Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1854-09-30
BRIEF NOTES ON AN GRAFTON.


I" An address delioercd before the Literary S5cie-
fss Of the Vrgiaia Mhry Iastts al Lexington, me
An Of July, 1854 By B. J. HARBOUR, Of Orangs cosay,
Vycinia Published BIZ request Of The Soeisties. Rich
mond !: MAcFARIASE FERGUSON, 1854" 8vo. PIP. 80.
II has not often occurred to us to give formal notice
Of Fourth OF July oratons and addresses should
have done SO now If had discovered upon casually
looking through this pamphlet that 1t does not touch
upon any of the hreadbare topics Of great national
anniversary. 1t isthe advice of welleducated, intel
gent and ardent lover Of his native State to his
brethren of the devote their talents and energies
to her service and thus raise her to the
rank among her sisters the Republic which she ought
to hold and from which the orator seemed to think
she had greatly fallen. The Address" is in truth
admirable essay the duties and obligations Of citizen
ship which may be read with profit by the Of other
States as well those Of the Old Dominion. In the
following passage there is wcll-mered rebuke Of that
spirit Of propdgands which distinguishes our age and
country and which too often leads to total apathy as
to the prosperity the land live in, while the most
absurd mpractcabe schemes for forcing upon other
peoples the pecuiarities Of political system
absorb every feeling After recommending to his hear
the advice Of Dundas to Pitt when the latter, walk
ing rather unsteady after dinner descanting the
balance of power interrupted by his friend with
Hang Europes balance, mind your own," the orator
thus speaks:
1T to me, my friends, that busy ourselves
too much with these things already; that there is
stronger wish to set the world rights than keep
houses in order. would wish Of course dis
courage enlightened acquaintance with current his
tory seek II check investigation in all proper and le-
climate directions but think that ali sober minded
people will with me in saying that there too great
tendency in the present age to responsiveness t the
pense OF profundity that nsel and veneerinE too
readily accepted in the place of solid mahogany and pure
gold that the broad views hear much only
age shallow thinking that quidnuncs increasing
rapidly than intelligent citizens and that the electric
telegraph that mad gossip, Falsta would have called
it, is too true type of age that greatly fear would
rather have the latest piece Of SANDER flashed along the
wires than be assured of the recovery of the lost de-
cade Of Livy and boasts knowledge of the seat of
in Europe that does not possess OF the map Of its
country
We heartily join Mr. BARBOUR in the following tribute
to Of Virgiss, now own respected fellow
citizen:
eve have signal proof Of what man may accom-
plish for himself in our distinguished feow-ctizen
MATTHEW +. MAUnY. We proudly claim him as Virgil
MAN by birth, but freely renquish him to the world Of
science for its adoption. We see in him whom
kings have sought decorate and nations have learned
to honor who desires knowledge less for his
fame than for the good of mankind His wind and cur
rent chart second only in value to the compass, has
taught the mariner in every the habits of the shifting
winds and customs of the mountain pillows, and has given
him that is uttered with gratitude every pass
ing breeze ana borne IN thunder on every passing gale
that sweeps the stormy Deep"
He speaks in confident and glowing terms of the capa
bites of Virginia. the rich gifts with which bounteous
Nature has endowed her. but laments the sys
tenn Of policy by whcht has been thus far
fully sought to bring them into profitable exercise
We cannot resist the temptation of adding another
quotation from this excellent address, only because
Of the good advice it contains but for the real equence
in which it is conceived:
There is book that would place in the centre Of
your thoughts would place the jewel in the crown
and the keystone in the arch"
And then after brief and merited censure of Bnlwer
for giving the preference to classic sudies he continues
" 1t would have been noble atonement for the fasci-
mating evils of Falkland and Devereux if Eulwer had
made his pilgrimage to Edinburgh to incucate with all
his force and beauty that there of grandeur
of Eschyus; that the nothingncss of human wisdom
better taught by the psamist than by the dpus of
Sophocles that the simple story Of Ruth shines with
lovelier light than NIL the merctcious splendors Of AS
pasia's and that the words under which Felix
trcmbled and Agrippa wavered appeal eoquenty
the heart of than all the persuasion of Cicero the
thunder of Demoshenes In comparing these teratures
believe, with distinguished English writer that
if Greek literature lost it would be remembered
the Bible Introducing itself to the secret places of the
heart and Hourishipg there the germs Of those awful
spritualities which connect with the world
perish The Creek classics belong to the Ii
brary of the Scholar but the Bible is the literature Of
humanity,
"sAnd for this single cause,
That we have, all OF US, one human heart