The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1860-03-28
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In the honors which are about TO be bestow.
ed upon the memory q Hnsny Ola =, i'm the
Inauguration Of statoes In It's city and -
New Orleans, In the enshustnean with whidas
his birthday 10 annaaily ohsorvsd, and IT,
emotions which the base meAtton OF his nane
awakens In so many hearts, lesson Is incea-
Gated which the young and ambitious 'nay
probably consider. The names wnsch arc
uppermost In American memories are '''ose "a
men whose personal qualities, without any
Aid from Official influence. have a'uA..e4 ~
them the popular heart, such - HENRY CLAf'
AsDaxw JACKSON and JOHN o. CALhouH.-
Annsrw JACKSON, 1t is true, was President,
In. he derived none of hts hold upon the a.
To-. ,ions of his countrymen from his occupancy
ri that position. 1t is "Old Hickory" who
4. immortal, the man Of iron will, prompt de-
cieiou. indomfsablo courage, impulsive and
generous, gentle and winning nature. The
President 10 forgotten In the man, or only re-
membsred a. position which the man digni-
fed and made illustrious. That office is
grand and lofty one, but the figure that Is
placed upon such towering and maiest tic Pc
destal must, itself, be Of corresponding pro-
portions. or il only excites ridicule and con.
tempt.
HENRY CLAY and JOHN c. CALHOUN never
attained the station which each would have
sraced, and yet, IL they had attained it. they
could not have stood higher than now In the
estimation of their friends. They are admired
more than most of those who bave filled the
office, and will be longer remembered. The
future historian will devote more attention to
them, aud they will fill a larger space IN the
eye Of posterity, than the majority OF Presi-
dents. Even II Presidents were chosen, rs
they ought to be, Oh account OF being the iirst
men in intellect and public virtue In the Re-
public, few in any age could be found VINO
would compare in statesmanship and patriot
ism with those we have mentioned; but when
it becomes the acknowledged custou to choose
a candidate for the Presidency on account Of
his availability, and without reference to his
superior qualifications, the "post OF honor" Is
empha tically "a private tation,' and such men
a. CLAY, WEBSTER aud CALHOUN derive more
credit from the neglect than the favor Of poll
ticians.
For, to he an available candidate, implies a
capacity Of "crooking the pregnant hinges OF
the knee" of being all things to all men, OF
trucking to the prejudices and passions of the
populase, of sacrificing principle to expedi-
ency, which rarely chiracterizes man OF
first rate powers; or, where it does, affixes to
his character the indelible stamp of dema-
gogue, and divests him of all claim to true
greatness. In general, the "availab!es" are
available because of their obscurlty, iuferiority
and suppleness of principle and conscience.
A man of eminent abilities would disdain to
be elected to the highest office on the face OF the
earth on any such ground. How long are these
Availables remembered after they have lett Of
fee And as the n umber of Presidents increase
with the increasing age OF the Republic, the
dignity of the position will become less and
less, until an ex-President will command lit
tie more respect fifty years hence than an ex-
Congressman does now. The ambition which
only seeks Office, which aspires after tour
years Of notoriety, to be swallowed up in
eternal oblivion, is the ambition of an insect
mind, aud can never be entertained by any one
with capacity to soar above the sphere of {.
butterfly. Let the young mon of the country
who are capable Of great things and ambitious
of lasting fame, contemplate the example OF
HENRY CLAY, who, with powers capable OF
adjoining the Presidency. would rather be
right than be President, and, in cleaving to
the right, gained u nobler and more enduring
reputation than the Presidency could ever
have conferred. A grave As honored as that OF
CLAY OF CALHOUN is a more illustrious goal
than the White House, and the bones of such
dead lions more worthy of human reverence
than all the living dogs who may fight and
yelp over the spois Of office from now till the
crack of doom.