Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1852-11-20

rCmeul cred IN literature tile philosopher
aud the poet--nnd so far MS tie orator is ri-
ther Of tlcsc, he is remembered, aud no far
ther. Plato and Homer these are read (;
they nrc ~ great facts in memory MS in their
lives ;-Demushrues is far off echo only.
] think the writings uf Webster will stand
10y those Of Fisher Amcs, and Hamilton and
john Adams, in libraries; hut the smallest
contribution from deep original thinker, is
not left to stand in Libraries; il becomes n
part of the current thought aud langungc of
men. The pages of Emerson, for instance,
are starry with statements of absolute truth.
stretching into the very cone Of society, and
the very lite of mans soul these are what
make up permanent literature; the most
magnificent contemporary reputation cannot
save writings which do not contain this one
priceless ore. There is terrible nuccuracy
IN the contemporary Judgments Of mcn, aud
rs formidable an accuracy in their final de-
cisions. Shakespeare, tho one intellectual
prodigy of the world, and whom tie best
intellerls of the world exhaust themselves IN
criticising, was not even enumerated among
the men Of his time, hy Lord Bacon, who
took the census Of It's uitLlnmcnts. And
! Milton stands recorded 10y contemporaries ms
Z" a tedious old blind srhuomastcr," aud again
rs " The blind adder who SPIT his venom on
the Kings sacrcd person" What hope, af.
ter this, can any contemporary Judgments of
ours have, that they will stand us the pcrma-
ncnt voice of humanity? We must hazard
them as guesScs, aud so leave them.
Moreover, all this is intellectual criticism
only that; aud now that il has been spoken,
let 1t be set aside again; let it go for nothing;
let us pass to other things. Let the idol cX-
pand again 10 lis former size still, the stern
question remains. Il il nm idol, or is it n
God; Grant all that can hG claimed of in
tellcctuul power, however cXtrayagaut; still
remains the question: What is the value of
1t all? Bacon was called wiscst, brightest,
HcaHcsi, of mankind; perhaps it was not
true of him; but the combination might he
possible. Is greatness of intellect the great
est greatness; Can it cover the charge of
selfish ambition; Can il cover the sudden
chnugc from love of freedom, llickering
indeed, but sincere, to blind, scryilc, con-
ccnlralion OF all faculties in opposing the
cause Of freedom? Can it cover private
vices-clnrges often u ndc, that it would
he virtual lhischood not to alludc to thcu--
of inicmpcrarcc, lcentiuusncss, bribery, pc
Cuuiary uuirustw nrihincss? Charges like
| these cannot hc Ignored; they must be- MET.
When the siiidurd. Dissatisfied voice Of the
world makes tlirui, II Is not enough for us,
II Younger rnrc, la wlnn you hold up this
sliung man as an uugcl--it is not enough tp
ignore thru. We cannot prove tliru all
perhaps; or IL wa could, have no desire Ia
dn 80 nnw hut they casl u shadow across
The ilunlc ul your iucrnsr, which will not
move AWAY. Surely, an American STATES
uau, like Caesars wiii OF old. shnuld rui
even hr suspected. All are uut suspected.
Mr.. Calhoun passed through uu cvcutlld .Ilr,
changed his patty, sustained the Hur-I cnusc
ever sustained by u public uinu in this cuuu-
Try, and yet no breath of suspicion was uy-
, or lifted against him upon such charges
why Is II Otherwise here? / would not
speak Of these things, did not others speak
aud omit ihgm; but ! have n right to nsk, ia
the name OF every young man of this nation,
who wishes To lead noble life; in the name
of truth, aud purify, aud manhood; how Is
it that you dare To buiid an idol like this for
us, lhui we, in our hour of greatest need,
may go to il, aEd find It only clay.
| may be wrong, bt have always hclicv-
ed that The mos, Solemn warning ever given
to the young mcu Of this uuliou, Ms to the
impossbiliry Of combining private ria with
public virtue, has been the career at Elr.
Webster. believe that his personal habits
and expenditures have been the weight that
kept him from ascending 10 the great work
OF II irue American statesman, and finally
dragged him down to earth, on that disastrous
March day. a mnn rauuut he impure aud
sensual, without corrupIing his moral uH-
turr; man cannot he proiusc aud dissn!utr,
aud avoid becoming dependent, (if he bi m
public liIr,) on tho favor of tie rich and
powerful. Could Mr. Webster hayc freed
himself lroni licsG-- have ceased To urCi
the optmislS aud quielisls," he would ha,c
ceased 10 do their bidding; but this, only u
change in the habit Of years could have ci-
irclcd. Ii he could have done this, the re.
ally nnlle impulses which were always, per-
liHps, first in his large unlurc, would have
huruc him aloll ns the balloon scars, when
the weights are cut away which hold IL.
keep them uncut, and the great nlAcliinc,
InIl inflated, rolls restless aud uneasy from
side 10 side, nnd then collapscs, desparing;
and tho crowd can only say: What Hn rs
rension this might have hecn! Might haue
been! The snddcsl OF all cpiinphs.
Not anger, not sarcasm, 40 petty criticism,
is meet Tor an accession like this; nay, the
time has long passed when it WIS titlinE.-
The true tragedy of Daniel Webster WAS u;
its crisis, long mnulhs ago; they who had
teurs, should have prepared them thcu---uol
NOW; this is only the eud Of the tpioguc
which comes after the tragedy. Whittier
struck the key note of tho vuice of Massg-
chnsetls aud Of pos'erity, long since, in lla.
wonderful poem, which may yet be renlcm.
bered longer than lis suhect;--
EcE,05OR.
Revilc him not-tho Tomptcr hath
a snare for all
And plying tears not scoTn and wrath,
Holt his fall!
o! dumb be passions stormy rage,