Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1854-05-27

tssor in the Theological Seminary at PRINCETON, NJ J..
BY JAMES W. ALEXANDER, New York. Charles Serb
ner, 1854.
JOHN FOSTER, in his remarkable essay on a
Mans writing Memoirs of himself" intimates, as
we remember, that the autobiography of those men
would be especially entertaining and instructive
who, during their lives and careers have manifest
ed strange facility in the acceptance and rejection
of many and diverse sentiments and opinions. The
examples of such intellectual metempsychosis ne
likens to the illustrious John Buncle of uxorious
memory, who, during the span of his mortal life,
was SO fortunate as find WOO, win, wed, adore, and
bury dozen or more of wives, each OF whom SEEM
ed to the happy Benedict not only better than the
last but the best Of her SEX There are, as the
essayist observes, some men whose minds would
seem to resemble sort of caravansera, IN which
ideas on pilgrimage may lodge for season, the
welcome occupant Of yesterday being ousted and
superseded by the equally welcome guest OF to-day
With all our respect for the talents and with all
our admiration for the brilliant genius of Coleridge
we are constrained to believe that this wonderful
man must be classed among those whose autobiogra-
plies would possess peculiar charm IN the idea OF
Foster The admirer ana euogst of French liberty, the
Pantisocratis dreamer the poetca communist the eio
quent jacobin, the inspired Moravian, the intellectual
sian economist, the tory pampheteer the trinitaran
divine and the high churchman at least strangely
different parts to be played in lfes short drama by the
same actor and curious would be the analysis which
should reveal the secret springs Of mental phenomena
which seem to have nothing in common save him VINO
was their subject.
But. whatever interest may attach to the memoirs OF
UGH splendid and errac genuses, equally apparent
hat characters directly the opposite OF those just ndca
ed must also possess interest and value OF their
own The men Of strong convictions and Of decidedly en-
terained though moderately expressed opinions the men
who while wise know their time, are not blown ABOUT
by every wind of doctrine waited like thisedoWn, ny
every gust popular applause who neither lightly accept
nor speedily discard their crtdoes are If not always the
illus trations yet always the safeguards Of their age An
ingenious thinker has acutey observed that there are
moments in every reflective mans history when he is al
most tempted doubt the existence of any essential We
rty in the realm Of moral speculation When he reflects
that every variety and shade of opinion have their sim
cere defenders and patrons when the philosophy of yes
terday is cast out and rodden underoot by the men OF
to-day he feels inclined to take up anew the hooking
interrogatory What is truth 2! it fell more than
eighteen hundred years ago from the lips Of impatient
Plate If them among the many who have most eync-
ed the aliby and weakness of human Judgment IN its
best estate also find examplesof those who while
addicted the careful canyassng of opinions, old and
new have nevertheless remained steadfast without oos
macy and intelligent without bgoy in the advocacy ana
maintenance Of their deliberately adopted views pre-
sumption at least created in favor Of some criterion
and test by which this choice and discrimination have
been controlled. When We find man who binds up the
faggot of his opinions under deep and abiding sense Of
his accountability for his credences well as his works.
We ere compelled to believe there must be good and
bad in the former as we'll as in the latter. p.
The subject of the memoir before was, we think an
eminent illustration Of this latter class Careful and
conscientious in the search for TRUTH he brought the
dor of simple heart and the of practsed in
elect to the discovery those great principles in heo
logy and philosophy which composed the study OF his
life The late Dr.. Alexander exempifed in degree
rarely equaed the singular union Of camness in the for
nation Of opinions and of vvacty in their defence He
possessed moreover that gentle WISDOM the a sopiena
of the Roman poet which enabled him always to conc
late the respect and Of those whom his eoquence
failed to convince The frmness with which he adhered
to his matured conceptions of truth Of duty was at
the farbes removed from any appearance Of vanity or
overweenng reliance arising either from pride of in
tellect in himself from dsdain for the judgments Of
others. The same caution which rendered him jealous
of his opinions inspired him with patient consider
alton for the opinions of others with whom he was COM
PEELED to differ In this respect he possessed that mode
ration of character which, in tie idea of Schiller renders
its subject pleasing example Of what is most charming
in biography As the German poet remarks 1t is cha
racters of this kind, who have exhibited the beautiful
and peaceful flow of uniform lfe which always the
ATTEST theme for the bographer Great historical per-
rarely form happy subjects for writer's in this
difficult ak of literature. Memoirs to serve the cause
of history of which French letters prouse,
to lack that home-ke and indefnabe charm which
gives to biography its peculiar interest and most
comedy grace
OF the work before it perhaps praise enough
to say that it is worthy gifts subject and its author Dr.
Alexander, in dischargng the task committed to him
by his father has given proof Of decacy equal to his
admitted ability Without unduy lifting the veil of do
esc privacy, he has introduced US into the home and
study of one no less remarkable for his genaty
than for his profundty as divine This Life, we are
Informed by its author has been prepared under all
the disadvantages Of conviction long since formed that
in many respects is not the proper biographer Of
father" since he is in danger of either writing panegy
nc or Of falling below the truth in attempting to avoid it.
If Dr. Alexander has been fortunate as to strike
the jase aaeu between these two pers one, are
sure will suspect him Of having erred the side Of the
former and if from instructive delcacy, he has abb
stained not only from any thing like elaborate euogy,
but from much that might have been legtimatey said,
is sufficient apology for any such retcence to allege
tina, in SO doing the bgrapher has but conormed to the
expressed injunction his venerable father and besides
what need Of panegyric in memory of whose prais
IL in all the churches" without distinction Of sectaraI