Lynchburg Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1829-185?, 1850-10-17
From The Baiiiniore Patriot

but lba' hnno may be given ~ whom honor - dur
From The Bniiiniore Patriot.
TIFF WERsTERIAN STYLE. II is a common
and by m-sos undrsefved reprosch npoa many II
public men hs. whilst they not def'i ut Ithef IN
political general information, tby have neglected To
cultivate thss gtaces and fgances Of style, which are
indispsnsab. give full .fert TO lhs efforts. and To
win fr them enduring renown and fepaia on II lsone
III the effects Il Institutions IN bring mt public lIfr
persons kshe hsf for their strong and hardy
aud knowledge Of then and lhings than for iheir
scholastic learning and literary pshments There
have been indeed. at all peods o our ppilic history
number " ripe aud god scholars In publ life AID
apeuous positions; aud what is moi easy accun iaf
perhaps IN re oi hem ~ prop ton, ~ The eafi ian n
the modep days of the Republic. But t is unden
able hat great number # e most active aud successful
politicians ol the country have been persons whose pub
shed sp' echs far from ing desirable models
representatives of public taste cultivation. OF mns
Of these may be Truly said hat they have sye wia
ever Their productions and appear t. be all homo
genepns FoI the III st part, their defamation Ia Con
gess ia barely spbdned ype Of their deeanlt ms up
the stump-amh'ue, tumid and fiothy. Inc rloqueBre
hat has been found eficacions in winning them away in
10 The halls ri Congress IL. as general rule, relied up
10 sustain lhem whilst thfre. and although there
many hon liable and striking exceptions II may safely
la assumed, hat most Of The members u the House +
r. presentayes continue practice before their FLOW
membcrs no hi her better than that with which
They treat The people al home. No who does moi
t,kn the Trouble read The debates appreciate the
aneno,s and me1uc'ity VIII eh are n Iii, way, mpres
sf1 upon the style Of majlIitY f he speeches in Con-
gfe.s There is good -nse. aud often strong and yigo
rus, argumentstin-bu oflanguago in ancient mod
ume-, thcte ~, IN magnify u cases, absolutely
nothing
Mr. Webster is by far he most conspicuous Of or
ibc urn who are wholly beyond the each Of the fle
going cdlic-m Of all he writer's and speakers HAT
our ~ has produced hi style is PECULIARLY and
dsncyely his own. Isasimplssble 20 mistake one of
the productions of his pen r those any other writer
10 nscnbc his majestic pfopoho If p"fsonhs deep and
cayefnous eyrs-hls mass We and oycrhang Forehead
to mnn ordinary mould. But, whilst hlr. Neb
set's style If writing and speaking is marked by chaflo-
tcsics which dsliuguish 1t ton hHt eyo rrnporary
II must not be supposed that Is dsiguted by any al
iecled offensive manuet,m. Far from i. ihcre is no
,crencity abont Mr. Wcbser5 character, and there is
ab,ut his style Of writing lie To have rdop-
ted early prod STANDARD OF eNctlence from which
he resolved descend. file knows. either by n-
snc from study .eXa-ly 10 what p,ni always To atse
and he incufs tina risk of H. ht hch would
pose hun to the fate Of caus the hand, bring
HIN AT once prone 10 tn en- ia ON the other. No au=
thur knows better than he the value of the Ammunition
ST pdloun Sulnio dtceSsii, rcrgit al inittnl.
II would he an agreeable and las rncuye tlsk-any
person of sufficient taste aud ptienco would undertake
lit, uq nre INTO ihe sources Of Nj Nebscrs peculiar
felicity in composition We have heard the stately aud
M, march Of las sentences ard periods ascfihed /
his huihltlty with he writings OF johnson aud Gibbon
But. If he has. nseshly, gained any ding from these
models. he has ayndrd The ugld and sono;ous doclama
lion which Consistently dS6gurd The one. and the unvary
ng and iignng pump which often oilends in the 9th
er We rather suspect that careful analysis would show
that h. much 10 original good TASTE but still mort
+, the tlenco OF early classical training. II Is sald
that his college exercises were distinguished by gorge
BUSINESS o stse some INES approaching 10 oXlrayaganct
hui discover evidence of this tendency IN any
OF hia puhlish,d speeches writings. We have hear,
sd that he Is advocate of The necessity u con
slant and dgent ecltrrnee 10 great teachers In aneeu
literature. the sutcs' means OF frmng and reforming
bolh the oralor and the wrsr and we suspect that,
he could be himself allowed 10 indicate whence he de
rived hi, habits al lucid arrangement hi, ornate sim
p cay oI expression and the other nameoss charms ant
excelences oil his style, he would not hesitate 10 nc
knowledge tho vast extent 81 his obligations To the Poet
and q Of Greece and me. Indeed h. has left, il
his eel bteed oaiinu in comm'noration Of The lives
services of john Adams and Thomas jefferson, So
nhcant expression of his opinion Ut the value If eas'ca
which forms an appropriate conclusion 10 this already 10,
much extended aucle:
"Lueatufe sumelmes. and prctcnsions 10 il much o(
tencr. dsgus by Appearing 10 hang loosely the char
neter, like somell - foreign cxtTanaons, not pdf
but i'll adjusted appeudage; or by seeming OVERHEAD
aud weigh II down, Ivy It's nnsIghty bulk. like the pro
ductons OF bad taste N Architecture where there Is inns
sy and cumhrous ornament without strength suli,
Of column This has exposed leaning and especially
classical learning 10 reProaeh. Men have seen that II
might exist. without mental superiority, w h,ul ygu
without utl Y. But, III such cases, classical learning
= has oly inspired naturA talent; or al most it has
made original f,bcuess of intellect, aud natural blunt
: ne's If perception, something more conspicuous The
question, aIler al If IL be question, wherhtr efa
tuie, ancient well IS modetn, does goot
, nnders andln. improve nauIh good ase, add ppshr,
amnr to native strength and render is pnsses,or.
ly capable of deriving private happiness from con
temptation and rrf elton, but more accompls shed. also
Tor the at'aus o 10 and especially for publ,
acton. Those VIII 81 memories nov homer, wer,
= learned men; but ihelr learning kent In prop
= place. ind male susrryenl to the and ohJ els %
. life. They scholars not nman, nor supeiclll
but their scholarship was 81 in X epne wi Their char
aeter blended and inwtoaghI that careless observer
OF bad JUICES. Mt seeing o>tenat5uS display Of
might infer that il did not exist forgetting or know
ing that classical learning in who act spcn
public stations, per form duties which exercise he feul
~ Of writing. address popnlu, debetaye or Judica
h1iIs. Is often fit, where il is lte seen, and samr
times f 1t eiiecualiy because its not all.
TIE FREE SPOILERS
: Sheridan has said that "when they do agree upon thu
stage The unmiinty is rcmarLabl;' and the remark j
equally tue of the political theatre. Tie I,ruoca Jour
mails OF Tx arc 10 ec,lscis the happy c5npfl
f mise by which the prince Of the Iabuners and the cit
of the lnnkes couch themselves lovingly sndpthe SAM
blanket Famlshed Cor the sp lis from which they hay,
All. 4