Washington sentinel., 1854-05-02
THE PUBLIC MEN OF THE UNITED
STATES.

AS young men look up to old men, so 90
young nations look up to old nations. This
veneration Of the young and inexperienced for
the old and experienced is both right and
proper; but it should have its limits. Our
people, robust, vigorous, manly, and independ-
ent, catching inspiration from the sublime phys
ical objects that distinguish the New World
the great rivers, the large mountains, the mighty
cataracts--and rendered brave, hardy, and ad-
yenturous by their constant wars and conflicts
with the savage tribes around them, very soon
became independent, confident and self-relying.
They threw off embarrassing restraints. They
would not suffer themselves and their energies
to be crippled by an excessive veneration for
old notions, old institutions, and old habits
The Revolution gave rise to o class of men, who
in honor, courage, patriotism, and wisdom com.
pare with any men Of any age or any crisis
AS they were gathered to their fathers, happily
for our country their places were filled with
worthy successors. From the dawn of the re-
public to the present day, we have always had
amongst US men qualified to fill the highest
places, and to fill them with honor to themselves
and honor to their country.
We have always been so fortunate as to have
many fitted for the executive, fitted for the leg
isature, fitted for the Judiciary. But whilst
this is true we have not always been SO judi
cious as to place in official positions those best
qualified to fill them. We have in several in
stances conferred the Chief Magistracy on men
whose only recommendation was their obscu-
rity, and who had neither the wisdom, the virtue,
nor the character to discharge its duties and to
meet its vast responsibilities. They have been
taken up, been honored, and been spoiled, by
indiscreet kindness. Their un6tness, their in
competency, their imbecility have in every in
stance reacted most injuriously on the parties
by whom they have been elected. Good men,
wise men, capable men, great men, have been
passed over. In place Of giants, pigmies have
been chosen. In place of those who we're
known, we have taken men utterly obscure and
unknown. We only mean to say that this has
been done in several instances. We do not
believe that it will be done again, at least in
this generation; we devoutly hope that it may
not
The same thing will apply to other Offices Of
honor Many times we have been cursed with
stupid judges, ignorant foreign ministers, un-
pr;acipled heads of departments, and incompe-
tent representatives. These things happen in
every country. They are but part of that i'm
perfection and fallibility that belongs to every
people.
But we believe that the public men of Amer
lea will compare, as statesmen, orators, and
jurists, with the public men of any country
Indeed, we may 60 further. They surpass
them in several elements Brought up under
the influence Of popular institutions, the boy
politician soon becomes the representative the
representative natures into the statesman.
There is boldness, too, in the mind of the
American statesman, that challenges the re-
spect whilst it alarms the fears Of the old ma.
tons of the world. The public men Of the
United States do not cherish stup;d rever-
ence for the aristocratic and titled statesmen
Of older countries. They may not be able
to boast of as elaborate scholastic educatons
as the latter, but they have boldness, dar.
ing, strong good sense, knowledge Of the
masses of the people and Of their wants, con-
vineing logic, and q glowing eloquence that
can only be inspired by free institutions. As