The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1859-08-24


theme; and he knew how to throw magic fresh.
ness-like the cool morning dew on asch,sser Of
Epurpie grapes--oyer the most familiar topics at q
patriotic celebration. Some of these occasional
performances will ever be held among the brightest
gems Of our literature Tfe eulogy on Daniel
Webster, at Dartmouth college, in which he min
gled at once all the light Of genius andsssR the
| warmth Of his hearth within my knowAdge,
never been equal among the performances Of ita,
class in this country for sympathetic appreciation
ofa great discriminating analysis Of character,
fertility Of illustration, weight Of sentiment, and
style ct once chaste, nervous and brilliant. The
long sentenecs which have been criticised in this,
as in other performances, are like those which DR..
| Claiming admired and commanded in Milton's
Ipfosewell compacted, full Of meaning ftyehieles
FOR great Thoughts But he does not deal exclusive
" in those ponderous sentences There is nothing
of the artificial Jehnsonian balance in his style.
It's often marked by pregnant breyity as by a
sonorous amplitude. he is sometimes satisfied, in
Il 80 :. !,
concise epigrammatic clauses, toskirmish with his
light troops and drive in sheienemys outposts It
is only on fitting occasions when great principles.
are to be indicated and solemn truths told, when
some moral and political Waterloo or Solferino is
to be fought that he puts on the entire panoply Of
bis gorgeous rhetoric. 1t is then that his majestic
sentences swell to the dimensions Of his thought:
that you hear afar Off the awful roar Of his rided
tsordnance and when he has stormed the heights,
and broken the centre, and trampled the squares,
and turned the staggering wings of the adversary,
that he sounds his imperial clarion along the whole
line ofbattle and moves forward with all his hosts
in one Overwhelming charge
Our friend was in all the personal relations Of
life, the most unselfsh and disnterested OF men.
Commanding from; An early period valuable Gle
entage, and rising rapidly to the summit of his
profession and TIE best practice in the courts Of
Massachusetts, andin the Supreme Court Of the
United States, with no expensive tastes or habits,
and manner Of life highly unostentatious and sim
pie, advancing years overlook him without slender
provision for their decline. He reaped little but
fame, where. he ought to have reaped both fame
and fortune. Ascareer which in England would
have been crowned with af1uence, and probably
with distinguished rank and Office, found him at
sixty stillchained to the treadmill Of hborious
practice.
He might, indeed, be regarded as martyr to his
profession. He gave to it his time, his strength,
and negectiDg due care Of regular bodily exercise
and occasional entire relaxation he might be said
.s-...-sa -..al-
ing anxietes and feverish exeements Of his clients
From thecourts where he argued the causes en-
trusted to him, with all the energy Of his intellect,
rousing into corresponding action an overtasked
nervous system these cares and anxieties followed
him to the WEAKNESS Of his midnight vigils and
the unrest Of his seepless pillow. In this way he
led long professional career worn and harrassed
with other mems cares and sacrificed ten added
years Of professional useulness to the intensity,
with which hethrew himself into the discharge Of
his duties, in middle life
There are other recollectons Of our friends ca
would gladly dwell, but the hour has elapsed and
it is not necessary. The gentlemen who have pre-
Fceded me- his professional brethren, his PASTOR the
press Of the country, generously allowing past DIFF
ferenees Of opinion to be buried in his grave,
have more than made up for any deficiency in my
remarks. His work isdone nobly, worthily done.
Never more in the temples Of justice--never more
IN the Senate Chamber-never more in the crowded
assembly-neve more in this consecrated hall,
where he often held listening crowds in rspt I'D
miration, shall We catch the unearthly glance d.
his eye or listen to the strange sweet music Of bis
voice. Tomorrow we shall follow him--.the pure
patriot the consummate jurist--the eloquent ora.
tor--the honored ctizen-the beloved friend to
the last resting place and who will not feel as We
lag him there that brighter genius and warmer
heart are not left among living men!