The Davenport gazette. [volume] (Davenport, Scott Co., Iowa) 1841-185?, 1850-06-20
OF burning words-rich, rare, radiant and flash.
ing with the starry light ofpoesy from beginning

The statesman found himself ostonished, de.
lighted, and borne away on on irresistible stream
OF enthusiastic eloquencc, whose source ;ppear-
| cd utterly inexhaustible. He hadcomc, think
ing to be annoyed by the stale mono,ony Of
Mcthodistic sing-song; but 10! he listened TO the
celestial playing Of nm E,lan harp, with its
sweeps as high as the heavens, and its chords
vibrating around the world. He expected 10 be-
hold common pebble, and now sat and recog-
nlzcd at glanceja diamond Of the pnrest ray, tha.
needed only the polishing hand Of the jeweicr to
give il matchless brilliancy. He determined to
DO the Jeweler himself. When the service
closed, with tears of JOY in his eyes, he approach
Cd and made his own Introduction grasped young
Bascom's hand with brotherly wurmtl; greeted
his ears with those exquisite compliments so
grateful TO aspiring genius; invited him to his
house; opened for his perpetual use the glass
case Of his splendid library procured him the
best OF teachers; aided him with ample means;
and more than ull, encouraged him with that
hne fattery which is 10 youthful ambition what
ccndnntly pleasing are such instances ofgenerosi-
~ III the history ofprofessed politicians. Their
odor IS like the sweet perfume Of flowers on ns-
ture's own al.nr. On that day Henry Clay was
far greater thnn ut any recorded hour, any crisis
ofhis destiny, when flingingp peas Of thunder from
voice that hes SO often shak the very walls Of
the Capitol.
AHeHCtlOItH the course OF BasCOm was on
wards and upwards; from circuit to chaplancy
on thefoor Of Congress; and thence 10 the Profess
sor'sChalr ofa distinguished western college. But
we cannot convey any accurate idea Of the man
ny such vague g, neralities; a particular example
becomes necessary to finish the portrait. will
beg leave TO detail one as vivid on the tablets of
memory as events yesterday. twas the first
time saw and heard the Tully Of Kentucky.
1t was a day Of exceeding beauty, that last
SuudaV in MAJ 1870 dcy Of eo(e hal,,,., -
and sunshine bright and glorious as the smile Of
God. Before ten o'clock, every pew and every
seat in the spacious church was filled to overflow.
ing. The whole population Of Lawrenceburgh,
lovely little town on the Ohio river, in Indiana,
appeared to have turned out to hear the sgrcat
orator. from Lexington, whose fame had travelled
in advance OF his coming. II was his first visit
to that State, and hence the general anxiety to
witness his effort. All eyes were turned 10 the
door, and as the winged minutes few away,
with many signs Of disappointment, as one en-
tered TO answer the very circumsan,ial descrip-
ton OF his person which had the previous day
been published in the papers
The hour of eleven arrived, and the we'll
known plrson Of the station began the devotion-
a. exercises by singing and prayer. Al this, the
tokens OF vexation increased with all and, with
a portion Of the audience, so far as TO am,un, to
positive rudeners. 'What" they whispered 10
each other, half aloud, 'is it only old Allen Wiley
who is going to hold forth, after all =
At length the PRAYER was ended and parson
Wiley resumed his seat, when form hitherto
concealed by the mahogany front OF the pulpit,
suddenly emerged from behind it, and stood for
more than two minutes erect, silent and notion
less as n statue. At This apparition, every indi-
vidunl in the immense ihroDg started, and every
heart thrilled with a nameless emOion-it SO
struck the senses and, there was SO much elo
qucnce in his attitude, his mmoblity, nay, in his
very silence.
His figure was Of perfect symmetry; his fea-
tures Of classic mould; his brow pure Grecian in
its outlines, and surrounded by fine circle Of jet
black hair. His conntenance seemed intensely
intellectual, without the slightest perceptible
trace Of animal passion; but his eyes, at the mo-
ment, were dreamy expressionless, and set on
empty space, rs ifhe were totally unconsciousl
any presence other than the ideal OF his own dc
thoughts HIS dresswas Of the richest cloth q
made in the latest cut OF the fashion; il it had
fault, one might say it was loaded with too
tering proiusion Of ornaments for good tast
Presently he raised his right hand with a
ture of impetuous haste, and pressed his fngtm
on his pale forehead as to assist the brain in its
mighty labors OF thought, and then instantly an
nounced his text from the book OF Revelations
Behold, make all things new Without pre-
face or apoiogy-those fimsy crutches OF lame
preachess-he pierced at once into the heart OF
his subject, and then took wings and rode away
on whirlwind OF fiery words. His voice from
the commencement rolled and pcaled, and rung
like the beautifully modulated mnsic Of some
wondrous organ, alternating with crashes of
tremendous power that seemed 10 jar the walls
Of tho building as if an avalanche were rushing
out of the clouds.
Now il sunk into wild wall, mellow and plain
tive as funeral chime; again II swellcd to the
steady roar Of a hurricane, If a hurricane in-
4 L. r.,Et i,
nv; and then il would break out in successive
thunder claps, causing the very hair to rise on
the hearers head, and warm marrow TO creep as
it were in his bones. The effect was aided too
by the orators gesticulation-now graceful as
the airy circles Of a butterfly in the mir, and a
non, grand to sublnity, and urgent as the swoop
Of the eagle climbing the heights Of the storm
cloud, His eye-at the onset, as we have SAID,
dim and dreamy-now burned and flashed and
Ightened, till aided by the illusions Of fancy and
the scene, il appeared 10 dart arrows OF flame a
round the assembly.
As tho mighty magician went on, the entire
multitude seemed charged with clectrlcity.-
Here and there single individuals began to rise
invoInntarily TO their feet; others rose by twos
and ,hrces, next dozen sprang up togethcr;and
finally the whole living, throbbin. enthusiastic
mass might he seen standing as one man., with
fixed straining eyeballs, dcvouring the speaker
with gaze, with half parted lips, and teeth
clenched by attention. The excitement was
measurcless, and We. too profound Tor any species
Of utterance. Not a sigh, not whisper v as
heard. Nothing could be heard save the voice
Of the orator; and during the intervals Of his pau
scs the fall of pin would have been audible.
His subject, too, was unique as his manner
tIis theme was-ssThc future eternity Of matter;
its natural capacity for indefinite and glorious
changes, and the possible splendor Of the new
heavens and earb." Ills method Of discussion
was purely rational and scien,iiic-that is TO say,
by analysis. A few Of his inimi:ablc touches
lingcr in memory to the present hour. lie infer
red the beauty Of which all, even the coarscst
matter is capable, from the following llus.ra-
ton.
ssChemistry, wthits fire tongue Of the galvanic
battery teaches that tho starry diamond in the
crown or kings. and the black carbon which the
peasant treads beneath his feet, nre both COM
posed of the same identical elemc nts analysis al