New Orleans daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1851-1866, 1860-04-30

S'oie sf ny neart and thou then hadst been free,
Apang OF the gtomach
That cannot be slsnced 6r scothed hut by thse.
LORD HALHAx
The following graphic sketch Is from MaeauIay's
History Of England.
The Marquis of Halifax. was not at subject
for the Proc-ustean measure often the standard Of
professional politicians
Among the statesmen of that age Halifax waa,
in genius, the first His intellect was FERTILE sub
animated eloquence, set off by the silver tones OF
his voice, was the delight of the House Of Lords.
His conversation overlooked with thought, fancy
ana vi; us political tracts we'll deserve r.
entitle him to place among English clns-
sics. To the weight derived from talents %
great and various he united all the infIaenee
which belongs to rank and ample possessions.
Yet he was less successful in politics than many
who enjoyed smaller advantages. Indeed, fh0ss
intellectual peculiarites which make bis writings
valuable, frequently impeded him in the contests
of active life for he always saw passing events,
not in the point Of view in which they commonly
appear TO one who bears part in them, bat in the
point Of view in which, after the lapse of many
With such turn of mind he could not long CON
tinue to act cordially with any body of meH- All
the preiudices, all the exaggerations Of both the
great parties in the State moved his scern. he
despiaed the mean arts and unreasonable clamoss
Of demagoguea. He despised still more the. doc
trines Of divine right and passive obedience. he s
man and at the bigotry Of the Puritan. He was
equally unable to comprehend how any man
should object ~ Saints days. and surpliees, and
for Directing to them In temper be vas what, n
our time, is called Conservative. In theory he
was Republican. Even when bis dread OF snaT-
to side for time with the defenders Of arbitrary
power, hs intellect was always with Locke and
Milton Indeed, his jests upon hereditary mon
archy were sometimes such as would have better
become member of the Calf s Head Club than .
Prvy Councillor of the Stuarts. In religion he
was 50 far from being zealot that he was called
by the nnchartable an atheist but this mputation
he yehementy repelled and, in truth, though he
sometimes gave scandal by the way in which he
exerted his rare powers, both of augmentation
and Of ridcuie, on serious subjects, he seems to
have been by no means unsusreptible OF religious
impressions.
| He was the chief Of those politicians whom the
two great parties contemptueusly called Trimmers-
Instead of quarreling with this nickname, he as
sumed II as a title of honor, and vind1cateds with
| great yivacity, the dignity of the appeliation.
| Every thing good, he said trims between extremes.
| The temperate zone trims between the climate in
| which men are roasted and the climate in which
| they are frozen. The English Church trims be-
tween the Anabaptst madness and Papist lethargy.
| The English constitution trims between Turkish
| despotism and Polish anarchy. Virtue ID nothing
but just temper between propensitics any one Of
which, if INDUCED in to excess, becomes vice.
| Nay the perfection of the Supreme Being himself
consists in the exact equilibrium of attributes,
| Of which could preponderate without disturbing
| the whole moral and physical order of the world
| Thus Halifax was Trimmer on principle. He
was also Trimmer by the constitution boih Of
his head and of his heart. His understanding was
keen, sceptcal. ineAhaustbly fertile in distinctions
l and objections his taste refined his sense of the
luderous exquisite; his temper placid and forgiv-
ing, but fastidious, and by means prone either
| to malevoence or to enthusiastic admiration. Such
| man could not long be constant to any band Of
political allies. He must not, however, be con-
founded with the vulgar crowd Of renegades. For
though, like them, he passed from side to side, his
transition was always in the direction opposite to
| theirs. He had nothing in common with those who
fly from extreme to extreme, and who regard the
| party which they have deserted with an animOsity
4 far exceeding that of consistent enemies. His
place was between the hostile divisions Of the COM
f1unity, and he never wandered far beyond the
moment belonged was the party which, at that
moment he liked least because it was the party
of which at that moment he had the nearest view.
He was therefore always severe upon his violent
associates, and was always in friendly relations
| with his moderate opponents. Every faction in
the day of its insolent and rindctve triumph in
Cured his censure; and every faction. when van
qnished and prosecuted, found in him protector.
To his lasting honor it must be mentioned that he
attempted to those victims whose fate has left
the deepest stain both on the Wing and on the Tory
name.
: He had greatly distinguished himself in opposi-
ton and had thus drawn on himself the royal dis
pleasure, which was indeed 80 strong that he was
not admitted into the Council Of Thirty without
much difficulty and long alteration. As soon,
however, as he had obtained footing ut Court,
the charms of his manner and Of his conversation
made him Q favorite. He was seriously alarmed
by the violence Of the public discomfort. He
thought that liberty was for the present safe, and
that order and legitimate authority were in danger.
He therefore. as was his fashion joined himself to
wholly disinterested. For study and reflection
: though they had emancpated him from many vui
) gar preiudces, had left him slave to vulgar de-
' sires. Money he did not want; and there is nc
evidence that he ever obtained it by any means
which, in that age, even severe censors considered
as dishenorable; but Yank and power had strons
attractions for him. He pretended. indeed, tina
which could allure none but fools, that lie hate,
business, pomp, and pageantry, and that his dear
est wish was TO escape from the hustle and glitte
Of Whitehall 70 the quiet woods which surrounde
! his ancient mansion at Rnfiord; but his conduc
a was not q little ut variance with his professions
, In truth, he wished to command the respect o
t. once Of courtiers and Of philosophers, to be I'D
mired for attaining high dgnities and to be at tn
same time admired for despising them.
His example in not being corruptihle BY Frencl
gold is an eloquent rebuke not only to many Eng
fish lords Of that period but also to the base SUD
.. permitted themselves TO be the hirengs and vas
sails of the king Of France.
IN Lord Preston, who was envoy g 81. naslss wrols
- Lordship lies still under the same misfortune 81
being no favorite to this Court, and Monsieur Ba
rillon (the French Ambassador In England) dare
not do you the honor to shine upon you, since hi,
= master frowneth. They know, very well, you
M Iordship's qualifications, which make them fear
and consequently hate You; and be assured, my
a. Lord if ell their strength send you to Raffor
81 it shall be employed for that end. Two things.
q hear, they particularly object against you: you
seeresy and your being incapable OF being cor
rupted. Against these two things know thea
have declared.n
u ~ -----------------s = 49,
i Hold your tongue for fool % was the poi;t
n Recommendation Of an Irish husband, Sure
i then, you're going to speak yourself, was III
d equally polite reply of HIS wife.
( ATTENTION TO Your FLoaRs. George L. Nairnl
Of the ronro buildings Nc. Id aaaai street, calls ssnos
d advertising columns ~ his assignment
sngs and oil cloths Also chesss SELECTION shads