Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.]) 1852-1859, 1859-06-27
WHEE
TIE INTEI 4LIGENC.ER.
[From the N. Y. Ccl,:ury.l
GEORGE MASON. OF VIRGINIA.

IliE TYPE OF a RACE OF Mrs. THAT HAVE PASSED
AwAY-IIts IMPOSING PuYsIcAL AND MENTAL
ORGANIZATION.
RrcuMoND, May 29, 1856.
There was living in Virginia, at tile outbreak
Of the Revolution, in IN old mansion called
"Guustun Hail." situated on the right bank Of
the Potomac, not far from Mount Vernon, one
Of the most remarkable men, not only OF his
country and his cpoch but OF all countries and
all time This man. who wasnot yet fifty years
old, had never yet held any public office, but
the first statesmen of his time consulted him
and looked TO him fnT guidance. He WAS not Il
lawyer, bnt his opinions government had all
the force and dignity of Legislative dccrces.-
He was net an Agreeable speaker, yet when he
rose TO address an assembly the greatest orators
Ice, Pendieton, Henry and their CO mates
listened to him with avdty. Confined almost
wholly 10 his plantation by gout, or love of re-
tiremcnt he nevertheless swaycd and moulded
opinion. In the most urgent crises Of public
affairs the great actors looked, as it wcrc from
scenes.
In person and bearing this man had little to
conciliate popular liking lIcpossessed none of
the arts Of the professional politician, much less
The bcguiling traits of the dclnagoguc. 10 the
world ut large bevond the circle Of his neigh
bors and friends, he was little more than 81 cold,
stately figure, which chilled nil familiar a,lvan
ccs and rcpcllcd thc most determined intruder
lie vas tail, muscular and Swarthy, with
citccl; deeply c;lbrowncd by Sun aud wind
HIS large, dark eyes were habitua!ly Character
izcd by ar expression half sad, half severe
Composed and cOurtiy in his dcmcanor to every
one, but rarely passing the bounds of "A stately
politcncss, he was bitter, almost savage, when
aroused. His morClant and cynical wit rXcOria-
ted. His invcctivc was dangerous, and went
home TO its mark with uurrring and tatA' prcci-
sion. He was, indeed, simple and kind Gcncuth
strength of his feelings. His pride ofracc was
great, his scli-rcancc immense, and he was
| sufficient for himself under all trials aud in
every crisis. But this very strength OF will,
and bulk of mind, had the effect of otseparating
him from The world at large. Such were the
| pcculiaritics, such The drawbacks attaching to
the character OF this man. Yet, in spite "l ail,
| in spite OF his love Of retirement and his rct.
cence; notwithstanding his reserve and want ol
every popular art of the politician, this person
was looked tv by all classes of men, his opinion
asked, his dcision awaited, and that not by the
masses only, the great body of the Inhabitants
of Virginia, but by the very first thinkers AID
statesmen OF his epoch.
The explanation Of this fact may be given
in very few words This man was George
Mason.
The sketch here given may be regarded by
some persons as dnc, in large measure, to the
imagination of the writer; as ianciiul, rhetorical,
gotten up ''lur effect" it may be thought by
many readers that the iIAiuGncc Claimed for
Mason is exaggerated Such will not be the
ultimate conclusion of any candid student ol
the events of that pcriOh and the characters OF
| the men who moulded them. Masous position,
in the eyes Of his great cO-natcs, was unique.
| He was great among the great. Undoubtedly
he had the prestige OF rank and fortune; and the
former advantage then possessed grca, force i'll
! mems minds. He was the F1th George Mason
who had lived upon the sol-f0r five genera
N h.
guishctl among the gentry of the colony. The
old 3,1'inct],S of the family had come over from
England in 1G5l, and settled on Acohick Creek,
i'll the County OF Fairfax. In the County of
Fairfax the Masons still lived upon their patri-
Elnoniul acres--and in any land this long resi-.
dcnce of family gives an advantage inacccssi
| bic to new cOmcrS however worthy. His
/ cesturs had all been honorable and public
spiritcC they had lived and died rs worthy old
planters, lighting Gravcly against the Indians,
or figuring in the House of BurgcSseS. They
cultivated their acres, and kept up the old style
of living in all its pro(nsion-mingling socially
with the class which then ruled as titled per-
sons rule at present in England. Thus George
Mason uf ''Giunstou Ilall," at the time of the
| Revolution, possessed by birth position which
entitled him to consideration. But this would
never have made him what he wus-u0t 1.-THE
of the taycc which he undoubtedly stood for in
| his time IL was the ;Dan himself, stripped of
all ndyentituuS aids, who asserted and nIan-
;ainc,l the vast intellectual dominion which lac
certainly wicldcd the minds OF the first
| thinkers of that age.
have briefly referred to the outward man
to the stately old planter in his rich, full dress
with his swarthy check, dark eyes AMI composed
| bearing. Let me now strive to outline his mem
tai character. 1t far more striking and i'm
posing than his physical organization. He was
a type of the Anglo Saxon in its fullest strength.
| in no other man who has lived uFon this cvmt-
ncnt-if NC except oHe who always asserts his
supremacy-ha the massive elements of the
great English race, been combined in more h"r-
rnonious proportion. He was not a Frcnchman,
or Spaniard, or u German, but n pure AugIo-
Saxon. His merits ard deficiencies were those
of his race. He had'little Of the graceful fancy,
or ornamental accomplishments which charac-
terize the inhabitants of more southern conn-
tries An his tastes and opinions simple,
earnest and massive. He would scarcely have
comprehendcd, any more than Horsa, or Can
ute, or Harold, the gay philosophy of life
which obtained among the knights and
ministries of Provence. The courts of love,