Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1858-02-26

srparat, actor; in The Stite u. substituted unIH o!
them all, aud combined sufficient strength to accom-
p'h iIe purposes O thei: general welfare am tleF
common good. The constitution was placed IN MS
han.!s' dry parchment, skeleton FORM H5 Dreamed
III mat form the liza which gave K motion, ana or
:nlAed as'cal system, which Yas fitted TO the healthy
discharge OF all the functions that necessary TO
high and progressive civilization. Well might
lac leave II TO such deeds 10 speak for themselves
and To postsrty to assign him hs rank and his order
amongst the great names which are the consecrated
objects OF human love and admiration in the Pantheon
"i history. Far be itffon to pronounce tha' high
il iguent npon fh5 great nnInas Of the Past Indeed
i is difficult to End amongst the captains end soldiers
Cf the word with whom he Is 10 be cassed, auy who
afford parallel for hiui. So far as whs, tho world
calls genius is concerned, there were many superior
| 10 him; hut if men TO be measured by their
achievements, he may bear comparison with the
bs.t of them oil. He had none OF that high literary
culture which has ripened me tastss and improved
! the minds OF some Of the greatest soldiers OF the
world nor was he endowed with tbs LOFTY Imagination
which seens to DO one nt the characteristics OF that
order Of genius BE had Aristotle tor ms precep.
tor he slept with no Homer under biz pillow, and
cared, perhsp- for such companion oil bis dreams.
| His Imagination teamed with none OF those mishtY
conceptions which sometimes the guiding GEM
that lead greatness bat far TOO often tia illusions
which lead 20 destruction. He had neither The learn
ing, eIoquence, high intellectual training oil
| Cesar mad he anything OF the burning words
and tervid thought OF apoleon which often capt.
|
great Roman statesman, he loved to commune with
nature, and doube-s drew lessons o! wisdom and
virtue from hs lonely meditalons in the wilderness
but his mind could never have been 80 rspt IN he
spirit OF that communion. 10 become the sport ot
| its own illusions. His Imagination could never have
called up an Ezeria from those silent Businesses OF
shade aud solitude, nor imperSonated whs, he be.
leyed TO be the voice Of Nature into acTeature whose
love indeed was human but whose wis lom Was divine
Washington nature. doubtless, grew under ouch cir
| cums:snces Providence provided for II, but lie
growth not on tbs ideal side; 1t grew III is moral
and Intellectual faculties in its love OF virtue
and truth, ia forttude temperance aud w:sioD, eni
above all in that high faculty o. Judgment in which
ne was perhaps, unrvalied amongst men, and walsh
/ read clearly the psssink event with d vision ma;
could not be disturbed either by tho false light. ct
selfish desires or the colorin. OF pref lnise
~ in whi: others might seek TO c!uthe the su'J-c.-
H. stood in the m!!s Of g-ea. and strange events
| and il they we're within the range Of his vision, he
read them with jldgm-n; which was 700 c!rar 10 1e
dsc.ivei The d fAcltties OF his position, appalling
as they often We're, h. met with tUgttude which
never was shaken. When emergencies nroSe, hi.
! wisdom are!y &c have been III fault il devils
ing ths trIs node u' n-eEg them. Inrrgart 20 IN.
future course Of affair he csined Eone OF the pre-
science with which, upon som. occasions. hunan
nus n ta hghsst iorIns seems have been strangely
| gifted. 4 faculty which, after oil, ia rs;eIy giveI
an,. always in s.in;ed rnsasure, IN which the
great. S: human Diel'o3is have trusted but to fall.
Bus Washington iu'. ed for the l;gh:. which 10
guds hs ieef 10 higher source lnau 10 the sugX-s
fiona even of his own Intellect; liz SOUGHT them ~ t.l
msxins CT expersnGe AID the laws OF virtue Sartr
did he act upon the principle. the: til. end may justify
! the mean; never IN thu grea'es. military and civ
emergencies did b. yield 10 the temptation TO DO evil
that good might COM OF !;. He did not clNm TO d
rec; The future; II deal wisely with the of each
day WAS the great inject OF his life. LII his opinion
10 dea! wisely, to do what "a rish. TO day aud
ea We the event Of 10 morrow TO Him VINO rules the
issuss u human destiny. He believed that the laws
of virtue constitute the plan which Providence Itself
hss devised for hunsn Gcr,on, and that i; i.
pedent Tor msu 10 parsu- it. His great faitt was,
,bst tho mode uf attaining sucuers. .sserve
il, for il is Providence clone which Can l. low it.
| Here was the secret OF hs SUCCESS, il was
! TIL. faith which led him TO Of
conduct that gave him go much influence
over m-n, and which produced good results because
il deserved them In this rrsps hi, example glands
alunu and unspproached by those men ,:.o have
ben deemed the greatrs. in the Conduct Of human
affairs; f,7 which OF them has not al come TIM
thrown down the barriers OF law ami the restraints .,
VIRUS accomplish objects which they believed
| no: TO bu otherwise attained and by whDSs attain.
they have vniniy sought 10 justify their faults
| He never yielded 10 such temptations in any
| geacy, aud yet pau has achieved more. Fsi,!!
seems TO ba the necessa y accom- 2sim-nt Of high
genius perhaps there has been no great achievement
without it, The greatness OF Columbus, ii has br.n
said, 5ted not much IN the discovery of Ant
rcs in the faih,in hi- idea with which he pro.
secuted his voyage. But much depends upon what
that faith il founded, for when united great capa-
riias, it may lead 10 anost Unlimited good or ILL
Washington never could have trusted bIiudiy Ia his
fortune, did CR-ar when he invoked il To bear rim
safely through the winds aud waves. Nor could he
hty. stood like him rrrsUate OH the banks OF the
kubcon msda'ing upoa tho consequences OF THAI
one sho-. s:-p rt winch he halted un.!l his mind had
it, balance in tossing about the sea Of its own
uncertainties. Never could his soul have become so
much the victim Of ia crest desire rs - have
conjured up thst phantom. which ut one time woosa
\ his approaches from the other side OF the river with
the strain. hiA nria llut. aud at another seized
the trumpet from hs followers TO blow that uUearih-
~ blast which sourdsd in t!ie y! Cesar ga sum
mons OF Fate ard before which fell al the barrier OF
| las country's sws. Nor could he have placed BIZ
tairh ike Napoleon. in the star Of Ausrrii.z, Which
eliminating over that hsid of blood, began gradually
descend, unit: il Toe. the fatal day ~ Leip
! and of Waterloo when he o.T'ed its Influences
and invoked them in "an. Washing toms was higher
ta,a nober hope tor it rested on hi4 belief in the
strength Of good cause ana the will Of Providence.
- protect il. The rupidy OF national revolationi
ssid be- "appesrs M ls. astonishing than their nlsgEi
,ude. In what they viii terminate "a known only 10
me great Ruler OF events end, coniing III His
wisdom and goodness. We may safely trust tho iesue
Him without pcrplexng ourselves TO seek for that
which il beyond human ken only tahin; care 10 per
form The parts assigned 10 us In way that reason
aud our own con>c:nces spprove. In these words
rpoke tbs whole man, telling the entire moral Of the
story OF his life, moral that deserves 10 be studied
by al! who have been assigned important part in
Ilr con.uct of human aEsirs, or who seek 10 improve
:he characters BY Lessons drawn from he great
example of Others. For il has wei. been said OF
Washington by Gaizot, "thGt o! all ;he great men,
's y as the mos; viru"us, and the most fortunate"
Hs might hnve s.id further, that OF all the great pub
is men, HE IS the character most worthy .! inita
,inn by thos7 who ars Ia succeed hlia.. is This not
the hi chest praise which hs conferred upon man
- il 10: nbovo all Creek or Roman tame 10 be- ihu-
held 10 the cha. acer which, of al others, Is ib
nost worthy 10 BE- perp5uG:ed in the sc,iol. ~; men!
t-n il i. 10 bs r"Eenter=t that hi not ory attempt
81 great things, bG; performed taeu, whilst his alone
IS :hs glory easing through many trials with
an ccoa uEsp1tted by crime and undiInned by
tho breath eve. oi suspicion.
But men great 10; ouy ior their individual
Quantities. and faculties, but rs representatives OF
y.i'v movements iu human society with which
their names are inGssoubly associated, hecaess they
have Unlisted hid directed them Such characters
are rar. indeed in human history. There have been
mn .nougi who have founded dynastirs aud con-
qusred Kingdoms but 70 iiitiete movements which
.,npart al onward progress 10 :Ee who.e Column
OF humen society, is the rare achievement. of
ages. Such fans perhaps AleSsnder's be-
CAUSE he carried the lights Of GIecian civilization 20
far isia and Afrios ne to have given general
movement probably to human society. Such lin.
doubtedy WIS the tame Of Cs'ar, for he who found
ed The Roman empire and It's institutions made the
deepes, and mes. sensible impression upca hurnsn
society o. all the whose names have as YET been
know. Bu; such wac not the tame OF Haaa5G! or
Fred .rirk IT, Great, o: Napoleon. the ns;
IL !, rrue destroyed. much but he created nothing
permanent in The wey ot social organizs,ion. II.
WAS indeed tha great conocest Of I'D systems, but
whs;her the field upon which ne operated, hen
Cleared "f IT. ruins, "a 20 be so%ed with seeds f:on
The Eas. or the West, remains yet TO be seen.
TIA greatest representative mama In the history OF
pr bic men, other than religious reormers, with tho
exception perhaps o. Julius Cssar is that of Wash
ug.on Second he is 10 him in the order o time and
IN the psman Effect, far OF HE systetn lut not
second even u him il ". may trust hopes in
gard 70 the mayni'nds OF tbs movement which he
conducted II the first has been .i.e most permanent
in is Consequences. it is perhaps because there hes
b-un more time 10. 20 development, bn hu last has
Effected the greaer moral revolution Of the two. II
has en4rgrd 1s rnpaci i,s Of popular form OF gov
eminent Ter extensive empire beyond any thing tina.
was known befDre il has opened up new avenues for
In. pursuit OF hgppicrsa, end it has Infused fresh
and 2 mighty hope into the hum1n heart, whose
nsd be felt by all for