The republic. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1849-1853, 1849-11-06
New Publications

"a Tribute 10 the Memory Of Req. HENRY CoIMAN."
By the Rev. JAMES w. THOMPSON, of Salem,
Massachusetts,
The contributions of Mr.. Colman to the agricul-
tura literature Of the country have been of charac-
ter to entitle him TO more than passing notice.
Originally successful clergyman, he forsook the
pulpit for causes honorable TO his independence and
sense of duty and gave his chief attention to agri-
culture practical and scientific For several years
he cultivated an extensive and fertile farm on the
banks of the Connecticut. An agricultural com
mission having been established by the State Of
Massachusetts, he was selected for the charge and
in fulfilling the duties of the Office performed
immense amount OF labor, and diffused through the
agricultural classes generally, not only of New
England, but of the Union, ga love of improve.
ment, OF which they will not soon forget nor be
reluctant to acknowledge, the origin" In 1912 Mr..
Colman visited Europe in pursuit of agricultural in
formation for the benefit Of his countrymen He
gave up six years of toll to the work. but this period
diversified by the highest intellectual and SO
cial enjoyment. He was every where received with
courtesy and attention " Noblemen honored him
as their guest and untitled nobility welcomed
him to less splendid but not less vrtuous and happy
homes. He accepted the hospitality of bishops and
enjoyed the friendship of dissenting brethren. In
all classes he made friends many and valuable
his capacity to receive them The results far az
agriculture is concerned, are embodied in two large
octave volumes, containing a great amount and
variety of useful information, written with such
vivacity and beauty as to render fascinating even
dull subject
MIR. Thompson has not exaggerated the charm Of
style which invests these volumes. We remember
one passage, in which Mr.. Colman extracts more
poetry from manure heap, than another man
would from prospect of Niagara Never did a
writer deal with the most repulsiye subjects with
such unaffected grace and simplicity. His account
of the sewerage system of Paris, and of the process
of converting the ordures of vast city into the
means of agricultural fertility and beauty, is clear
and minute in all its details, and yet without word
or an expression which would jar upon the ear. II
has all the ease and elegance of one of Addsons
essays; and where he speaks of the poor creatures
the hereditary workers in filth in Paris whose task
it is to cleanse the city Mr.. Colman is as artist
cally pathetic as Dickens in his finest touches of
nature, which make the whole world kim
Mr. Colman was born in Boston, in 1885, and died
at Ellington, London, August 18th, lS49, the
principal mourner at his funeral being Lady Byron,
with whom he had long been on terms of friendship
In the following passage, Mr.. Thompson well sums
up the character of the man:
g Mr. Colman's personal appearance was unusu-
ally commanding. His tall and we-proportioned
figure, his full dark eye his intellectual brow,
marked him as more than ordinary man. His
manners were simple and pleasing, and his smile
was beautiful. To a fine presence were added cor
responding powers Of mind. His mind was active,
brilliant in its conceptions versatile in its adapta
tons, discriminating, free in its operations, fluent,
but it has been thought not of sufficient concen
tration and caution to be profoundly philoso-
phical. He observed with minuteness, thought
with rapidity, and wrote with and elegance.
He was not an orator, but was often eloquent The
mellow tones of his voice; his simplicity his sin
certify and directness; his quick perception of the
beautiful, the sublime, the wonderful in nature; his
lively sensibility to the goodness of God--these
made him eloquent. He was also man-though
not without faults of temper-of extraordinary
kindness of heart. He won affection by bestowing
1t. His benevolence was perhaps less principle
than sentiment. 1t was impulsive, gushing, sen
sitive even to tears, and never falling in the pres
ence OF want and misery. He was never more
happy than when doing act of friendship, though
it might be in behalf Of entire stranger; and he
performed no duty more willingly that that of re-
lieving and comforting the distressed. There was
nothing OF the priest or the Levite in his nature, but
much OF the good Samaritan.
" The great moral lesson which we derive from
the review of his lifeas it the idea that con-
trolled it's that of usefulness practical good, the
.aai. o. sGI I pro-
sources which God has placed at our command
Science, art philosophy religion, were in his view
instruments put into our hands for improving the
bellishing his earthly house and filling it with OBJ
jects TO crafty his taste and nourish his affections
for converting the earth into garden of the Lord
where innocence, purity, truth, and love might
walk in primeval tranquility, dressing and tilling
it, and enjoying the fruit of their labor under the
approving eye Of Heaven.
I" His philanthropy was heightened and resoute
but not fierce and belligerent; and measure of
reform could have received countenance from him
that was not clearly in his view founded in Justice
or demanded by the spirit Of bencvolence. But ne
would more readily see these conditions when they
existed, than many, perhaps, equally good men
who hive and die by the motto, Let well alone
" He had no fear Of death. He dreaded help
less life much more II is a melancholy sentence
which am permitted TO copy from one Of the last
letters he ever wrote, but Il will be read with sor.
rowful satisfaction, as showing his Christian spirit:
fear, he writes, / have nothing TO look forward
10 but total blindness. ] pray God in His mercy
would anticipate such an event and give me a re-
lease AT least may He give me patience 10 bear
hp And the mercifu Lord hearkened unto his
prayer and called him away He loosened the
cords Of his shattered tabernacle and let his spirit Qo
free. The toll and fatigue of long day were
ended, and He gave His beloved sleep"
The Commerce OF France.
The Paris Constitutional of a recent date de.