The independent press. (Abbeville C.H., S.C.) 1853-1860, 1858-10-08
Jefferson aud Calhoun,
By 3. A. REYNOLDS,

These eminent statesmen, standing in lhc
clear, calm light of history, reveal traits o
character whlcl: arc strongly marked Mr.
Jefferson was a student all his life. Mr.
Calhoun is reputel to lave discarded books
at one period Of his life, as injurious to tic
reasoning faculties lie was great talker
pelng equally great in his conversation and
his speeches. Mr.jcterson was exceedingly
agreeable III conversation, lut WIS unequal
to the task of public speaking. Whcn the
committee from Congress waited on Kim,
and informed him of his election to Tie
Presidency, he attempted to reply, but G.il-
ing, lie dropped int" a scat and wrote his
answer. Mr. Call:cun's conversations were
something more than is gcucra!.y understood
by that word. "IIe comes from lectur:nr
in the Senate" s;il Miss Mar,ineau, ";o
lecture at the fires;le." They both ats.aincl
from contributing TO the newspapers, Mr.
Jefferson never having, as he saws, written
an article for the papers in I'LL his life ana!
MIR. Calhoun is believed to have reversed
the rule i'll single instance only, when,
over the signature of On>low, he engaged
in controversy with John Quincy Adams
as to the powers Of the Vice President. In
point OF morals, it may be said of them, as
Jefferson remarked to Lafayette Of Monroe
"l Oh may turn their souls wrong side on,
without their exhibiting t!c'n>h to the
world" In point Of style AS writers, thcv
were both distinguished for graceful cIe-
gance, glowing tervor and graphic power Of
graphing with the migE,t;cSt Arguments.
In power Of thought and anavsis, Mr.. Cal
houn was not Only superior TO Mr.. Jefferson,
out 70 all the writers Of his time, including
the authors o: the Fccc,alst. This opinion
will be sustained, we fancy, hy any one who
reads the criticism Of Calhoun on that work
III his essay on the Constitution of the United
States, particularly where he treats Of L;yiJ
ed sovereignty, Alexander Hamilton havinr
asserted that tie powers conferred on the
federal government by the constitution were
partly national ard partly federal, which
Mr. Calhoun denied thus proving that tie
trainers OF the constitution did not rc;,,ly
comprehend lis character IN all lis phases
aud aspects. The style Of Mr.. Jefferson is
to De found chiefly in his letters, and that
OF Mr. Calhoun in his speeches and occa
slonal reports TO Congress when Secretary
OF War, and to The Senate when member
OF that body, for his private letters have not
been published in the edition Of his works.
But If Mr.. C;,!houn's mind was more ana.
lytc than that Of Mir. Jefferson, vet the mind
OF Jefferson was far more copious than ,ha,
OF Calhoun, for lie was general scholar,
and thoroughly inllueJ with all the scien-
ulic at'ainments Of the age. His Letters
abound in ,iisquisiii9us on every variety of
subject, from poetry down to politics, and
even touches on the construction of clron.
ometers as we'll as Greek particles. Il is
really amusing, as wei! as interesting, TO
read his correspondence with John Adams
tile ono eighty and the other sevcntv-five
about the construction to be placed on
Greek sentences. the theme being pursued
by both with the Jealous ardor of two rival
school boys. That was the era of encyco-
pedias. The Frcnc', idco!ogists, whose
theory comprehendcd the circle Of the sci
cnces, had given an impetus to knowledge in
every portion Of the civilized world, and the
encyclopedias were to be found in every
library. Hence the aflucnce Of scientific
learning which we discover in the works OF
that day, and hence it i, that Mr.. Jefferson,
who was himself what is called an dcolop:st.
acquired SO much knowledge Of the sciences
as to be regarded even 10y learned men as q
wonder and a lnarvcl.--NoJIe .Nercuyy.