Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1853-09-17

much Of the music which robs the public reason ofitsef
so many phrases Of humanity and philanthropy and some
mad TOLD them he was lofty and cold solitary in his great
ness but every year they and to him.
and as they came nearer they loved him better they
heard how tender the had BEEN the husband the bro
ther the father, the FRIEND and neighbour that he was
plain, simple natural, generous hospabe the heart
larger than the brain that he loved little children and
reyerenced God the Scriptures the Sabbath day. the Con-
stuion and laws, and their hearts clave unto him
More truly Of him than of the great naval darling Of
England might it be said that his presence would set
the church bells ringing and give schooboys HOLIDAY,
would bring children from school and old from the
chimney corner, to gaze on him he died. The great
and unavaing amenaton first revealed the deep place
he had in the hearts of his countrymen.
You are TO add to this his extraordinary power OF
influencing the convictions of others by speech and you
have completed the survey of the means Of his greatness
And here again begin by admiring aggregate made
up of excelencies and riumphs ordinarily deemed in
compatible. He spoke with consummate ability to the
bench and yet exactly according to every sound canon
OF taste and ethics the bench ought to be addressed lie
spoke with ability to the jury and yet ex
acty according to every sound Canon that totally diff
ferent tribunal ought be addressed In the halls of
Congress- before the people assembled for political dis
cusson in Masses before audiences smaller and more
lec assembled for some solemn commemorative Of the
the first form Of ability was exactly adapted also to the
critical propreties Of the place. each achieved when de-
vered the most instant and specific eoquence
Of them in splendid and remarkable degree, and
yet stranger STILL when reduced to writing as they fell
from his lips, they compose body of reading in many
volumes solid clear rich, and full Of harmony, classi
cal and permanent political literature.
And yet all these modes OF his eloquence, exactly
adapted each its stage and its end stamped with
his image and superscrption identified by characters
tics incapable to be countereted and impossible to be
mistaken. The high power of reason, intent in
every to explore and display truth truth
of judicial historical biographical fact; truth
Of law, deduced by construction perhaps, by laton
truth of policy for want whereof nation genera
tions may be the worse; seeking and unfolding
truth the in all of deep earnestness express
se of strong desire that that which he felt to be mpor
tan should be accepted true and spring to action
the transparent plain forcble, and direct speech
conveying his exact thought to the mind not something
less the sovereignty of FORM of brow, of
eye and tone and mannerevery where the intellectual
king OF men standing before youhat same marvellous
of qualities and results, residing know not where
in words pictures in the ordering of IDEAS in felic
ties indescrbable by means whereof coming from his
tongue, all things seemed mended; truth seemed more
true probability plausible greatness more grand
goodness more awful every affection tender than
when coming from other tongues these are in all his
eoquence But sometimes it became indyiduazed, and
Disseminated even from ITSELF sometimes place and Cir
cumstances great interests at stake stage audience
fitted for the highest historic action crisis personal
national upon him, stirred the depths of that
onal nature the anger of the goddess srs the
which the great epic is beginning strong passions them
selves kndled to intensity, quckened every faculty to
fe the stimulated associations of ideas brought all
treasures of thought and knowledge within command;
the SPELL which often held his Imagination fast dssoly
arose anu gave MIN 10 choose OIL OF
gold; earnesness became vehemence the simple, per-
spicuous measured and direct language became head
long, full and burning tide Of speech the discourse of
reason WISDOM gravity, and beauty changed to that
A.rps, that eloquencc, grand rapid,
pathetic, terrible the Ghguid amensum ndiamque that
Cicero might have recognised the master triumph OF
in the rarest opportunity of his noblest power.
Such elevation above himself in Congressional debate
was most uncommon Some such there in the great
discussions of Executive power following the removal of
the deposte which they who heard them will never for
get and which rest in the tradition Of hearers only
But there other fields of oratory which, under
tho influence Of springs of inspiration,
he exempfed in still other forms, eoquence in which
do not know that he has had superior among mon
Addressing by Of thousands in the open air
the urgent political questions Of the dag or designated
lead the meditations OF hour devoted to the re-
membrane of national era Of some incident
marking the progress Of the nation and lifting him up to
view of what is and what is past, and some ndistnc
revelation Of the glory that lies in the future or of some
great historical just borne by the ration to his
tombwe have learned that then and there at the base
of Bunker Hill before the cornerstone was laid, and
again when from the finished column the centuries looked
on him; in Faneu Hall, mourning for those with whose
spoken written eoquence of freedom its arches had so
often resounded; the rock Of PymoYth before the
Capitol Of which there shall not be one stone left on
another before his memory shall have ceased to ven
such unfetcred by the laws of forensic or par
lamentary debate muttudes uncounted lifting up their
eyes to him. some great historical scenes of America
around all symbols of her glory, and art and power,
and fortune, thercvoices of the past, not unheard,
Shapes Deckonng from tne luture MOI uhscen-oVme-
times that mighty intellect borne upwards to height
and kindled to illumination which we shall see no
more, wrought out it we're, in instant picture Of
vision warning prediction; the progress of the nation
the contrasts Of its the heroic Deaths the motives
to patriotism the maxims and imperial by which the
glory has been gathered and may be
out in instant picture to fade only when oil record
of our mind shall die.
In looking the public remains Of his oratory, it is
striking to remark how in that most sober and mas
sve understanding and nature you gathered and ex
pressed the characteristic sentiments and the passing time
Of America 1t is the strong old oak which ascends
before you yet SOIL heaven attested in II
perfectly if flower that could grow in other
climate and in other hour of the year day Let
instance in one thing only. 1t is popularity of some
schools of eloquence that they embody and utter, not
merely the individual genius and character Of the speak
but national consciousness, national era mood
hope dread, despair in which you listen to the spo
ken history Of the time There is eoquence of on ex
prng nation such to saddcn the glorious speech
Of Demosthene such breahes grand and gloomy from
the visions Of the prophets of the last days Of Israel and
Judah such gave spell to the expression of Gratan
and Of Kossuththe sweetest most mournful, most awful
of the words which may utter which man may
hear the eloquencc Of perishing nation There is
Their eoquence in which the national consciousness of
young renewed and vast strength; of trust in dag
zling, certain, and mitless future inward gloryng
in victories yet be won sounds out by voice of ca
ron challenging contest for the highest prize of earth
such that in which the leader Of Israel in its first days
hodsup the nation the Land of Promises such
that which, in the wellimagned speeches scattered by
Lvy over the history of the "majestc series OF vcto
ries speaks the Roman consciousness of growing ag
grandizement which should subject the world such
that through which, ut the tribunes of her revolution in
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