Portage sentinel. [volume] (Ravenna, Ohio) 1845-1854, 1853-11-09
Death OF TERAREAU.
BY REV. J. F. TUTTLE.

How rapid, how splendid. how complete the as
cendancy of this man! Three years ago and ca
pricious fortune had no such playthng as Mira
beau. His father and king did what they could to
embtter his life His country had no dwelling
place for him except in her dungeons, and in for
eign lands he not safe. His great heart had
its affections all embittered into sublimated gall.
Unwittingly, the demon of French tyranny had
been educating by the most fiery discipline, the
migktiest as well as the wickedest mind in
France, to grapple in q death struggle with
hoary oppression b" t'
France trembles as with the throes of dissolu-
ton, and lo suddenly as a rocket exploding in
the darkness, Mirabeau blazes out on the vision
of mankind. The tenant of dungeons becomes
the idol of all oppressed me., and the football of
fortune becomes the evil genius of kings and all
oppressors. In few brief days, not only king
of venerable ancestry trembles before him, but
the stormy spirits of bloods and disunion, Brissot
Maret, Robespiere and Danton fear him as their
master. He binds men and things to his will
One shake Of his "boars head''-as he himself
called it-cowes the Jacobins, and one sharp word
subdues the heroes of the Gironde. Scarce two
years passed and the end draws Those years
were crowded with successes of personal iniquty
as would hardly be credible in the long life of a
common man. And yet, iron man he was,
even he could not endure such an enormous draft
on the power of life. 'sThe excesses of over
youth are drafts on our old age, payabla with in
terest, about thirty years after date" The cor
ruption of Mrabeau was too enormous to admit of
SO long an extension of the debt to nature.
On the 26th of March. 1891, Mirabeau went to
the convention for the last time. The powers of
nature were almost exhausted. He would strip
the leeches from his neck, and then swathed with
bloody towels, be carried to the scenes of his tri-
bunital triumphs. On this occasion, as usual, he
was attended by an immense rabble, who doated
on him as their idol and defender. In the midst
of his progress he tainted, and as his pale remains
were carried to friends house, wild shrek
went up, she is Dead he is dead, the friend of the
people is dead' ..~. s.....a
In short time he was restored, and undaunted,
he proceeds to the hall to speak for the last time.
His broad face was haggard, and the marks of the
smallpox seemed more hideous than ever. His
long hair hung in masses on his shoulders, and
its frightfulness set off by his bloody bandages
about his neck. The eye alone proves his spirit
unbroken. " 49, -... ...-
The Jacobins clamored, and now perceiving the
weakness of the only man they feared, attempted
to carry some point peculiarly displeasing to him.
The powers in him were stirred, nerved by mem
tai energy alone, compelled his jaded body to car
ry him to the tribune. He had no strength to
vast in preliminaries, and hurled thunderbolt
among his enemies, which annihlated their po-
sition.
They attempted to cry him down, but one shout,
'Silence, there, ye thirsty tyrants!" stilled them
Some inferior men attemptedto overcome his fee;
beness by various noises, but his infamable eye
blazing on them, and his "terrible head shaken at