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


tce, aud 20 to Washington, aud my friends
know it, They say ! am ambitious for n
place Ia Congress, when every leading Wing
in my district, knows that might have been
there, yeurs ago, if had chosen to desert
my party. Ii mn not acting from principle
in this matter, am acting the part oI fool,
and even my opponents know that
You must Judge for yourselves how TAR this
is exaggerated. blun exngernte from excite
ment, sometimes, rs well rs ffOm policy
Unquesiionnbly, MIR. Rantoul had no equal
in his district, for Statesmnnlikc qualities and
requirements, and IL policy, had q skill ~
manuuvcring, which was even drawback
upon his real greatness, and, in one Of two
cases. upon his later usefulness to freedom.
These, hu might have brought TO bear for
the benefit of the majority in his district, II
he had chosen instead of the niinOrltv. lie
did not, and was reserved to employ them in
n better cause than that of either. uu told
that no man ever made so great an inIpres.
sion Mt Washington in so short n time, aud !
can understand il. The House of Repre-
scnlntiycs is not place of great men, and
he had great knowledge, great readiness,
great industry, no corrupt habits, aud, viii
add, an accomplished wife who acted as his
Secretary, and was acquainted with he de.
tils of all pnblic questions III which he was
interested. Though not nn original thinker
-" man Of tlIc highest cloqucncr, nothing
'ould have prevented him from great public
distinction, il hc had lived. His Rnti-slave-
ry position, such ns it was, would not have
been sufficient to prevent this. The want
which the Democratic pnrty felt, for years, of
n Northern wan with Northern principles,
and equal to it's leadership, was Supplied IN
him. No public station was above his rea-
soualllc ambition, IL hc had lived.
Ii he had lived! the one essential coudi-
tion of all action aud the one which oil
men forget. "Who are yc that say, | will
go To such city aud buy aud sell whereas
We know not what shall he on the morrow"
There has been no such solemn warning
To ambition in our time MS the death Of Mr..
Ranionl, IL men felt such warning; but they
do not. His death was felt widely, deeply
ldsingly, shall | sny ?-l dare not say. There
was not much said; great deal was felt
Tie streets did not 20 into mourning; but
some hearts did. Public bodies did not eX-
press regret; same perhaps rcjuiccd; not
that one is inconsistent with the other. We
do not know, IN this case, what was irli we
know was not said. Thc Boston Ilr, never
backward To notice the death oi its most
Insignificant members, made M ulhi>nn to
the death of onr ut lis uiu>t distinguished
ones. vino had bcru Us Di-riri Auprury
II fact, which II rrmrnhrr,d iu runurrIi"u
wiih viii h' remembered ~ Cato wished
u hNr circumstance to H., wlru ltr sad hc
would rather prnplt. >lu'lld ask. WAY wts
not C.h"'s statue hnnna thn,r ~ Il,r VI rktI.
place = IIau" "Why was II lirrr?'
lie died, aud since lh"n dtirrrui death
has taken IN 'uru>' minds, the place of his
50 that even lis, secn- a lnng while ago.
In the Scripture story, it X recorded lhnt
lhrrr were twn IIIru, at whom one Said "
gn, SIR" hui wen, uoI; aud the other said, d"
90 not, sir" hul nllcrward, lIr repeated aud
went. IL has seemed iu mr, that Mr. Ran
loul well represented the last of the Two
men. VIII it he the verdict Of posierily,
that the other public officer, whose departure
we nrG NOW cOnmeInu:Hiipg, represented
the other
Aud here, let me pause TO lament iliat I'M
discriminating aud unmuuly spirit of lula
ton, which holds tlmt death should wipe
0ut the scrnness Of truth, and substitute
linid insrhood in in iIs place. can pardon
silence, concerning the mcmory of sinful
aud imperfect lglow-heng, hut cannol
pardon lalshood. To blame, is serious aud
solemn responsibility, know, hul 50 it is to
prniSe and they should not he scparaled.-
The grave should bury personal aud purlzan
feelings; but not moral distinctions, for they
are more venerable thnn any man, and more
precious than any personal services. Let
us say nothing, or the truth. DR.. Chanting
well said, that, if n man could not bear .lui
the truth should be tuld of his ciarnhicr,
light aud shadow, Just us it was--hrtcr pass
il by" This alternative, we should wish for
ourselves, and this we should give to another.
But is too late TO say nothing. Tho streets
of this nation are fall of memorials OF vir-
tues, attributed To the great departed. "rhc
star of the world "llc sum of all human
greatness" Jesus Of Nazareth had no such
editapis as these.
Speak from thine unknown sphere, oh
powerful hut erring human spirit, aud say
to this idle adulalion; Silence, or Truth
hardly feel free to comment, NJ length,
upon the position and character Of Mr.. Web
ster; not because of his greatness, only for
he was weak mortal, and what less are
we hut for other reasons. Nothing is so
hard, ms for n person to do justice To the
characters, and circumstances of those about
II half century his elders. They are too near
and yet too far away. Just too near to be
ms historical characters for the per-
sonnl feeling has not had time to subside
just too far of TO b0 understood us contcm-
poraries. | must leave tho scales of Justice
in elder hands, at this time, aud for younger
hands by aud by, and say but liule, and that
aud humby.
Let me pass hastily over the lower stand
ards 10y which Mr.. Webster is to be tried
his intellectual claims us a statesman, law
yer, and an orator.
1t is maxim, that the test of a statesman,
as OF general, lies not in his plans, bat M
their success. Tried by this standard, Mr..
Webster failed He early advocated free
trade, unsuccess(hlly; lie then advocated
tariff, under n tremendous fire of repronch
for his change, and unsuccessflIIy: he un-
successfully defended the u. $. BANK, and
lived TO pronounce il an obsolete iden. Ile