Spirit of the times. [volume] (Ironton, Ohio) 1853-1858, 1854-05-30

superiority sfAIind net Necessary Z
eetain Enlnsnee. =
There are few persons much in ih'
habit Of sssocistins with those who 81
tho 6rst places in human adairs. VII,
have not. upon intimacy, found occa
sian 10 remark soms particular Ia whicl
they were hsnea,a the s,s,ion they hat
rausinsd. la poli,irs more especially
II hes sgain and again been noticed
that the smalles, degree OF inlellert viii
suffice for the competition Of a states
man. Scarcely once 10 On sgs has her
appeared. in this class. q man Of com
Preheusivr philosophy. and tho gres
geniuscs that accident has conducted
10 the helm OF nation. have been fa
from the most successful in their call.
ing. or the men who. in our times,
have made for themselves a place in
history, but for their connexion with
striking events, what astounding def
ciencics have been recordee! What ex
usvigant blunders have they not COM
mitted! What surprising weakness have
they not discovered; Burke, Pitt and
Sheridan, the polar star Of our youth
were no philosophers; and in SO for we'e
beneath the position they filled. More
recently Percival, Liverpool. and Gas.
tlereapb, have shown that very ordinary
faculties indeed, when aided by place
and perinacity, may produce most in.
fuential changes in the .lestnies Of na.
tions. Nelson when on shore appears
10 have been a pauure sire; and Murat
was nothing when of his horse, but .
fat and dandy.-Nay, even Napoleon
himself. who with his single name has
filled on entire age, and whose memory
will fail only with the extinction Of his.
tonc record, has been pronounced bu,
the half of great man.
The Emperor Of Austria, one Of the
weakest and most ignorant Of sover.
eigns, was enabled, BY his single nation.
al virtue, Of patient perseverance, to
out manGuvre, at tho game Of Machia.
velism, this COLOSSUS OF military and po.
lilical skin, and 10 over,urn his gigantic
empire. 10 the department Of money
making, nothing is more common than
for the weakest intellectcs to make the
most extraordinary strides; or for the
greatest merchants to be the most com.
pletcly incapable Of forming a concep.
ton oflhe principles by which commerce
is developed. Every day produces its
trading Cresus, model Of low vulgar
inefficiency;.nnd the city abounds in
men who have accumulated more than
one plumb. whose comprehension would
not suffice for making plumb. pudding.
The law, likewise bosts Of its illustri.
ous obscure; persons who, by their skill
ir noting brief, in cross.examining
witness, or applying precelen.s. had ar.
rived at the top Of fortune, and have
reached the highest judicial stations,
without more extent Of intellect than
might have served them 10 count the
fees. and to keep their fingers out Of the
fire. Excellence in the arts has at no
lime been deemed in necessary conncc.
ion with great powers Of mind. Claule
Lorraine, before he commen ccd painting.
mad proved himself unable to become a
lecent pastry cook and was consigned
IS an imLe ;ile 10 the church.
Great actors, with the exception of
isrrick have rarely shown ability be.
iond their arr, anil it is demonstrated
hat to win all hearts by embodying the
conception Of others on the stage, does
lot require the possession Of an enlarged
mind. Musicians, obliged TO devote
heir entire time 10 the attainment OF
ractical skill, ought not 10 be taxed
or the want Of other requirements, it is,
therefore, the less reproach 10 them, that
heir claim 10 the admiration Of their
pecics should so often be closely con.
ned to the sphere Of their professional
ctivity. That the most eminent physi.
ians have not always been the most
,tellecual or the most learned OF their
lass. and that many have arrived at
xtensive reputation on the the most
ender qualific alton, is the less 10 b.
onaersd ut because in this department
'c purchaser is no judge Of the com.
'odity he eman,ls; but it is equally true
lat considerable skill and much real
nowleIge in the medical art, do every
ow and then fall to the share ef indi.
duals whose Intellectual caliber is
ngularly circumscribed; while minds
T the highest order sometimes fail, simp.
; because their nature is too fine for
10 mere mechanical parts Of the pro.
ssion.
MuRDERoUs OUTRAGE UPON THE INDr.
ss.-Ms Council Bluffs Bugle of the