Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1859-06-14
THE GAZETTE.
TUESDAY MORNING., JUNE il, 1859.

TIE GREAT MEN OF NINETY YEARS AGO.
There were giants in the earth i'll those
days Is "a form Of expression that often
comes IT, mind III thinking VI the great inen
born Just ninety year, isp, THIS very .year.-
Two OF the greatest general, OF the world,
the foremost soldiers of modern times, Veil
ims,on aud Napoleon. were born that year.
Two Of the greatest writer, III bellies ~lcttres,
Chateaubriand and Sir Walter Scott, and
two Of the greatest political orators Of the
very highest kind, Canning and Macintosh.
But ia the midst Of them all stood Alcxan-
der Won Humboldt asa mah a head and shout
dcrs taller than amy of them, except perhaps
Napoleon. In company, he would seem
more allied to Walter Scott than the rest Of
the crowd. Both lived and died ~favorites
with the monarchs OF their respective coun-
tries, the most respectable and g~entlemanly
men about those courts-men vino never
sacrificed their own independence to secure
court favor, who were III fact their own mas
tiers as perfectly i'll the palace OF kings Us III
theirDwn houses. DIR. Lciber, of New York,
made, recently. one OF the most beautiful
philosophical and vivid sketches of this great
man before the American Geographical So
ciety. In it he mentions having heard Hum
boldt. after Frederick William, the king, had
expressed his d~etestation of him as Il republi-
can, turn round and say quietly to the whole
party listening. land yet this monster Is the
dearest friend l have in France" Sir Wal
ter Scott did an equally bold, though not
otherwise so inimitable an act Of indepen-
dance, when George ", at dinner party,
i. an ungcntlemanly manner pressed him 10
acknowledge himself as the another of Wa
verley. Walter Scott quietly said that he
was not that person, giving II as Il reason
afterwards. that George " had no right to
ask him such IA question. and least OF al!
in such company, when he had not chosen
10 avow his connection with the Wayerley
novels.
Humboldt had all Walter SCOTS good
breeding and delightful way of turning all
things round him into pleasure, but then the
depth Of his knowledge on all subjects was
such that hecould converse for u whole even
ing 10 IA Court circle on bridges and cul-
vcrts, talk about Nature in all its most com
plicaled works. or the politics Of the whole
world. the science of war. or the arts I'll peace,
or make the most Just and profound criti-
ci>m Oh Il picture or Il poem, all with the
same facility, and throw such Il halo Of
genius around him on every subject he touch
ed, that those most yerSed in such subjects
found in him IA depth to which they had rare
" penetrated, and those least versed in them,
found his conversation ineligible and in
.tructive as well rs amusing. OF all the great
men of his age. he was publicly and ayow-
cdly the greatest friend of freedom. This
city, which he visited and conmemorated i'll
his travels, he loved to speak Of with warmth,
.l.., almost oil ntbars and fpr tmprlrlnS
hc ever manifested the greatest regard
A number of these alone, Of all foreigners,
followed him to his grave, having, Il di'-
tinct place assigned them III the funeral pro-
crSsiOn.
Culver alone Of all the men of his day APP
preached him in the natural sciences. lie,
indeed, had his life been spared, might have
been n formidable rival for his fame in YER
satility of genius and universally Of knowl-
edge. In his own department he did a far
more valuable work than Humboldt in his
whole life. But in the power of combining
the results of all science and all knowledge,
Won Humboldt stood the first and foremost
man of the whole world, while yet the man
most ready to learn from every one around,
however humble. something he never knew
before. There was nothing selfish about his
genius llhe tllul VI NupoiSch' I" N~>b
rather seemed too difusive aud purposeless.
lie would buzz about in company II whole
evening like II bee. gathering honey from
every flower and stores Of knowledge on
every subject. These he would classify and
arrange, but there seemed no one great OBJ,
iect or purpose in it all. One great cause OF
the immense superiority Of Won Humboldt
over other men was the ludicious adm;Xture
of secluded methodical study with conversa-
ton. He had all Napoleon's power OF ex-
tracing information, without the drawback
of Napoleon's harsh method of doing it.
lie had a sweetness OF manner that drew out
information, and this with close study gave
him the condensed results Of the thoughts OF
others. without the snpe.fctaity Of one who
gains his information from conversation
Phiindciphia Lcdgcr.
,rE~ PILES! PILES! PILES!!!-WnAr Is
h? How CrRED?-ThuusandS OF persons nave
Piles-sufer for years with the diSease-yct few
know what il ia. or how II Is cured. Every case
of Piles, whether manifested in the form VI eNter-
nal ,umors. frequent bleeding,. or in violent Itch
ing and irritation. depends essentially upon con
gestion of the abdominal venons circulation. inns
produces the engorgeinent, dilaiion VI the VEINS
formation of tumors, hemorrhagcs, pain aud sn'-
fcriny: and the disease can only be fundamentally
cured by medicines which, taken internally re-
lieve this abdominal yenous congestion. Hence,
ointments. washes. and even injections, are 90
Intellectual.
HUMPHREYS HOMEOPATHIC PILE SPE-
CIFIC, u simple sugar pill. taken two Or three
times per day, cures the disease by curing the con
dition upon which the disease depends. Hundreds
have been cured by it, even of the most obstinate
caes. All will be promptly benefited by 1t. Prlce'
so cts. u box.
n. B.-A full set Of HrMPnREfs' HOMEOPATHIC
SPECIFICS, with Book of Directions, and twenty
Remedies. in large 3-drachm vials. aud morocco
case. So: do. in plain case, 81; family case OF 10
boxes and book, ~.
These Remedies. by the s;nsls box or full case.
sent TO any address By mail or exprer'. free OF
charge. on receipt Of the price. Address
DIR. +. HUMPHREYS a CO.,
No. 512 Broadway. New York.
Sold in Alexandria by j. WILLIAM BOW
LING. and by all Druggists. ie 4~-e"""
FISH! FISH!