Nashville patriot. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1858-1860, 1858-03-26


HENRY CLAY, DANIEL WEBSTER and FISHER
AMEs But it is an old saying, "the proof of
the pudding is in the eating" and so we have
found that the proof of this book is in the
reading. The author is no partizan. but
writes in the true cosmopolitan spirit, selects
his examples where they suit his taste, re
gardless of party, and treats them with the
liberality becoming true "citizen of the
world" So deep is his veneration, so pro-
found his appreciation. so keenly alive his
every sense 10 the fascination of orators in the
abstract, that he seems to leave the opinions
of the orator himself, the causes he advocates,
or the systems which he condemns, almost
entirely out of the question. Something of
description, some little of personal incident
and "reminiscences he gives us, it is true, but
they are only such as have bearing on the
orator, and tend to efucidate the character Of
the man as public speaker. The book is one
which once read, we do not file away with old
novels which have chad their day, mot at
ALIVE let it lie on the library table to be
taken up at any time, to be referred to fire.
uucHlly anu ulWdNS W Dt cHltl
and instructive. From the force and fire of
many of his periods. we judge the author to
be an orator himself; and surely one who can
so well judge and anylize the oratory of 9th
ers, ought himself to be gifted with the "Pro-
methean fire." We make few extracts, at
random, merely for the purpose of illustrat-
ing the authors style. lie is now speaking
of CLAY:
There. in his old days he used to sit in the
Senate through the long hours, and weary
stages of discussion; quiet, eager, watching,
his eagle eve, and ready ear intent upon the
scene, like Bonaparte surveying his battle ;
and as the fight wavered with the heady cur
rents of passion. he would see where ii was
necessary for THE Old Guard to charge.
Then Henry Clay would rise; in his own sim
gle person he seemed to cmbody "The Old
Guard" of his party calmly and proudly he
would look round upon the Senator'S as the
smile of triumph glanced across the faces of
his friends. Then. reviewing the Immediate
debate he would launch forth. on the instant,
a shower of telling thoughts upon the press
ing points of controversy and then how he
would charge home upon the mean ambitions
of dcmagogues, and rally the higher thoughts
and let loose the imprisoned emotions of
men. But after all
his quick. glowing, tropical temperament, his
lofty form and swaying arms, his gltterlng
eve. and flurrying hair, and his gallant bear
ing, taken all together, were not more eff
cient arm of oratOric battle, than one other
grand element of his power, which in its eff
fectiveness equallcd all the rest of his physical
and that was his wonderful
voice. No orators voice superior to his in
quality, in compass, and in management, has
ever, we venture to say, been raised upon this
continent. IttOuched every note in the whole
gamut of human susceptibilitics it was
sweet, and soft, and lulling as amother's to her
babe 1t could be made to float into the
of the ear, as gently as descending
snOwhakes on the sea and again, il shook
the Senate, stormy, Misunderstanding, filling the
air with its absolute thunders. Musical, yet
mighty, that marvellous organ ranged over all
levels, from the diapason organ-tOne to the alto
shrek from the fine dclcacics of pathetic in
fections, to the drum-beat rolls of denuncia-
tory intonations."
Our authors analysis of WEBSTER Is oratory,
and mode of grasping a subject is admirable
" He bent his mind upon confused con-
glomeration of ideas, and it resolved itself
and became palpable {; as the nebulous cloud
under the glass of the Tuscan artist breaks into
stars, each sparkling distinctly in the telcsco-
pie eye. -. His oratory, therefore, is always
strong and clear. Doubtful subjects, which |
lad become loaded and embarrassed by pOliti- |
al chicanery, or by the dust of time, he |
seized with a giant grasp. cleared them from |
and held them up to the nearer, |
rs simple as an elementary proposition.
Knowing therefore, exactly what he wanted |
% say, he illuminated the gloom of |
confused and overshadowcd theme with
he blaze of a Drummond light.
{ was by no intuitive faculty that
le conquered his theme, catching at the
light conclusions with Clay's eagle-eyed
but he conquered ii by sheer
power of intellectual vision and disentanglc-
ncnt He viewed everything he studied from
| central station never, under accidental |
angles. He commanded its entire circumfer-
'nce. as a general surveys from IA tower the |
whole plan ofhis battle. -" In truth, to appre-
late Wrbster's mind, requires some self discip-
inc and much mental experience As the
ummit peak Of a chain often cannot be seen
,ut by climbing the lower spurs, and hills, so
me must climb himself, 10 see the dimensions
md the grandeur of this elevated INTEL, uali-
Y. The admirable arrangement, the precision
II thought, and the absolute truth, to which
lis thinking conducted him in his speeches,
we're all decisive indications of his supremacy
If intellect"
lfWEBsTER and his mental process have ever
'ecn more clearly defned,-(at least our idea of
hem.) we lave never been so fortunate rs TO
meet with the words. We advise every
are we not all only students?) |
o study this work. They will not only be
'leased but benefited by making it sort of
eXt-book.
DRAMAS AND Pons. BY Sir Edward Bulwer Lytton.
Boston. whitmore, Niles and Hall For sale by W.
I. BEsRNS Co
This is n neat, small, and exceedingly well
printed volume. containing
The Lady of Lyons; or, Love and Pride;
Richelieu; or, The Conspiracy;
Two Of D'r.-~un's 6"ast draunaticaI rrodnc-
ions, and the following poems
Eva.
The Fairy Bride.
The Beacon.
The Lay of the Mnstrcrs Heart.
Napoleon at lsola Bella
Mazarin.
Apdre Chcnier.
The First Viole,s.
Love and Death.
Ganymcde.
Nemnon.
To awithered Tree In JuHe.
A Lamrnt.
The Sabbath.
Abscut, yet Present
The Last Crusader.
The Soul of Books.
The Beautiful desecdds not.
The Long Life aud the Full Life.
No book of its siEe, with'which we are ac-
TAINTED. contains more delightful reading
han this. Both of the dramas abou:A- in