The Carolina Spartan. [volume] (Spartanburg, S.C.) 1852-1896, 1856-04-10


an age in almos. every respect the most
distinguished, a rapid survey was taken by
the speaker of what may be called the age
OF Washington, commencing with the eigh.
teenth century. The entrance of Russia
into The European system; the foundation
OF the British Empire ia the East; the
commencement Of the great Australian
system; the colonization and civilization of
Africa; the downfall of feudalism; the es.
tablislment Of the liberty of speech and
the press; the development OF journalism;
the growth Of manufactures; the appica-
tons of the steam.engine; the progress of
science and Of the moral enterprise Of the
age were alluded to in this connexion. Of
all the great names connected with these
events, although many sh0no with bright,
ness, each in its peculiar sphere Washing
ington. by general admission, on the whole,
outshone them all. This position was fur
ther illustrated by comparison Of Wash
ington individually with the three persons
who in this period haze received the desig.
nation OF great" viz: Peter the Great Of
Russia, Frederick The Second of Prussia,
and Napoleoa. The speaker observed, how.
ever, that. ,loagh Washington was great in
an age Of great men, his greatness WAS not
borrowed nor reteced. but original. In com
mon with his distinguished associates, he lie.
rived but little aid in the formation Of his
character aud tho grandeur ofhs course from
the preceding century. In this respect his po
sition was widely different from that Of the
men of this age, who are so amply furnish
ed with ex mplcs and illustrations of every
kind from the revolutionary and constitu-
tional period. There was no Washington
IN the seventeenth century on the model of
whom the Washington of the eighteenth
could form himself. There was none in
America, there was none in Europe; there
was none in the modern world, there was
none i'll the ancient. cast my eye (said
DIR. Evoret} along the f,r;stretching gal.
leries of history; ! behold with admiration
the statues of the great and good with
which they are adorned Iampicn, Al
fred, Cato, EpamiR"nias-bu see no
other ashington"
MIR Everett then passed TO :he inquiry in
what the true greatness of Washington
consists, and Admitted that lie found it diff.
| hcuit To furnish an answer 10 the question
which fully satisfied his own concep;ions
Alter ak the usual points of great charac-
ter were enumerated there wa, still some.
tang III Washington ,hat escaped analysis,
As there WAS an indescIibabe charm in his
portraits by Stuart, imparting an in,eres,
10 them, t'ut which it was not easy TO refer
to lis precise source. There could. howcv-
or, be no doubt that the essence and
strength of Wasliington's character lay in
two things: first, in his possession, in u
due proportion, each i'll the golden mean,
of all The powers and qualities required for
the useful and honorable discharge of the
duties of life; second in the pure morality
w!,c! lay at .l.e foundation. In reference
| 70 the first point the speaker maintained
| that the absence of dazzling traits which
strike the imagination, so far from needing
an apology, was IN reality one of tl.e chief
eNcciiencies of the character of Washington
| They are IN reality defects, and would i'm
pair the beauty of a well balanced charac-
ter. Such character also includes the So
Der AID not very popular qualities-such
as Fradence, Justice, common sense, which,
although by far the most useful qualities
IN public man, neither win applause nor
strike the imagination. They place their
poSsessor, however, in harmony with the
great powers which govern the universe,
material and moral; which, the higher we
rise in the scale of being. are the more
characterized by quiet equilibrium aud ST.
lent energy.
But the pure morality of Washington's
character was the most important feature,
aud Mr.. Everett declared it to be his deci
ded conviction 'that it was an important
part of the design of Providence in raising
! up Washington TO lie the leader of the
Revolutionary struggle, aud afterwards the
first President of the United States, TO set
before the people uf America, in the morn.
! ing of their national existence, "A living ex-
ample to prove that armies may be best
conducted, just wars most successfully
fought, and governments most ably and
honorably administered by men of sound
moral principle; to teach to gifted and AS.
! pirng individuals, and the parties they
lead, that, though hundred crooked
/ paths may conduct TO Temporary success,
the one plain and straight path of public
and private virtue can alone lead TO pure
and lasting fame and the blessings of pros
perity.
The speaker then glanced at the course
! Of Washington III moral point Of view,
beginning with his nature as "a good boy"
by mother worthy to be named with the
noblest matrons of Rome and Israel" on
through the various stages of his career,
and asked whether the judgment Of man
kind was SO depraved that they would
withhold their admiration from such man
and bcstow it on men like Alexander, Cn-
sar, and Marlborough, whose characters and
conduct were briefly passed in review. In
this connexion Mr.. Everett described BIen-
helm Castle, the splendid palace erected to
perpeluatc the fame of Marlborough, com
| pared with Mount Vernon, the modest
home Of Washington, and contrasted the
! opposite feelings which they awaken in
the mind Of the observer. He raised the
! question Mhntl.nz LI. : ----.-.-. 4