Clarksville chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1857-1865, 1857-11-13

Altogether he was one OF the most re
markable men Of this age His characte
is an unwritten aud unsolyed enigma
He is, indeed, man without character
and almost without fixed personal iden
tity. Now, he is the impulsiye child O
nature, with heart warm in its responses
to the slightest touch of kindly feeling
and the next hour the morose and gloomy
misanthrope-the dark and revengefu
man -hater. One moment his tongue is
melting in tenderness and affection for his
friends and for all humanity, and the
next instant it seems to burn and blister
with the darkest curses and the most ter
rible threatenings against all mankind.
To-day he appears as the religious bigot
and the philanthropic enthusiast, and to-
morrow we behold him as the reviler OF
religion, and the hater of his race. His
good qualities, however, predominant over
the bad. Unlike most men, his. virtues
seem inherent, while his vices are the re-
suit of the circumstances of his life, and
the temptations that have beset his path
way. To his credit it may be said, that
in spite of all the errors and misfortunes
that have blunted his affections, tortured
his heart, and blasted his intellect, he
still retains traces of the Unborn nobleness
of his nature, and the transcendent gran
deur of his genius But the brightest
phaze of his whole life is his career as
politician. In this alone he has been con-
sistent. No change or vascillation mars
this feature of his character. Without
undertaking to say whether he has been
right or wrong in his political principles,
we cannot fail to admire the faithfulness
with which he has adhered to, and the
eloquence and ardor with which he has
defended them. He has always belonged
to the strictly conservative school of poll
ticans, His speeches, and especially those
of hispalmy days, have always been re-
plete with the soundest political philoso-
ply. Though bcautifed with the graces
of oratory, and enlivened by the most
inimitable wit and humor, yet they Lave
all been founded upon the grand substra-
tum of sound logic, and profound reason
ing. His career as a political speaker
forms one of the brightest pages in the
history of Tennessee oratory. During the
last two Presidential contests he thrilled
and electrified all who heard him. His
tour through the State in the summer of
sc was brilliant almost to fabulous de-
gree. 1t was a continued ovation from its
beginning to its close. Wherever he was
expected to speak, myriads focked to hear
him, and thought it privilege to stand in
the burning sun or drenching rain for four
long hours, listening to his enrapturing
eloquence. All along his route he was
greeted with the most enthusiastic plaudits
of the people. Our readers will remember
well how brilliant was his reception in this
city. A long procession of military and
citizens escorted him through the streets,
and thousands Aocked around his carriage
eager to shake him by the hand or catch
a glimpse of his noble face and form 1t
was a spontaneous outpouring of homage
to exalted genius, and more hearty tribute
of admiration and love was never accorded
to any man. His speech on that day will
be forever embalmed in the memory of
those who heard it.
RGt his lofty genius is overthrow. The
mind that diyed into those profound depths
of philosophic reasoning, and that scared
to those sublime heights of poetic elo-
quence and beauty, is shrouded in the
gloom and darkness of hopeless insani-
ty. The tongue that drew tears like water
from strong mems eyes, and wrought up
to phrenzy whole multitudes at once; that
held enraptured thousands in breathless
suspense upon its lightest tone, and brought
an entire State bowing in homage at the
shrine of its eloquence, is now hushed in
silence, or can utter naught but the un-
meaning and incoherent sounds of the dis
ordered and unreasoning lunatic.
What a fearful commentary is this
strange history upon the danger of heed
ing the seductive voice of the tempter-
how impressive lesson to aspiring genius.
This noble vessel, that has gone down in
full sail amid the waves, may hereafter
serve to warn others away from the whirl-
pools in which it is wrecked
While Raphael was engaged in painting
his celebrated frescoes, he was visited by