Cincinnati daily press. [volume] (Cincinnati [Ohio]) 1860-1862, 1860-06-27

Gazed Through clear dew on the tender sky.
Aud the jessaEihc FAINT, and tho sweet tuberose,
Th9syeetest flower for scent that blows uH
Grew IN that sRfdep In perfect prime. 'r
GRAPHIC DESCRIPTION OF DIsTIN-
GUISHED CHARACTERS.
In the eighth volume Of Bdncrofts History
Of the United States are the following por-
traits
THOMAS JEFFERsoN.
The resolution of Congress changed the old
thirteen British Colonies into free and indie
pendent States. It remained to set forth the
reason for this act, and the principles which
the new people would own as their guides
OF the committee appointed for that duty,
Thomas jefferson Of Virginia had received
the largest number of votes and was in that
manner singled out to draft the confession of
faith OF the rising empire. He owed this dis
unction to respect for the colony which he
represented, to the consummate ability of the
State papers which he had already written,
and to that general favor which follows
merit modesty, and sweet disposition; but
the quality which specially fitted him for the
task was the sympathetic character of his
nature, by which he was able with instinct
i've perception to read the soul of the nation,
and having collected in himself its best
out in clear and bold words, mixed with so
little Of himself, that his country as it went
along with him, found nothing but what it
recognized as its own. No man of his CEN
tury had more trust in the collective reason
and conscience of his fellow-men, or better
knew how to take their counsel; and in re-
turn he came to be ruler over the willing in
the world of opinion. Born to an indepen-
dent fortune, he had from his youth been
and indefatigable student. Of a calm tenn
permanent and phiosophc cast of mind, al
ways temperate in his mode of. life and deco
rous in his manners, he was q perfect master
of his passions. He was of a delicate organ
ization, and fond of elegance; his tastes were
refined; laborious in his application to busi-
ness or the pursuit of knowledge, music, the
most spiritual of all pleasures of the senses,
was his favorite recreation; and he took a
never-faling delight in the hes;,tjy; Of the va
rious sceR9iy'o Of Il rural life building himself a
home in the loveliest region Of his native
State. He was skillful horseman; and he
also delighted to roam the mountains on foot.
The range of'his knowledge was very wide;
he was not unfamiliar with the literature of
Greece and Rome had an aptitude for math-
ematics and mechanics and loved especially
the natural sciences; scorning nothing but
metaphysics. British governors and officials
had introduced into Williamsburgh the pre-
valent free-thinking of Englishmen of that
century, and Jefferson had grown up in its
atmospheric he was not only hater of priest
craft and superstition and bigotry and in
intolerance; he was thought to be Indifferent
to religion; yet his instincts all inclined him
to trace every-fact to a general law, and to
put faith in ideal truth; the world of the
senses did not bound his aspirations, and he
belived more than he himself was aware of.
He was an idealist in his habits of thought
and life, as indeed is every one who has an
abiding and thorough confidence in the peo-
Pile; and he was kept so in spite of circum-
stances by the irresistible bent of his char
acter. He had great power in mastering de-
tails as well as in searching for general
principles. His profession was that of the
law, in which he was methodical, pains-tak-
ing, and successful; at the same time be
studied law as a science aud was well read
in the law of nature and of nations. What
ever he had to do, it was his custom to pre-
pare himself for it carefully; and in public
life, when others were at fault, they often
found that he had already hewed out the
way; so that in council men Willingly. gave
him the lead, which he never appeared to
claim, and was always able to undertake.
But he rarely spoke in public; and was less
fit to engage In the war of debate, than
calmly to sum up its conclusions. 1t was "a
beautiful trait in his character that he was
free from envy; and had he kept silence,
John Adams would have wanted the best
witness to his greatness as the ablest advocate
and defender of independence. A common
object now riveted the two statesmen to-
gether in close bonds. / can not find that at
that period, Jefferson had any enemy by the
general consent of Virginia, he already stood
first among her civilians. just thirty-three
years old, married and happy in his family,
aftiuent, with bright career before him, he
was no rash innovator by his character or his
position; if his convictions drove him to de-
maud Independence, it was only. because he
could no longer live with honor under the
British Constitution, which he still acknowl-
edged to be the best that the world had thus
far seen. His enunciation of general prin-
ciples was fearless but he was no visionary
devotee of abstract theories, which, like dis
embodied souls, escape from every, embrace
the nursing of his country, the offspring OF
his time, he set about the work of practical
statesman, and his measures grew so natu-
rally out Of previous law and the facts of the
past, that they struck deep'root and have en-
dured. ,lrae fsa- ana
JOHN ADAMs. lI.f Wild
On the 9th day of February John Adams
resumed his seat in Congress; with Elbridge
Gerry for a colleague, in place of the feeble
Cushing, and with instructions from his con
stituents to establish liberty in America upon
permanent basis. His nature was robust
anu mani now ne was IN the happleSt mood
OF mind for asserting the independence of his
country. He had confidence Ia the ability o.
New England to drive away their enemy; in
Washington, as a brave aud prudent com.
mander in his wife, who cheered him Will
the fortitude Of womanly heroism; in tn,
cause Of his country, which seemed so bounC
up with the welfare of mankind that Provi
dence could not suffer its defeat; in himself
for his convictions were clear, his viii fixed
and his mind prepared to let his little prop
erty and his life go, sooner than the rights o
his country.
Looking into himself he saw weaknesse,
enough; but neither meanness, nor dishonesty
nor timidity. His overweening self-esteem
was his chief blemish; and if he compared
himself with his great fellow-laborers, there
was some point in which be was superior tC
any one of themj he had more learning thar
Washington, or any other American states
man of his age; better knowledge of liberty
as founded in law than Salnnel Adams; clearer
insight into the constructive elements Of gov.
ernment than Franklini more power in de.
bate than Jefferson; more courageous manli.
ness than Dickinson; more force in motion
than Jayi 80 that, by varying and confinino
his comparisons he could easily fancy him.
self the greatest OF them alla.lHe was capa.
BILE Of thinking himself the center of any cir.
Gle, Of which he had been no more than q tan.
gent his vanity was in such excess that il