Southern standard. [volume] (Columbus, Miss.) 1851-1856, 1852-11-06
NUMBER al.

The greatest, wlseSt, meGnest Of mankind -
yet even the charitable veil which we throw over
the vices of the dead cannot in this case suffice to
cover or conceal the prominent defects of this
great character--great as warning as well as an
example. To obscure men, whose memoriesmay
perchance outlive them about half year. the rule
de nortuis nil nisi 6onum," may appropriately
be applied. Small men, and the small traces they
have made, may both safely be covered over with
the mantle OF that oblivion to which the tomb con-
signs them Not so, however, with the men who
have made their mark not alone on their own gem
Grafton, but whose names and histories will be
'kend en- 0'e', possession forever to their coun-
try. Such men cannot have the evil that they
did, Entered with their bones," any more than
the good Both are the common property of the
public and even while the passing bell tolls their
requiem, the youth Of the country will ponder and
speculate over their characters and careers, and
draw from both lessons for imitation or avoidance;
if medtatng the same toilsome ascent, which, like
all other paths of glory "leads but to the grave''
yet, like that, though ever filing, never overful
There is always tendency in popular governments
to exaggerae depreciate the qualities of its ru-
lers--its real rulers, not its nominal ones are
meant; and the idol of to-day is often the devil of
tomorrow. JOHN CATIL1NE CALHOUN of '32 was
followed with weeping eyes by penent people
nearly twenty years after, and laures strewn upon
his grave by hands that once would have gladly
acted the hangman's part in earlier days. HENRY
CLAY heard the serpent Kisses of the bargain and
corruptive Islander during the greater part of his
long life; but its sunset cheered by love- rev.
erence, and troops of friends, who were in olden
time his enemies. Both of these had, through
long and stormy lives, to wrestle with obloquy>
and ISLANDERS, springing up like hydras headsj but
both outlived these ISLANDERS, and passed peaceful
" down to the tomb, with the satisfaction of vim
Dictated characters and just appreciation. With
! CALHOUN these ISLANDERS were political only-not
50 with CLAY. Solitary and alone in this age and
country stands the great Caroinian in this respect
his character, like that of Vestal, was above
suspicion.
Upon that brow shame was ashamed to sit;''
and owing to some popularity, underlined and un-
defnable, he never was subjected to that ordeal
of public SANDER, which all other public men have
had TO pass through fiery furnace, to test the
temper of their metal, and purify it from dross.
Il Whether they from the great preponderaEce
of the intellectual over the animal man. or the
stern discipline and subsection of all the usual i'm.
pulses and passions in his case, is hard to deter
mine; but such is the fact. His enemies could
find no opprobrious arpellation for him but Gait
lne-no crime but weening ambition. As
DANIEL WEBSTER, half wonderingly half admir-
ingy said, on pronouncing his eulogum in the
Senate, "He had 70 recreations, never seemed 10
feel the necessity of amusements;' and he might
have added, he had no weakness, no vices, unless
the sin by which angels fell-pride, and its kin
dred weakness love of power-can be considered
as the earth mark of character, otherwise more
2 faultless than falls to frail humanity.
But HENRY CLAY claim no exemption from
4 these follicS and fraeS of the wise. While CAT
HoUN in mental and moral characteristics, resen-
1 bled BURKE, whose private purity was equal,
HENRY CLAY carries out the personal parallel with
I the younger Pitt, with stronger constitution,
: stronger passions, and more liberal indulgence OF
i them. lie certainly was not model man, until
t age had abated the heat and fervor of his temper
II and the FIRE of his blood--if even then; and daz-
IS zng as were his personal qualities his footprints
if closely followed, would lead few to the high re-
nown and peaceful end Which he achieved Yet
ii before remarked both of these great men lived
1t long enough to hear the howl of calumny and de
traction that had logged their steps, and haunted
n their public and their private lives sigh itself t
o rest outside the sick chamber wherein the wearet
y old brain workers laid themselves down to die
Not so with the sad, stern, almost spirit broker
,e old statesman, whose passing bell now strs tn,
e sluggish currents Of tie heavy air this sien
l. evening" while the city sleeps, after the shouts Q
" welcome to the returned G neral his rival -hay
70 scarcely sunk into silence. For, by another O
these strange condolences Which scarcely seen
accidental, as the dying ears of CLAY were vexet
by the shouts Of his friends greeting the nomna
49, ton of Gen. ScoTT with acclamation,--so las
> night, while the soul of WEBSTER was struggln,
painfully to free itself from the broken body tina
Err could no longer hold it, tie shouts of the sam
al mob here hoarsely, xexing the drowsy ear
r. night, in honor of the return Of Gen. ScoTT t
no Washington from his Western tour. And if hi
IN two great competitors may justly be likened 10th
IN two of the great British trio Of statesmen, sti
nut more Justly may WEBSTER be likened to the thir
he for between himself and CHARLES JAMES Fo
list the personal similarity indeed most striking
ms though intellectually the American was far IL
he mightier man. His remains, ike those of Il
ser mastodon, will long excite the wonder and IL
to admiration, even OF rosIerity which bids fair
IS, progress even faster than the moy.me men
an this most progressive age.
seS In all points tie parallel probably does not no
:. good FOX was more reckless and careless ms
~ in pecnnlary concerns than DANIEL WEBSTER,
-ne possible. He possessed The same sovereign SEQ
~ for money, the same disregard for debt, and f
the moral impossibility OF dwarfng down his g
y" NAL and glowing soul to the measure of al
mated calculating machine. lie was a man
more levities than WEBSTER, but was possessed
fewer solemn vices, if the tales be true of Il
the great expoGnder, so currently told and believ
his by the most liberal Of his contemporaries. T
he common cant about the greater immorahties
was great men has its origin IN the fact Of the clos
.iti scrutiny applied To them. The spots on the
,wn are more noticed than those on the lesser plane
in because the eye OF the Astronomer is more dir,
and ted towards the greater lunlinary. So of gr
the and little men. Let US not then uaze too u pi
L tor, l.