The Hillsdale standard. [volume] (Hillsdale, Mich.) 1851-1909, 1857-07-21
PUBLISHED EVERY TUESDAY, BY H: B. RowLsoN,

to their quicker perceptions Of the direction
of the public drift they keep q little aheac
of the common crowd, and from this we in
fer that that they are leading it. Louis Ma
poleon, after his election to the Presidency
for six years, knew from his acquaintance
with the French character that they were EN-
inently disposed tc monarchy, and hence
his coup d etat of December, 1851, calling
to himself the imperial dignities. He wal
well aware that they would soon cast aside
their new .hedged and ill-sitting rcpublicanism
and return to their natural element. He
knew that they would soon elevate some one
to the crown, and he thought it best to snatch
the prize for himself while he yet had the
opportunity, for ten chances to one if il
were offered him should he wait. 1t is GER
tainly mistaken idea to suppose that any
half dozen or dozen men direct State,
mould society, or give direction TO it's tastes.
Those who seem to be rulers do not make the
age, but the age makes them.
We infer from this that TO best learn orr
own times, we have but to open our eyes and
study our public men, for it is truth, sure
and stcadiast as the hills, that her men do
not make America, but America makes her
men. BY an investigation of the character
of few of our Representative Men" we
shall best understand tho age in which we
live, for this certainly can be best known by
its works. They are the index which points
out that which is Mt work below, General
truths can always be best impressed upon our
minds by vivid representation of particular
characters and incidents. Would we learn
something Of what the age is doing2 We
surely would not grope away over prosy max
ins. of political, moral, and social reforms;
nor would we enter into widgoose chase af-
ter that wildgoose generality, the astound-
ing progress of the ngc. Since it is n duty
We owe ourselves TO understand the character
of tho people with whom our lot is cast. le: us
scrutinize few of our Representative men
those whose lives arc prc-emincntly the expo
nents Of American character, and that which
Horace Greeley calls our peculiar institutions
1'i.a American people are great reading
people. Charles Dickens says, no town in
the country is so poor lpt it is able to sup
poit its bookstore, or book stall, and no man
drives so driving a business as the news agent
Go where you will you fnd people, reading
No man pretcnds to travel without his
pockets crammed full of newspapers; you
meet then on the cars, on tho boat, on the
street, At schocll; at church, at home, any
where and every where Yet the question is
often discussed by men Who should know
without discussion, which has at ne present
time the greater influence upon the poplar
mind, speaking or writing. The most 81.
perficial view cannot but fail to decide in fl
vor Of the press. The country is actually
foodcd by the printer, while oratory is GER
aialy ,l making no ldyansssmen and in COM
In ancient days it was different. Then peo
pie could not read, and tho whole public
mind was swayed by thosc who knew how to
pour forth tones of eloquence, and enchain
The mind by words all-powcrful and al-prc-
vaiing. Now, however, the unlimited free
dom Of the press has in great measure de-
stroycd oratoiy. We certainly have no such
rloquence as TINT with which Percles and De-
moslhcnes reused the Athonians until the
W hole multitude shouted, To arms;' nor if |
Judge Alright, have we such as Pitt and Burke
hundred down into the ears Of the last cen
Iury. Our legislators, our politicians, on great
occasions even our lawyers, address themselves
less to tho audience than 10 the reporters
They think less of their few hearers than of
their many readers; they feel much less con-
,crn about their speech us it comes from their
mouth than they do about Its appearance in
The newspaper on the ncxt morning. The
reason is that people are exceeding fond Of
reading, and exceeding Indifferent to speaking,
nj least snch rs most abounds ut the present
day. A man may be able to stand up before
m audience and by his impassioncd appeals
sway their feelings and persuade them to his
sentiments. But with the last sound Of lis
voice his power dies away. His iuflrence is
gone. Not so, however, with tho popular
writer What is written can be though O.
yer, pondered upon, and diGestcd at leisure,
md its influence instead Of lesscning grows
stronger and stronger. There ia 10 class Of
men in the country who possess go powerful
and yet so silent an influence rs those who
drive the quill. Their might is felt whcrev-
Or those ponderous volumes labelled "Pub
Doc" and that is everywhere. These are
The Minos and the Rhademanthus before
whom all must pass in Judgment; these are
the ones who hold the balance into which ev-
cry public character must be thrown, and
there weighed, to see whether it be wanting
or not.
The public taste is easily discerned in this
case, and we have but to inquire whose writ
ings exert the most influence, and we i'm
mediately find our Representative Men,
rncn, too who have made their mark upon
their day and generation as deep, and as per
and rs enduring as any. l select
from many, two whom / conceive represent
the two phases Of our literature better than
any other individuals. Tho first is Edward
Everett.
The Americans arc divided into two dis
tinct classes; tho line between them can be
drawn with as much precision as the natural
list separates two orders Of the animal king
dom. There is no neutral ground between.
is absorbed upon the one side or
the other These are tho conservatives and
radicals, or as they are better known in COM
mon parlance the old fogies and Young
Americo. Mr.. Everett is the best specimen
of the former class extant: he is the most un-