The Port Gibson herald, and correspondent. (Port Gibson, Claiborne Co., Miss.) 1848-18??, 1850-05-03

Sir Henry LyttOn BulWer.

OHA oON1StJy III etlioh Sl W q
mentary toast, made a handsome speech,
from which we make the following extract.
After alluding, in the highest terms, to
Mr.. CLAY and Mr.. WEBSTER, the latter of
whom was present and had previously
spoken, he says:
And if such were American Orators and
Statesmen, such also were American his
torlans and warriors. He had, for his part,
never had an adequate idea of the achieve
ments of those great Spaniards who first
carried the cross and sword into the New
World, until'he had read Of Herman Cortez
in the pages Of Prescott; and yet, just al
the time when it appeared to him that the
heroes drawn by that great artist were
matchless, il not fabulous, there stepped
forth heroes from the artists own land who
on the very country which he had taken
as the subject of his immortal work, equal
led or surpassed by their exploits, those
whose marvellous deeds he had been de-
scribing. A gentleman had spoken of
Agincourt. The name had suggested to
him Sir H. Bulwer) a singular coinci-
dence applicable to the topic he was then
speaking upon. The battle Of Agincourt
was Tough on Che 25th Of October, on the
plains of Picardy, in France. There was
on that occasion the English forces few in
numbers, tatigued by marching, enfeebled
by sickness, and surrounded by great
and gallant army, 50 confident IN victory
that its chief, previous to giving the signal
for the onset, sent herald 20 the English
leader, 10 bargain for his ransom. That
leaders answer had been thus given:
$50 tell your master here I am,
Ny ransom is this frail and worthless trunk,
NY army but weak and sickly guard
But God before:-Tell him We will come on"
and on went King. Henry and his gallant
band, and off went, though not without
fight, the vaunting enemy. Il was a great
victory, and won on St. Crispin's day.
Well, in 1917 was fought another battle in
the valley of Mexico; ard this time the de-
scendants of those who had fought and con-
quered four centuries previous, were, as
their ancestors had been on the occasion
alluded to, few in numbers, fatigued by
marching, enfeebled by sickness. and en-
compassed by foes, who, like the '.confi-
dent and over-lusty French" felt SO sure
of success in the approaching contest, that
their commander sent to the American
commander, snmmoning him to surrender
at discretion. Did gentlemen remember
the answer that was returned 10 this stlm
mons9 They ought to do so, it would live
in their history If he (Sir II. Bulwer) re-
membered rightly, it ran thus: 'Head
Quarters, near Buena Vista, Feb. %. Sir
in reply to your note Of this date, sum-
moning me to surrender at discretion, |
beg leave TO say decline acceding to your
request. am, sir, with the greatest re-
spect, your ob'tserv't, ZACHARY TAYLOR"
This was not poetry, but it was stout
and sterling old Anglo-Saxon prose; and it
was followed up in an Anglo-Saxon man
ner. Again there was great victory, not
this time on the day of St. Crispin, but on
the birthday of Washington. But, did
not the old battle of Agincourt resemble
the modern battle Of Buena Vista! Might
not they, who were proud of their fathers
having been at one. be as proud that they
themselves had been at the other? He
said yes, and many were the gentlemen
who had slept quietly in their beds at Bal
timore, on the night of the 22d Of Febru-
arv, who would at that moment give half
their fortunes to have passed itby the side
of the gallant veteran. who was then at the
head of the American camp, and who now
presided over Americas counsels.
/ L IL e.,
subject which, Notwithstanding, would
give him the opportunity Of speaking of
many friends OF his distinguished in letters
and arms. But this much he would
say, that no success in letters or arms adj
ding to the union of the people OF the
United States, could be matter OF lndiffer-
ence to the English people, and he could
not but hope that as England would al
ways feel an interest in all that added glo-
ry to the history Of America, that so Amer
lea would feel an interest in all that justly
added to the historical glory of England.
OF this he was sure, that if it should prove
cternally true, that time first reaped unto
destruction those whom age and honor
first ripened into maturity, if the beautiful
idea of the great father Of poetry should
ever become applicable to their common
ancestral land
"Like leaves on trees the race of man is found.
'Now green in yoath, now withering on the
ground;
s'Thus generations, in their turn decay;
so flourish these-when those are past away"
If the arsenals which were then joyous
with the busy hum of mariners should
long be silent and shipless: if the ware
houses which were then replete with
the countless wealth of merchants, should
long be empty and decayed; if the proud
march of England should ever cease TO be
upon the mountain waves, and the meteor
flag which for a thousand years had braved
the battle and the breeze, become but the
winding sheet Of past renown; oft then
would the historical muse of America quit
the broad rivers of these grander regions
for the silent banks Of the deserted Thames.
there to ponder over the tombs, and draw
inspiration from the memories of the once
great in war, in politics. in eloquence and
song, whose blood circulated through the
veins of those who heard him, and whose
| III thox,, i, fha Cabinet the