Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.]) 1852-1859, 1859-05-28
The PresentatIon 10 Paul nIorPhy.
SPEECH OF JOHN VAN BuuEN.

on Wednesday night Paul Morphy, the hero
of the occasion, made speech of a toIernble
kind The most interesting part of the exercises
to US, is the speech of John Van Buren,, who
like Caleb Gushing, is by turns lawyer, poll
tician, poet, ltterateur, anything else, always
handling we'll any subject, no difference how
foreign to his general bent of study.
From "Prince Johns" speech we Gull this
extract
There are great qualities of mind and charac-
ter elected by the exercise to which you have
devoted so considerable and honorable n portion
of your time. DIR. Franklin describes them
thus: foresight, which looks into futurity and
considers the consequences that may attend an
action;" "CIrcumspection, which surveys the
whole chess board, or scene of action, the re-
lation of the several pieces and their situations,
and the dangers they are exposed to- the aid
they require, the assaults that threaten them,
the means Of defence or assault" Caution, not
to move too hastily, and, above all, the ha61t Of
not being discouraged by present Gdcersfty, and
looking hopefully to q favorable conf JUNCTION OF
circumstances that may retrieve evil fortune
All these grand qualities have been manifested
by you, and the last, and perhaps the greatest,
in your contest with Mr.. Harwitz, who won the
two FIRST game of his match under circumstan-
ces when your youth, your iIl-health, your
little acquaintance with the country and its peo-
pie, and the disposition of your adversary to
take at least all fair advantages of his victory,
might we'll have snbdued, if not overwhelmed,
less stout heart. There are circumstances, Mr..
Morphy, in your present position, which are not
q little extraordinary. Those who have been dis
tinguished before you as the champions of the
chess playing world prior at all events to the last
century, lived in ditferentworld from ours. This
great country, with its extraordinary growth, Its
development in art, in science, and in most that
Krih IN fn tn
Humanity, has substantially sprung into exist
ence within the last century. Those who were
foremost in the world before had substantially
no competition from the United States But
you began your career at u Congress OF chess
players of the United States; you left here as
the champion of America, and you return as the
champion of the world 1t is not then for the
treatment you have received abroad, nor for the
success that you have achieved across the water
in any degree that we do you honor, but 1t Is
for the fact that you first established your SUI
periority here over the chess players of the
United States and then satisfied the world that
this superiority was absolute. Again, it is an
imputation, and perhaps reproach upon the
people of the United States that they are we'd
ded to gain; that their pursuits begin and are
absorbed by and end in the accumulation of
wealth; that requirements or accomplishments
that promise no pecuniary advantage meet
neither with favor friends among us. The
game of chess is purely an intellectual accom-
pliShment-it is rarely attended by any wager;
it has no promise of profit; it is prosecuted in
quiet and generally in private. When, there.
fore, we present to the world an exhibition OF
the most remarkable proficiency that the world
ever saw in this department, it is not only
victory over love of gain, which certainly does
prevail here to some extent it ia not only
triumph over the "amighty dollar" that is sup
posed to sway us all, but is brilliant and
glorious refututiOn Of the charge to which
Il L II
champion of an amusement Ihave endeavored
TO show TINT this amusement is a great intellec
tual exercise; but if it were merely an amnse-
ment, have great reason to doubt whether, III
the present condition of our country, with its
devotion to intellectual and industrial pursuits,
regardless of relaxation, regardless of health
and almost of life, any greater benetaCtor OF the
country could be found than one who would
PeTSua1U lEs F~Ott~ >--INunte n reosonahla nrO.
portion of their time to amusement and recrel-
ton. have spoken, Sir, of the wonderful
character OF your success, but perhaps the
greatest wonder of all is that it should have
been achieved at your age. Just entering upon
manhood, you find yourself distinguished as
any chess player that ever lived. AT an age
when reflection, thought, rigid attention, no.
Sorbed devotion to any pursuit seem most I'M
likely, you are Mt the. head of class of men
mostly advanced in life, and deeply engaged in
exercise in which all those qualities are lndis.
penSably necessary. at time of life when
other men IRE buckling. on their armor and pre-.
pairing to engage in scenes of strife, you are
returning home ready to lay aside your weap.
ons, and signing with Alexander that you have
no more worlds to conquer. Yon left Europe
at a most critical juncture. Engaged there in
contests of mimic war, you have leGtthe kings
and queens and bishops and knights and castles
of the Old World involved in a real struggle.
believe in this you have pursued truly Ameri-
can course. While battles rage abroad, the end
of which no man can see, which are sure to be
attended with great destruction of human life,
and not at all sure to be followed 10y any
real advantage to humanity it is as well for
us to fight our mimic kings and queens
and knights and bishops, and men in peace
and quiet on this side No ambulances fol.
low our army; no Chelsea or InvalideS or Snug
Harbor receives their pensioners; conflagra-
tons light their way; no tears bedew their path
and yet it may so turn out that we shall effect
quite as much ultimate good as will attend the
slaughters of the Old World. Mr.. Morphy:
Your readiness to engage at all times and with
all corners, in chess contests; your refusal to
make the condition of your health an excuse or
a reason for declining, your utter rejection of
all advantages that might be your due in con-
test, and the intrepid spirit you manifested at