Daily Nashville patriot. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1857-1858, 1857-05-13
Hon. e. Everetcs Grafton Last Night

Hon. Il. EVeretcs Grafton Last Night
The announcement that Hon Edward Everett
. would deliver his far famed oration on Washington
Smith Nixon's Hall last night, proved Z
trsor,insrv t'r'c'iou The Hall nesrlv filed
BIZ those who had secured seats" and with those
who took the chances Of accommodation Every
seat in the Hall and galleries was occupied.
81 .-s The crowd Was 20 immense that the atmosphere
RI was oppre sve and spesker and sudeuce each had
@ occasion to ymnat' ise with the other regarding
excessive heat The stage spprnpr stelv adorn-
ed by splendid pantrg of Washington and
luminous with the starry lustpr Of he flag coun-
try, two beautiful banners Aoatng-one each
side Of the Subject Of the Grafton art had given
- The oratnr Of the occasion was introduced BY the
President Of the Y. N VI. L Association. Mr..
Ever g. gentleman above the average diner
tions of men in these dsvs of phvsca degeneracy.
and mas upon the platform. a. might be expected
from his long experience md cnnsummste educa-
tiou perfect command of his limbs and moves with
the grace OF uaturslness His face is pleasantly
forid, his hair. beautiful in lie sivery sheen, his
voice, rich in it, music Of tones, and unfal-
terlne turits melody a He gesticulates
With ireedos. giving r,sber more play his
tcan might be inferred from the STYLE of his
his movement in climax being the elevation Of
his rig. hand, sccompanied nv SILVER
ing Of his fngers. He vas dressed from head to
foot IN proi,and end glossy black, the only glimpse
of white being a bis collar, bosom and wrist-hs
dress hcHoned neadV about waist,
tai " corpnent tending show that the
good things of a fat land thereabout not
wanting Wholesome appreciation. He spoke with
notes. and in the of bis two hou-s ora
% tiOn, never bad occasion to mosten his lips with
tt ta water and for hestatea for word.
The GRAFTON is, Of course mcmorized% Sucn
and in passages fantastic nnagni6csnce,
Eushed With spoutanietv from the lips Of any
tor. Il may be schcol7oyish, wanting in austere
dignity at least, r"cite discourse from memory
but such the habit of orators If Massachusetts,.
Bot, cert,rly, If there is dignity lost, that
viii his won in grace con p ns'tes for il.
Mr. Everett presced the Grafton the Charac
ter Of Washington by very happily conceived
and worded remarks pertinent to the occasion and
the place Even in his preface his periods were
rounded musicary, and had the far resembling gold
aan. ring that find always in the rhetoric of Ev-
st erett That which he had TO Of the greatness
Of our whole country, the amazing growth and in
trim &c prosperity of the West, and of this mracl,
OF tropois, Cincinnati exactly origi-
nal, but welcomed in the kindly spirit with
which complacent peopl' always hear themselves
Aattered even if the truth 90 slightly sggc rated
NEE 1t Is all urpl ssant TO hear praises
the lips of distinguished visitor We, of the
West, weakly enough, sp ca store by the bril-
liant compliments paid us nv the men of the East
whom often unjusly suspect of desperate de-
termination 10 consider Mr. Everett
remsrked, with excellent emphasis, that to form
adequate idea of the of this mighty Repub-
lie It's railroads belring the continent must
eled over; its rivers flowing through many degrees
of longitude, traversed on those truly named float
ing palaces; its scope and verge for MANY empires
personally inp ced. In 1929 he had visited this
place. and could hardly believe when his find
VIM Greene, of our city showed him this valley,
full of Cincinnati, that it then contained be
twenty and thirty thousand inhabitants
When assured that such the fact. he
pised, and 10 spite Of the evidence OF bis senses
incredulous. On that morning yesterday be had
~ looked down upon city from Mount Adams lin
a mentioning which he gave the observatory and tel
escope there located, assurances of his most dis
tinguisbed considcraton,l and beheld it in I'll s
busy and muitudnous grandeur, the population
times that which it twcny-seven years
From this point he reached his llustrious theme,
a. Ia Washington being, according to his day and the
co.. geography thereof Western Though
in Ohio, Washington had been tn the farthpst
posts of Western advancing civilization when
young man; and he Mr.. Everett addressing Gov
Chase had been informed that he tbe Govarnor)
had at Columbus documentary proof that the Father
Of his Country bad looked forward 10 the formation
OF ten States north of the Ohio the lands Of
which the impoverished armies Of the Revolution
find recompense for their tolls and suffer
ings in homes for Themselves aud posterty.
OF the grafton itself which thus emerged from
the remarks preliminary, naturally that the
- whole seemed one and insepetable it is difficult to
ft.. epAak it fitting terms. Mr. Everett Is known and
admired wherever the language of England and
America is spoken aud read and as deiverer Of
polished, learned, deliberately ornamented orations
the music and beauty of which charm the senses,
while il is evident upon analysis that they may be
classed, rather among those predictions conspicu
from external psndors than remarkable for
internal strength TheyRre Influential from adorn
ment, through originality. The Grafton OF
Washington will, presume, be held to be his
masterpiece the masterpieces OF a master artist,
with the riches of opulent language for his
colOrs IL abounds in passages exqui-t ly wrought.
Mr. Everetts pen, like steam engine, deals witt
ponderous and rude masses, fashioning them into
forms OF symmetry, or performs with strange nicely
work requiring the most delicate touch. He paint
ed the age of Washington, aud before the printing
FL held up the character Of Washington, contrasted
with the "grea" men, the Of genius, TO the
admiring loving gaze OF ais countrymen, pointing
out his greatness and goddess, the grand
ana pures, aud most precious Of legacies to
Americans and to mankind. But the oIa alton we
IRE requested report Indeed, the prohb
ton is unnecessary for il would be impossible to
report Il 10 its integrity, its occasional dazzling
briiiauce and constant perfection II finish. Un-
doubteoly IL will become an hOnOred gem in the
literature OF the country, which generation alter
generation will read with pleasure and pride, when
It's author and We, who have been so fortunate
to hear IT, glowing aud sparkling ron' his ips shall
have passed away.-Ciaei'Uaati ComnIereiA, Nay
9h.