The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1852-11-12


the late DuAe or WsiiimxGOm.
From the Boston Chronicle New. Ill
Last evening, in the Meiodeon, q. P. Il. james,
Esq, delivered Grafton in honor Of his Grace the
late Duke of Wellington. Tne doors were open at
quarter before seven O'Clock, and the vast throng.
that had for full hour preceding been gathering In
front Of the building, we're admitted.
The decorations of the rosGrum and hall general
~ were very beautiful and highly appropriate. In
the front, above the rostrum, upon the wall, was
hung portrait of Queen Victoria Above the pisr
ture were suspended two English flags, the folds OF
which fell on either side of the picture La front OF
this, upon tho rostrum, was . bronze lion. and on
the pedestas either side was portrait OF the
Duke Of Wellington drnped in black-the ono on
in 1876 the lefs portrait, bearing date 1852 To
the right was hung large American flag, heavily
draped, and bearing the name of Webster" and to
s: asS aAy aaPs and
lish flag, in the centre, to the dome, were hung
American streamcrs Near the footlignts, extending
across the stage, were eight pedesas eatwned with
emblems of ming; from the two centre ones
were coats Of arms of Wellington and Webster. On
the rostrum were tho Governor, eight Of the Coun
Gil, Hon. Abbott Lawrence, several of the clergy,
and other distinguished Englishmen and Amsr-
cans.
At half past seven the hail. including the galleries.
was very densely orowded vacant seat or stand
ing place was to be found in the hall. Although
large portion Of the audience Americans thero
were very many of the oldest Eoglisa resdenss pre-
sent. Before the GRAFTON, RI Rev Bishop Elstburn
addressed the Throne Of Grace. nis petition was
solemn and deeply impressive. MIR James WAS then
introduced.
He commenced by saSing:-Ehos, are solemn
days in which we live; these ere solemn days that
have fallen upon US noI upon hosh sides Of the
Atlantic. From one common brotherhood arises
one common vail "Wellif gson and Webster!''
Strange, most strange, are The great events of Pro-
yidence that have visited both sides Of the Atlan-
tic. Death has struck down the most noble In an in
"A
alike on the rolls OF fame forever-oue exccling Us
an orator, the other in deeds of arms and nearly
related IN oEo grand prncipls--the love of couatry.
am called upon TO deal particularly with my fellow
countryman--the great man OF Europe; but may
be excused, if pause enc moment to pay passing
tribute to tho great man of America Seldom IL the
happy fortune Of one to have knoxn two such men;
to have knoE so great man IS Webster sufficiently
to feel and appreciate the great the gantc intellect
of the man; such has been my fortone and such
the feelings which affect me- that cannot speak Of
wellington without speaking OF him whom, though
did not know him intimately, may call my friend
Webster. must now, having paid this tribute
not so much to him as to my own feelings speak Of
wellington Strange, most strange, that death
should have so suddenly deprived England Of her
greatest man-her noblesr chiefsain. Though We'll
Gngton had reached the advanced ago of 81 years,
still his deoease caused the nation surpIsecaused
a tide Of conformation in our land and not only did
this tide affect country, bur lis rippes felt
all over the continent OF Europe, and may say
America. So great was the CONSERVATION and sur
prise, when, from the castle Of Kent the intelligence
ran all over the country that Wellington was
dead, upon the spot where Caesar, two thousand
years ago, invaded the country, that not that
event-not the appearance Of the sails of his gal
legs, could have cIea:ed grea'er surprise Yet
why was tEis-we knew the event must como, and
must come shortly; but for fsGy years the eyes Of
England were turned upon him. they had seen him
20 forth from fold to field from victory to victory
footsteps, and his enemies dy before him; they re-
gaTded him as the great and mighty counsellor Of
the nation the great prop AMI support of the throne
and had even been taught to believe that he would
triumph over fate, and that wellington would be
immortal. He will have one immortality-that
which virtue and right alone can give The speaker
proposed to deal, first, with ha military greatness
his character as O statesman, and lastly, with his
character az man. Said helm looking upon
Wellington as military man, many reg ard him
wrongly, ana he is wrongly estimated. of.en, by
Englshmen themselves. In comparing the Dakc Of
Wellir gton with Napoleon grea: injustice has boen
done 10 both It is not my object to dscry Ma.
poleon's qualities as Q military man, for by 80
doing should be guilty of injustice to Well
ington. He ranked first rate in military talents,
such as no other man ever did before his time
This is bold assertion. but must comp ire the
systems of these men. Napoleon had sameness in
his tactics which the Duke Of Wellington did not
possess while the other hand the variety and ga
MUS Of Arthur WELLESLEY was never equalled Look
ct the battles of Napoleon: where wul you iud that
genius which characterized the tactics of the Duke
Napoleon; except in one OF two instances, was ever
never, or very rarely, differed from it Before hi
retreat from Moscow, his movements had been mark
ed by sameness; he would aim to single ont som
weak point of the enemy, and then to pour down
upon s his force, and his foes the winds
The Duke OF Wellington, whose means were vastly
inferior, whose resources were ess who did not have
the command Of troops Of empires, forced as it
were, to employ strategy, and to call into action his
genusaDd the sources of his greatness never failed
him. When obstacles apparently is surn0untable
rose like barrier before him. his inventive genius
and stratagem devised means to scale and over
come the barrier. But the assertions Of orator
aIe nothing unless supported by details 1t will
be impossible in the shore space OF single evening
to follow his whole career, and shall therefore OK
tract only such points as will SHOW whether the
assertions have mado correct not and illus
trate the fact that variety and sagscity were the
great elements of his military greatness aud the
secret of his will briefly refer to his early
life. He was born in Ireland, in l769-the same
year as Napoleon. And, before we 20 any further.
must pause to refate ia SO and saaderous asser-
ton that has been made in this country and in
Europe, tb i he was ashamed of hts country and
aimed to conceal the fset thas he an Irisamaa
The assertion is false, upquahfsoly false. The
Duke was too great, too wise, too just. to be
be ashamed OF any circumstance of tate The Duke
once. In speaking OF the gaantry OF his troops In
the PeniLsalar war, said the Irish troops were Us
fine and gallant any under his command ras
orator spoke Of the family from which the Dake
deecenced, but said it was useless-it was quite
ridiculous, to than briefly allude to his parent
sge.] At an early age he was sent to Eton,.
famous seminary in Eugland, but probably he
did not mako particular progress there He after
wards entered military school in France We trace
Wellington and Napoleon from the Isle Of Eogland
to the Isle OF Elba, from the period of receiving
their fret commission 20 ther FIRST ard last meeting
at Waterloo. The Duke received his first commits
sion March Z, 17S1 Napoleon in 1885. The Duke
received a captains commission in l19l He after
wards became major. In 1894 he vent from Cork
to Flanders. He described action in which the
Duke was defeated. ard added it was disas trous,
but not disersceful" Through disasters and hard
shps, the winters cold, and cramped By the most
limited resources, the Duke, then Coioael Wellesley,
won his fret hopors He returned to England
poor health, but with considerable military
Here he first began his oee brated dispatches, which
have since made the world ring with admiration
His 6Ist despatch was supp,cation TO his CON-
mander in. chief for the pardon of inferior ,er,
who, though worthy young man, had been guilty
of some indiscretion which would subject hin TO