Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1854-05-12
Charles James Fox.

The following account, which we take from House
hold Words of the celebrated Fox is pretty exact
deneation of that distinguished man, who acted n
most conspicuous part in English and European poll
ties sixty seventy years ago. According to Lord
BrOugh ham, who has written account OF his public
life, he must have been one of the most powerful de-
baters that ever sat in deberative body. With all
his personal faults and failings-and they not
few-no leader OF political party was ever so idol
lied by his political friends, among whom were men
of the highest merit of all kinds and which proves
that their admiration and attachment not blind
y and capriciousy bestowed. Mr. Fox is not re-
gardcd by Household Words as in any respect pro-
found, or beyond the next generation. This may be,
but he was not in any respect shallow either, nor in
point OF political sagacly, and presclence behind any
OF his political contemporaries, and was far beyond
many who ranked high for knowledge and ability
He was good classical scholar and master of the
English language His history of James II. was un-
dervalued, because something extraordinary was ex-
peced of the distinguished statesman; and his pecu
liar notions about historical writing caused him to
use sty lie much less impressive than that of his
atory.
"Stephen, second Lord Holland, though by no
means destitute of natural abilities or vivacity, ap-
pears to have had in his composition too great pre-
dominance of the animal nature over the spiritual
Hence apoplectic tendency, which took him off at
the age of nine twenty.
''But Stephen had brother, afterwards the cele-
brated James Fox, the imam of the people, who,
however he may have indulged himself in the same
way, had life enough 10 keep him wide awake, (and
others too) for nearly twice the time. Indeed, he
may be said 10 have had too much life more animal
vitality in him. and robustness of body to bear it
out, than he well knew what 10 do with. And his
father IS said to have encouraged by never thwart
ing his will in anything Thus the boy expressing a
will one day to 'smash watch the father, after
ascertalnng that the little gentleman positively did
feel such desire, and was not disposed to give it up
SAID, Well, If you must, suppose you must' and
the watch was smashed. Another time, having been
promised that he should portion of wall pull
ed down, and the demolition having taken place
while he was absent, and new portion supplied,
the latter itself pulled down in order that the IA
theirs promise mi ght be kept and the boy not dsap
pointed. The keeping of the promise was excellent;
and the wall well sacrificed but not so the watch
and much less the guneas with which the father is
absolutely to have tempted him to the gaming table,
out of foolish desire to see the boy employed like
himself! Habits ensued which became alarming to
the old gamester himself, and which mpeded the rise,
injured the reputation and finally nulfed that su-
premacy on the part ofthe son, which was borne
away from him by the inferior, but more decorus
ture of William Pitt.
Fox was great lesson to what is good and what
is bad in fathery indulgence. All that good in
him it made all that was bad it made worse. And
it would have made it worse still, had not the good
luckily preponderated and thus made the best at last
even of the bad. Charles was to have his way as
child SO he smashed watches He to have his
way youth, SO he gambled and was dissolute.--
He was to have his way man, he must be in
parliament and get power. and vote as his father
did, the Tory side, because his father had INDUCED
him, and he must indulge his father. But his father
died, and then the love of sincerity which had been
taught him as bravery and pTedomnanCe,
encouraged to break forth by the calling of his po-
htlcal trammes; and though he could not refuse his
passions their Indulgence. till friends rescued him
from insolvency, and thus pigued his gratitude into
amendment that very circumstance tended to show
that he added strength and largeness of heart to his
fathers softneSs; for the Spot child and reckless
gamester finally settled down representative of
a nobler age that was coming, and was the charm in
private of all who admired simplicity of manners and
the perfection of good sense. Apart from this love
of truth, we do not take him in respect to have
been profound, or to have seen beyond the next gen
GRAFTON. What was greatest in Charles Fox was his
freedom from nonsense, pettiness and pretensiOn-
He could by means admit that greater was small
er, or the rights of the American and French nations
inferior to those of their princes. He envied
his good qualities felt under necessity of consid
ing his dignity with young old thoug ght human
itY at large superior to any particular forms Of it
and becoming lis representative in circles which
would have conceded such privilege 10 none but
man of birth, enabled them 10 feel how charming it
The spoiIt child prevailed so long in the life Of
Fox, and TO all appearance irTemediahly that &C
counts of him at different periods seem hardly re-
cordlng the same
'Io give instances, in as few wods possible
We have Seen the smashing of watch.
"When youth, he was great admirer of peer
ages and ribbons and his return from his visit to
the continent he appeared in red heeed shoes, and
feather in his hat-the greatest fopperes ofthe day
"His father paid a hundred and forty thousand
pounds for his gaming debts
"He took 10 the other extreme in Dress and be-
came slovenly as he had been foppish.
"On coming into office he showed that he could be
industrious he had been idle.
Whenever he was in Office he never touched
card and when his political friends, out of sense
of what due to his public services. finally paid
his debts, and made him easy for life he left off play
entirely
"t4e dressed decenhy and simply and settled down
for the remainder Of his life into the domestic hus-
band, the reader of books and the lover of country
retirement from which he cou not bear to be absent
for day.
''In Holland House. Fox passed his boyhood and
part OF his youth. He Is not much associated with
it otherwise except name He and friend one
day. without penny in their pockets, walked ihither
from Oxford, distance of fty-six miles, for the pur-
pose we suppose, Of getting supply. They resolved
to do it without stopping on the road; but the day
was hot; alehouse became irresistible and on
arriving at their journeys end, Charles thus addressed
his father, who was drinking his coffee you must
send half guinea: guinea, without loss of time,
to the aIehouse keeper at NetIebed, to redeem the
gold watch you gave me some years ago, and which
have left in pawn there for pot Of porter
"A little before he died, at ffty-egh years of age
of dropsy, he drove several times with his wife 10
Holland House, and looked about the grounds with a
melancholy tenderness."- WasAi mgton Globe
SLEEPING ON SUNDAY.-A minister of the kirk p
in good old Scotland, once discovered his wife fallen
asleep in the midst of his homy on the Sabbath So
pausng nithe steady, and possibly monolonous, flow
OF his oEatory, he broke forth with this personal
address, sharp and clear. but very deliberate: