The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1856-08-11
TEE DEAD OF TIE CABINET.
A Lecture delivered at Petersburg, Va, by
NN-ksrssademt John rYIer.


perform a melancholy, but 40 the same time ar
agreeable task n is & wander among the t0mbs
AID tnremove The moss, If any, which thirteen years
L7yp thrown over inscriptions which h1uld be
vii be brieI. Eulogies have already been
spoken. Ny oiisring viii Ibc one, however humble,
al high admiration and undying friendship. Stand
M reside their graves l recall them such as they
we're in Life; 1 STE them as formerly at the Cabinet
board undisturbed by the rawlings of faction or the
poar Of The political tempest intent only on the puoc
good, and earnest to record their names on the
page 81 history az public benetactors. Spdrgere
RoTes spoI gcre 6reces fOsas--and 10 whom can this
Office he more appropriately assigned than to my
self We were comrades-sat at the same table
troke bread and ale salt together-bared our bosoms
10 the same storms, and when the angry clouds SO
far parteJ az to admit ray Of sunshine, we basked
IN il together. conhded ia them while living re-
we're their memories now they are dead Let no man
tear that | shall lily Scqut myself OF my
task as 10 introduce into my address any
thing that can excite party feeling SHAH 40 no
such injustice 10 the memory Of those OF whom
/ des "a to speak-what they were politically IS for
Others TO meption-l design no more than 70 draw
their daguerreotypes- the historian will de-
yoIye the duty oil drawing their iull length por-
traits I shall speak Of them in the order in which
they babe aeu to he weird and closed their career
OF nsefu ness-and the name Of Hugh Swinton Lee
care is the first on the catalogue OF The dead.
] remember the 1 6 time ever saw him. IL vas
IL the infancy OF steam power, and Slight frost
su1fired 10 prevent the running of the steamer
that piled between Washington and Potomac creek.
The sage coach was o. the lime the only means
az conveyance over the almost impossible roads be-
tween Washington and fredericksburg. l VAS re-
turnipc 20 my hcne in Virginia, II the winter of
lsl9-2U durlng a brief respite from service as
n.mber OF the House OF Representatives.. Chance
ealel me by the side 81 young man whom 90 N
leaned haG but a ieT days before returned 70 the
United Is e from his European travels We were
strangers 70 each other; but who walks for lntroluc
lion N q stage coa;by It's chief recommendation
eopss.s IN the absence OF all form and ceremony
Each passenger feels mseii bound ID some sort 70
cont iture 10 relieve the fatigue OF the jour
neg. The conversation thus becomes general,
and le.ore tie journey IS ended good icl-
iowship L established among the passengers.
80 vas i. upon the occasion ! have mentioned
The slow progress of the coach gave full leisure for
converse ion, and the passengers were Indebted 70
ihe youthful stranger for much TO interest them lie
was fail Of his trives. France Italy, England and
Scotland were spoken OF WITH graphic powers The
sun OF he great Napoleon had set, and the glory
which had flashed from minaret and tower had
sunk into che twilight or the ancient regime. The
enthusiasm Of the young traveller found rs only ex-
ritement in The marvels OF the times OF the Consu-
late and empire. We visited, with him our cice-
rome those battleieids where crowns were the
stakes, and wherein kingdoms were lost and won
xuriated il the beauty and fragrance Of The impe-
rial gardens-yisi,ed the great works which, II all
else was wanting. would serve as enduring monu-
menrs 20 the memory of the En- peroror-conyersed
with the great MarshGs and shed tears at the bloody
death OF TIE brsyest OF the brave" death which
has lef upon the garments OF those who ordered it
q stain 20 deep that ell the waters in the world can
nos wash il ont bat the blood then shed shall, in
the language OF Lady Macbeth, rather the multi
tudinous seas iDcarnadine, making the green one
red We crossed the Simplon and descended invo
Italy, Rome, in the time of Augustus rose up be-
fore us in all its majestic proportions, Its seven hills
clothed with the glories Of the old republic; and
then stumbling over the ruins OF the mighty past
We entered with profound awe and reverence the
HOLY ediice OF st. Peter-the creation Of the genius
ofMichael Angelo. Thus was represented the i'm
perisl city at one time glorying in her conquests
and almost universal power, and holding in her
lap the dowry OF nations az another, weeping,
like Ni9be over the children Of her earthly glory,
the offspring of her feverish ambition, beg often oil
poicv and won by the sword, and then again rising
IRON her ruins with the mitre her brow
and the cTozier in her hand, exercising a
power far greater than that ever exercised by
Der consols and emperors In the oLien time
Their passed before US Venice, rising from
the ocean "a sea Cybcle,h the gems which
glittered on her brow and the silks which adorned
her person, brought from the far distan; lands OF
The Ornnt-her annual espousa! q the AJraiiea ),
the songs Of THsso-the Riaito with its prison aad
its palace on each hand al up before at
The touch of the young Legare. We fought the
battle Of Hastings over gln-saw the Saxon banner
60 down before the N0rman--witncssedt the signing Of
the great charter at Runnemede reoiced ia the &C
oession Of William OF Orange to the throne, and ia
the steady advances OF public freedom over privilege
and arbitrary power-and crossing the channel,
wandered over Engl lnds classic grounds. We tnen
entered Scotland. the home Of ms maternal an5es
tors. new enthusiasm was awakened-Slr Walter
Scott had peoped every hill and glen with the old
memories. The stout Sir Allen Swinton had played
lis part ia the battle u Hsldon hill.
there needed co, 10 bIazon fosth tn. Sw.atoa
lis ~ ent burg1nci. the sable b1lr,
Cha ned q The guarded cak, nor hi proud step
Nor act stature, nor ronderous ma,e
wL.Cn only he n Scotland realm c0nii We'd,
Hs discipline and wisdom mark he leader
As doth Iis name the champion.
No wonder hat in touching the old oil which had
becu so uroudly trodden by his stalwoth race, The
Young traveller should have been awakened % q
new enthusiasm. The mighty men Of the caymorc
and the spear, armed az they were 10 lie, rc-ippear
ed from the spirit land. The Wallace andthe Bruce
and the Campbell and the Douglas re-enactcd their
parts, and James Fitz James the Commons king"
held royal ,ouit at Strling-ani there too was Ellen
Douglas and the devoted Crane. Tue unioftunate
Mar. and the last vi her race vho aspred to the
throne, figured or The nv8s7 antsl oil top respond
ed 10 hi TOP In the national air o. the day
VIVA vii b. kiug but Caatlel
which continued 70 awaken the -lumbcring echoes
long after the fatal and bloody battle OF Cuoden.
We parted at Richmond and saw no
be bad risen 10 eminence. aud his nitive State Of
South Carolina bad bestowed upon him distinguished
marks OF her esteem and confidence. He had EN-.
bellished the pages a the pubic reviews by contr.
butions from biz pen, which the whole country had
read with admiration and delight, aad which gave
him rank among toe best writers or the age. ne
had attained celebrity Al the bar, aud had won Ian.
rcls a. debaier N the House Of Representatives.
Upon . vacancy Occurring. invited him 10 seat
in the Cabinet a. Attorney General I had reason
20 rejoice in the sce etion. Familiar with az que
tions o. constitutional and municipal law, he lad
also large knowledge Of international law. whic b.
found In him a. the Cabinet board, on maav inter
esfing occasions. an able eypOsndcr. HIS mind wa
deep well which was in no danger Of being *
hausiod ~ The c0pius drafts made upon u. The E
never was councillor more iathiul--2Striot more
SinscIe- statesman with broader or more be-
raj views, CT a man more unassuming yet
Of hrmcr ~ more decided character. Truth
was tic great magnet whose influence he obeved.
and whithers1cyer that gudel he followed. III Con.
gress placed mistaken Interpretation ca the force
and eject Of statute, 4 did Ia notable instance.
Legare, upon being called upou fog hts onnion had
no hesitation IN prououncing Congress IN error and
30 accordingly At an aftc' day i Wa decided 70 lie
~ the unanimous opinion p. the supreme Cou
n is not believed that single instance has Occurlc
wherein his gsst0fH opinion hls been oyerrre} Hy
tina; high tribunal " may he said without Scar 81
IL a..