The Evansville daily journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ia. [i.e. Ind.]) 1848-1862, 1852-11-16
webstcr,s Eulogy on Adams and Jef.
IeYSOn.

Webstcr's Eulogy on Adams and JEFF.
Daniel Websters's language, uttered
with all the glowing fervor Of his magma
ton and intellect kindled with the high ex-
citement of eloquence, when, in 1926, he
commemorated by noble Grafton the de-
parture of Adams and Jefferson to the world
spirits, applies now with singular appropri-
ateness to himself. The orator does not
live, we presume, who can pronounce over
the remains of Webster such an eulogium
of splendid diction and of elevated thought
as was uttered by him, when the two ven
cradle patriots of Monticello and of Quin-
cy babe adieu to life. The following pas
sage from that memorable discourse is the
one we referred to as being suitable and be-
coming now in application 10 the deceas-
ed Statesman of Massachusetts, and of the
Union:
"Adams and Jefferson, l have said, are no
more. AS human beings, indeed, they are
no more. They are no more. as in 1776,
bold and fearless advocates of indepen
dence; no more, as on subsequent periods,
the head of the Government; no more, as
we have recently seen them, aged and ven
cradle objects of admiration and regard
They are no more. They are dead. But
how little is there, of the great and good,
which can die. To their country they yet
live and live forever. They live in all that
perpetuates the remembrance of men on
earth; in the recorded proofs of their own
great actions; in the offspring of their intel
lects; in the respect and homage of man
kind. They live in their example; and
they live, emphatically, and will live in
the influence which their lives and efforts,
their principles and opinions, now exer-
else, and will continue to exercise, on the
affairs of men, not only in their own coun-
try, but throughout the civilized world
A superior and commanding human intel
lect, truly great man, when Heaven
vouchsafes so rare gift, is not Temporal
ry fame, burning bright for while, and
then expiring, giving place to returning
darkness. 1t is rather spark OF fervent
heat as well as radiant light, with power
to- enkindle the common mass of human
mind; so that when it glimmers, in its own
decay, and finally goes out in death, no
night follows, but it leaves the world all
light. all on fire. from the potent contact OF
its own spirit. Bacon died; but the human
understanding. reused by the touch of his
miraculous wand, to perception of the true
philosophy, and the just mode of inquire
ing after true philosophy, and the just
mode of inquiring after truth. has kept on
its course. successfully and gloriously.-
Newton died; yet the course of the spheres
are still known; they yet move on, in the
orbit which he saw, and described for them
in the infnity of space"
The lives and characters Of great men
are landmarks in history, and they consti-
tute the types and representatives of ma
tons civilization. They are the noblest
treasure which people can possess. The
common instinct which prompts their coun-
trymen to honor their great men is one of
the most powerful of feelings, and in its
high ascendency it subdues partizan preju
dices and individual animosities, and
merg-s the identity of the citizen almost
into a partnership of or, atness with the
distinguished and eminent men whom the
country delights to honor. 1t is, indeed.
a mark of the superiority of 4 people to
produce great men. An inferior people
are barren of such productions, and could
not appreciate them if they should casual
ly appear. Who does not know and ac-
knowledge the lustre that is shed over the
American name and history by the charac
ter and life of George Washington! What
consideration could there be on earth suffi-
cient to make us willing to blot out his
name from our annals-if such deed of
dissertation could be done?
Its a matter of reproach, we must con-
fess, that while we offerup on the tombs of
our great men the obligations of gratitude
and of grief, it too often happens that in
their lives they are defrauded of the ac-
acknowledgements Justly due them. Let us
hope that we shall learn to do better in
this regard and how to prize our best men
before we are called to lament their loss.
Bait .4merican