, trust, admit the pToprcty OF
doing likewise by the answer.
[UT The above article, having been declined
by tho American, we publish it in courtesy 70 the
author. There are some passages in 1t rather
disparuging 10 Washington which the writer
would have done well to omit but never mind.
Ed IT..