The Sumter banner. [volume] (Sumterville, S.C.) 1846-1855, 1850-02-27

and foods! What can be more dark,
more dreary, more drcadful2 Say,
soothing sceptic, is it capable of any
!, beauty! You pronounce. mo- Well,
avery well; but behold, while the sneer.
ling denial curls your proud lips, the
sun with his sword Of light shears
through the sea of vapors in the west,
and laughs in your incrcdulous face
with his fine golden eye. Now, look
hgain at the thunder.cloud! See whore
lit was blacklist and fullest of gloom.
sunbcams have kissed its hidcous check:
and where the kiss fell there is now
blus! brighter than ever mantlcd the
brow Of mortal maidcn--.the rich blush
of crimson and gold, of purple and yer
million-a pictured blush fit for the
gaze of angels-.the fowcr-work of pen.
ellis of fire and light, wrought at dash
by one stroke Of the right hand of God!
Aye, the ugly cloud hath given birth to
the rainbow, that perfection and sym.
bol of unspeakably beauty!'
1t is impossible to paint the effects
OF such-burts of cloquence delivered in
his peculiar voice and manner. For
my own part, experienced emotions Of
sublimity and admiration comminglcd
with mysterious awe. gazed and
shuddcred, as if looking into the heart
efa volcano, or listening to the muttcr-
ipgs of an earthquake. Who darcs call
this comparison a hypcrbolc? Hath
the grandcst elements Of nature anyi
manifestation of power superior tothc
lofty action Of intellect inAamed by the
friction Of q winged imagination?
snd yet, strange TO say, Bascom
! was no 'sceriyasist'fin the ordinary ac-
qepta,ion OF tae word. Was IL because
/ :S,t,s ;sstss Y @ tasdeos In couop.place.
II. sss Of that
,Sfinisite patE!ySs i$sss eI aioEeg caches
fs'e heaFt. drawing .ears IS d lancet
d.Ythbloodt Or were his arRsa!s M M
accompanied By a higher spi lal M
'S'sssse than ne mere oratery eats
eato accUua: ior his want 81 SUI -, 80, :,
gathering proselytes. The fact, how
'ser, Was due to a different cause. Etc
never chose the themes which stir ur
! "iesi"a's," Ho delighted alone TO OK
on the grandeur, truth, d, :,
) beauty of the philosophy Of the Bible
Q and hence the feelings he aroused wer
Q intense admiration, reverence, wonder
c and poetic rupture. But if he did nc
$ make converts he always filed churcl
y $. lie never raised whirlwinds of pa:
%gate excitement, but neither did h
It e'y2r fail to set the intellect and imas
G in%tion on fire.
:, pcyond the mans ministerial profe,
d siossshis life was but dull monoton,
q pass in the deepest scclusion of stud !
u lie nys never welded, and he himse
t a'!cs'a that such change would be il
consistent with his mental habits. Th
c truth u he has made his bride amb
II tion--a -agsalous bride, whose bed is ba
J. rem, wlRsc embrace is death to all s
o cial amp domestic joy.
q 1t should be remembered by thos
n who hcart Bascom at Washington du
D. ing the Init winter, that there has
n late been miserable decline in I'll
n pomp and splcndor of his defamation
n The effect is duo to bad habit be CO.
IL tracted scme years ago, of reading h
" lectures and sermons. Such practit
20 would spoil the eloquencc of an arch.a
e. gel. In the palfsy period of his you
|. it was othcrwisel Then he held n
&c even note before him, there was
IS bar to his Spontaneous vision, as II
ID dark. flashing eye %'atcd over cart
;s ;ss:. and sky sweeping VI bounds of Il
u The learned professor has recent
r r tried his hand at book.making, al
s 70 failed. His moral philosophy is tan
~ tissue Of distractions. The reason
'S obvious. His gigantic mind has
u come so accustomed to strong excl
u. mcnts that his brain will not act wit
s 's out them. The eyes of the great &C
~ cgation--th the breath of immediate a
:" pausc gushing hot up into his face
g these now alone can arouse him to lof
achievements.
m'a w. In closing our short shctch, we CT
~ =. not torbcar the expression of one
=, gret--that this magnificent gcuius h
-, ~ never yet stood on fitting stage
:" " the display Of his exalted talents. r
% 80 stump of the politician, the ,foyum
y, ~ the advocate, or the chamber of t
II legislative assembly, would have Civ
III him annie fioldc-o frnor hov;s fnr
y loglc--and far frccr space 70, the fig
~ OF his mighty Imagination.
~ 1t IS an impossible task to fix W
u rigid accuracy on paper the spcci
:" difference existing between distingu
cd speakcrs-.--the elements of soul a
sf heart which enter into the compositi
Nr Of an eminent orator are go nurnero,