Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1847-07-31
NATIONAL INTELLIGENCER.
NOTES ON NEW BOOKS.

"ORAToRs OF THE AGE; comprising Portraits,
critical biographical and descriptive. BY G. H. FRAN
CTS, Esq, Editor of the Maxms and Opinions of the
Duke Of Wellington New York Harper & Brothers,
ls47" l6mo PIP. 3l4
This is the reprint of an exceedingly clever and
spirited series of characters of the chief of those
who now flourish the statesmen of Great Bri-
tain. They are drawn with such discrimination,
force, and fairness, that we know not where else
equally just and agreeable idea of them, person
ally and publicly, can be gathered And of course,
as the individual history of the great men of coun-
try is, for the time being, large part OF that Of the
nation itself and of its affairs, the book offers
excellent image of present British politics. We
would recommend it in general to all whom these
interest-as what intelligent and cultivated person
should they not land to Congressional orators
and actors in particular, as aording them much that
is most worthy of study. They will and in those
here delineated, we must say, many men of
higher order parliamentary models less exception
able, tone more elevated, spirit more national,
more practical less that of mere Party and Person.
The sketches seem chiefly enlarged reproduce
tons Of articles originally published in Fraser's
Hagasane. They embrace twenty-eght charac-
ters-nearly all the most noted men of the day
Peel, Wellington, Lord John Russell, Macaulay,
Stanley, Palmerston, Lyndhurst, Earl Grey, Nor
peth Shiel, but not O'Connell Bowring, but not
Golden. The last two omissions are almost the
only ones that we would wish TO see supplied.
That of Brougham one does not lament; every body
has and heard enough Of him to require no fur
Their elucdation of his character.
OF the artist of this populous gallery of the great
we know nothing, except from the portraits, vari-
Gus and sklful, in the present collection. His
"Maxims and Opinions Of WELLINGTON" have not
yet reached us; for the Duke-the consummate re-
al &c ,,,J
ideas purely conservatives any thing but popu-
lar in this country and it would be difficult for any
thing commanding such European renown and re-
spect as he commands to be less likely to confer
profit on re-printers than he: so that his De-
spatches, I" Campaigns" and all that can be seen
amongst us only in the hands of military students.
We are, therefore, without any previous direct
quaintance with Mr.. FRANCIS whom, however, we
should little hesitate to pronounce, from his present
performance, one OF that exceedingly clever and
highly educated body of men who exercise for the
London Press the very difficult occupation of Par
lamentary Reporter. 1t is no disparagement to sup
pose so for Sir Philip, whose son he may possibly
be, exercised, at times, the same art at times,
mean, when he was not, according to certain be-
levers, Lord Byron among them,) writing JuaiuS's
Letters. BE the eXtenuation of our conjecture and
the aforesaid Letters worth what they list, the
tual Mr.. Francis Justifies suspicion of his pur-
suit, by close and perspicacous knowledge of the
British Parliament, which could scarcely have been
obtained except from its galleries and the continual
habit OF not merely hearing the leading speakers
but of following them with his pen, and emulating
in print the identity of their argument eoquence
Such practice, in addition to very perfect literary
education and much talent, could alone, we should
think, have enabled him to become the excellent
historian and critic of parliamentary orators and
tors that this interesting and instructive volume
proves him to be-
In our usual persuasion, however, that men paint
themselves far better and more fairly than it is in
any power OF ours to linn them, we shall proceed
to select such passages of the delineatons as are
either most striking for their subject or most pleas
ing for their execution.
The first of the characters-that of Sir ROBERT
PEEL-s very ftly prefaced by brief disquisition
on the supreme civil ascendency which Delibera-
tive Eloquence-the power Of effective speaking on
the public business--confers, in free State, such
as the British is OF this we shall give part, as
exhibiting the practical institutions of that country
in aspect more liberal and democratic than is ge-
morally the received one among ourselves
"Eloquence in this empire is power Give nerve,
presence, sway language and above ALL enthusiasm
the skill TO stimulate it start him in the public with
these requisites and ere many years. perhaps many months
have passed. you will either him in high station, in
fair way Of rising to it. Party politics. social grievances
humanity -mongerng, and the like, him many
newly discovered worlds wherein he may, with the orators
swod-h onguecave out his fortune and his fame Sta
ton the prior possession by rank wealth. the public ear
is no doubt great advantage. II is much for TO be
asked favor TO speak to cause for that his position and
name will influence the people have secured him by
his birth seat IN the Senate these things doubtless give
man start before another in the But without the gift
OF eoquence, all these special avors of fortune avail
IN securing you influence countrymen Unless
have the art Of clothing your ideas in clear and captivating
dicion, of Identifying yourself with the feelings Of your hear
and uteng them in language forcibe
brilliant than they themselves command unless you
have the powe-sl rae-of originating Of command
ing their neects, their hearts Of drawing them in your train
by the irresistible magic Of sympathy of making their thoughts
your thoughts your thoughts theirs unless have
bled the shell that shall make you of this yre
never hope to rule your eow-men in these modern days
Write books rather be patient and admrng listener make
other men puppets you can and hold the strings but rest
content with private station and make il influential
you may Publicly and ostensibly powerful you will
be unless you have mastered the art of oratory.
"We are accustomed TO the influence Of this talking
power in the State that have ceased wonder its
Yet the umphs Of the tongue have in days
almost equalled those Of the sword. England generally
counted an asocrac country and her aocracy have the
credit (nndeservedy pehaps) Of being peculiarly tenacious
OF their neutrality-suspicious. Of the intrusion of adventures into
their ranks. The Of among contempora-
e however, has shown that eoquence has potency great
parchment pedgees; that the Of that tasman may
storm the very stronghold Of the their
AL L. H..