New-York daily tribune., 1859-07-29
NIL NJsI BOSCM.

| small comity We have no wish tO dlsreg.rd; al
| though it is one, tn, final violation OF which i'
simply question Of time and the natural Tesni' I"
historic doubts. All character il dubious. There
| may b. those who with perfect honesty DO not ad
mre Feneon ard do admire Diderot or V1taire.
Indeed, il is only when human career Is Closed,
that we are in position TO estimate ITS yide, pur-
| port and upshot The public life Of public man
is public property. We may not indecensly hasten
10 draw hi. fraIltes from their dresr abode; but
the nero fact that be has gone to his account, to
which, indeed, the meanest and the most magnifi-
cent natures must CO. certainly affords no authority
! for slaLdcriDg the living. If the late Dir. Ruia'
Choate, while be succeeded a mis-, prtns lawyer,
fa,led as q statesnan, We do not know that
this gives Mr. Edward Everett, who has
also failed IS a statesman, the right to stand
in Faneuil Hail. and TO censuTe to the best OF his
not inconsiderabe ability those who bsve been
more fortunate. Mr. Choate may "have had little
" fondness for political life, and no aptitude what
" ever for the outdoor management, for the cleo
" Pioneering legerdemain, for the wearisOne cor
respondence with the local great men, and the
" heart-breakiDg drudgey Of franking cart-loads
" Of speeches aud public documents to the four
winds, which are necessary at the present day to
great success in political career "Stiil less,
Mr Everett went on to say, "wss be adroit IN
turning to some personal advantage whatever
topic happens to attract public attention-tsbIpg
with ever freshly .baited hook in the turbld
" waters of epbemeral popularity"
fall a
man Just entering upon public hfe-from young
nan hoping to be Representative, or Senator, or
Presideut-we ght consider such an expression
of opinion to be at candid and courageous;
but coming from an old man-from one well versed
in the arts which he denouDces-tbs =" election
eering legerdemain," the wearlsome cores
"pondence with local great men, /" tue heart
" breaking drudgery of franking cart loads oi
speeches and public document" from one who,
if be has not been adcolt in turning to personal
" advantage topics happening to attract public
&" attention" has not been averse to the attemPt-
comDg from such man may not these opinions
and their somewhat querulous expression, berat her
the result of disappointment, and argue rather
want of philosophy than any peculiar personal Pu-
more "lettersto local great men" than Mr. Everett,
and .ome of these which we have seen, were go
full of feeble complaint, that they would Ill bear
publication. We do not know anybody who in his
day was more willing to improve topics " happen
"iug to attract public attention" Everybody viii
remember that when fillibusteriug "beppened to
be in fashion, Mr. Everett was fne fillibus-
ter. EVERYBODY who heard it will remember the
Plymouth speech, in which Mr.. Everett declared
that the work must 90 on" BY which he meant
that the manifest destiny of the United States WAS
to conquer and annex the Kingdoms ard republics
tf South America. Every body who ever heard
of it will remember the attempt OF Mr.. Everett To
appropriate to himself the credit Of Dir. Websters
celebrated Hulsemann letter. Every body who
was cognzant of the facts viii remember how
Mr.. Everett subscribed for the Sumner testl-
mopia, and how be afterwsyd attributed bis indls-
creton TO an over dose of laudanum. Surely no
gentleman whose personal history is crowded with
incidents like these is in position to sneer az the
distinguished active statesmen Of tue day
Nor did the memory OF Mr.. Choate require any
such apology. A lawyer in great pracsce, exceed
ingy devoted 10 his profession, snc rely ing upon ITS
emoluments To meet personal expenditure VIII n
was always large and frequently improvident, he
preferred to give his time, snitched from the
demands of the bar, to liberal studies,
or TO the preparation OF dlscourses on
academic occasions" And because he did so,
and trusted to the wiser instincts OF his nature
becsuse he knew himself 10 be 10 place rather IN
the Court Room than in the Senate ChamOer-it
does not follow that other men, who had a more
positive taste and talent for public employ ment,
were either bis moral or his Intellectual interiors
And if HE poltcsl aspirations hsd been never 80
ardent, he entertained fatal opinions, which ia the
heat and hurry Of Bis speech, be continually be-
trayed. If be cared for any Democracy, 1t was
for the old Democracy Of Athens. If he believed
in any Constitution, it was in the unwritten Con-
stituton Of Great Britain. lie sneersd at the
/ De clara,ion Of independence He grded snd
/ ibtd at the most limited alliance between humaoity
and politics. Slavery is the surest touch stone of
political character at the presea. time, and thc test
was fatal TO Mr. Choate. He thought that to be en-
slsyed was bes. for the blacks, snd TO ensl,ve
them wss best for the whites. The people OF Mas
sschusetts were no. Of biz mind but We will do
him the justice to say that for the opinion OF the
/ people of Massachusetts he cared very little.
There was an inherent love of paradox in his IA
ture, which long practice in the Courts did not o
course diminish. Clear-headed men were Dot de-
eeNed either by the fulninstions or fulgidities
Of his rhetoric. He was careless Of personal c,n-
sequences, and would 3. any time risk success for
the sake Of startling In avoiding political duties