Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1853-1862, 1858-11-28

UOH! MosT LANE AND lMPOTENT CONCLUSION -
The New Orleans Della of a recent date says;
1.-THE share Of John MCDonoghs property which,
in the partition of the estate has fallen 70 New Or
leans is to be sold at public auction. 1t IS already
in the hands of the auctioneer, and will IN Few
weeks be knocked down to the highest bidder With
this sale will tcpple to the ground all the grand
schemes of philanthropy and charity which for forty
wears absorbed the energies, the ambition, the
thoughts and all that was human of that extraor
binary man His legatees, under the sanction OF
the courts, have wisely thwarted q scheme, III the
conception of which 1t is diineult TO determine
whether selfish ambition or real charity predomin-
stad If the latter were the true motive, II was GER
rainlv in conflict with his course Of life during the
forty dreary years he devoted to the acquisition Of
property 10 The serious damage Of his city Nor 90
The arraug ements, the conditions win Whlch ne
encumbered his requests, the egOtism Of his extra
ordinary testament his bold attempts TO crcumvent
the law and The spirit Of institutions, by creating
an estate which in the course Of time would nave
absorbed the whole property Of the State and suosl
tued the rule of the Administrators OF the MeDouogh
fund for that Of the regularly chosen agents OF he
people any more than his walk and conversation
among men serve to rescue his reputation from tue
suspicion of intense egotism and hypocrisy IheIe
are those who may censure the expression oil TINS
view of McDouoghs character, aud regard II as un-
grateful in the egatees Of his estate. We DO MOI ap
precaIe the argument or sympaihize IN the teehug
bad an example so dangerous precedent as the lite
and character Of John MCDOn0gh present. Ihere
could not have been q more sterile and Improbable
career than his
Perhaps the uncertainty of human calculations
was never more strikingy illustrated than IN the
case of John McDonogh He was emphatieally a
oueideaed man, aud his whole life was devoted to
the pursuit Of that idea, While others by great and
noble deeds have sought to enroll themselves with
ssthe few, the immortal few whose names the world
win not willingly let die he seems to have been
possessed with the idea that he could 50 link his
name with gigantic scheme Of sO-called benevoencs
that would force at least a portion Of mankind
through all time to remember and bless his name.
In the pursuit Of this strange halluenaton, he held
rs little communication with his fellow-men the
nature Of his business would admit. He was mac
cessble TO the demands of charity good fellowship,
and Of all kindly gentle feelings as the Delta truly
remarks He withdrew from the cares and duties Of
good citizenship aud, wrapped up all his thoughts
feelings and energies in one Pursuit-that OF all
others the least noble and geuerous-the acquisition
of property Of wealth; of wealth not for the good,
the happiness, the coutentment which it might pro
duce and di1se, but for the mean, selfish object Of
identifying his name with some presumpluous,
gigantic and eccentric scheme Of philanthropy, that
-aight cause people to wonder al and talk of the old
millionaire and his strange life aud habits his great
sacrifices and his vast resources of ingenuity and
industry in accumulating property. And how vain,
deoeitful and unsubstantiaI were all these hopes,
this ambition-this dream Of a whole life, His
dseply matured plan OF philanthropy has been set
aside and disregardsd. The idea, in the develop
rpspt OF which he expended large sums and q waciC
life calling TO his aid the most eminent legal talent
in The world, has been pronounced by oomFeten
authorities, impracGoable and visionary. The prop
ertv which he intended 20 withdraw from trade an-
preserve forever in his own name, cas- part auC
parcel Of his general estate" the product OF v6cl
Ess to be rei1yested in other property to be added
20 the said esate-no portion Of which was ever Z
be sod-tbe property which he irreverentiy declared
10 be not his own, but God Almighty s. whose agen
he was without the authority TO sell, IS now to o'
disposed Of at auction, and the proceeds applied e
more practical uses than be ever intended