Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1860-07-06
n.,tbor aoucbt nor declined the Presidency.

| v -d-dh u, ! S6e r-..n
worst SIGN Of the times. From it, as from 4
~copious fountain, flow corruption, extravaganza
nroaigacy, national disgrace. ] hope that inc
Chief MAGISTRATE Of this Union will ever be
designated by the spontaneous voice oil Inc
neople. and that the citizen who is honorcd by
The public choice may deserve the place Tor his
services. his rirtues-and has modesty.'
While Major Breckenridge was ever a party
opponcnt Of Henry Clay, he always entertained
the most ardent admiration for the man. and
improved every occasion to express il. In the
spcech from which the foregoing extracts are
quoted, he referred 10 the name oil Clay as
that name more potent to rally his clansmcn
than any in American history, save that OIL
Jackson" It was the knowledge of this feel,
inc. together with the fact that he represented
| the "AShland District" that caused him TO be
selected By the House as its principal! speaker
nj tbe funeral solc,nnities held in honor oil that
statesman. Those who were present VIII never
forget the IMPRESSION made by HrecklnridSeoh
that OCCASION. AS 4 leader in Il deliberate
! BODY" said he, Mr.. Clay had no equal IN
! America. In him intellect, person, elolnerce
and courage united TO form 4 character III 10
command. lie fired with his OWN enthusiasm
and controlled by his amazing will lnd.viaH-
dis ullu uDsS W ISNSi"N ~''f
spirit, nor defeat reduce him 10 despair
Equally erect and dauntless in prosperity
and adversely; when successful, he moved to
the accomplishment OF his purposes with severe
resolution; when defeated, he rallied Ills bro.
| ken bands around him and from his eagle eye
shot along the ranks the contagion Of his own
courage. Destined for II leader, he every
where asserted his destiny. In his long and
cv.ntful life he came in contact with men nI all
ranks and professions, but he Ierrrir that he
wos in the presence Of Il man superior 10 nm
self I'm the assemblies Of the people, AZ The
bar. in the Senate Everywhere within the
circle Of his personal presence he assumed and
maintained Il position Of prc'cminellce. Inc
entire absence Of e;lui"ocat!on or disguise in all
his acts was his maslcr.key' TO the public
heart. lie nerer pn'teSea IN q doudte sense.
The country was never in doubt as to his
opinions or purposes. IN all the contests II
his time, mis- position Or great public qles'
tons was as clear rs the noon day sun IN =
cloudlesS sky. Sir, standing Us the grave oil
| this great man, and considering these things,
how contemplate does appear all the lcgcrde'
main Of politics? What Il r~ctrnach on bis life
is that false policy which would tri!!e with a
great and upright people. II were 10 VIII.
his ep,,aph, | would lnscribc as The highest
eulosv on the stone which shall mark his rest
ing place, Here lies a man who w@$ i'll TIE
public service for fifty years and never NJ
tempted 10 deceive his countrymen.
Thus Breckenridge went on. and rs lie paid
the rich tribute Of his ~clivairic nature 10 his
deceased friend, he seemed 10 have transtiiscd
the very soul Of the departed statesman into
his own. The truth *, the natures and quail
| -. II H., ,,., ,,,n, ,.ur, IIIrD IltEn and II
was, therefore, Il natural and easy thing for
Breckenridge IN appreciate Clay AMI describe
him as clolncntly and truly Is lac did. lie hal
but to speak from his own heart. The Salne
remark NAV bc made .! his noble description
of General Butlrr-'All the hereditary IN
stincts of his race srrIrn Concca!mcnt or rva-
sion."--"llc is i l!an pure and incor:rIi't!h!r.
u Democrat Of the Jackson temper, 4 states.
man without guile, sir, and as a%Soldlcr, why, the
very Bayard Of his coantry, The knight without
fear and without :eproacb.' Those "ho know
breckenridge, will scarcely necd to he told
that these grand descriptions Of noble qualities
arc but the reflex al his W sterling rharac.
ter.
The wonderful success oil Dir. Breckenridge
has been already referred 10, simply rs IN eH:
listing fact, but some reference tn its CAUSE ami
character, and to lis corrclaIivc- his pupuiari.
TVS necessary 10 complete even this hasty
sketch. His first election To ColI:Tc>s was 4
wonderful achievement. The District inT which
ne was returned WAS The district and holnc Of
sIIenry CLAY. 1t was Wing by = ~maj9rity Of
sixteen hundred. Ills competitor, General
Leslie CoombS, was one Of the SfrewdrSt tac-
ticians and ubieSt debaterS in Kentucky. Yet.
Mr.. Breckenridge, beating down this heavy
majority, and this strong antagonist, was elect
ed by L majority Of more than five hundred
The result was = subject ni remark in all po!iii-
cal circles. In his second canvass the Wings
evinccd 4 ~reSolutc purpose to recover Tie DIS
trict, and brought into !l!c tici;! Governor
Lctchcr-an experienced campal5ncr-oi great
ability and established reputation, and alto
ce,her, the strongest Wing in The State. The
canvass was Of the hottest kind, and, is iiIaii,;
will remember, the interest and excitement
spread over the whole country. But the Sc
cond victory Of the rising young Democrat was
even moro signal than the first.
Following this came the p~rolttrcd MISSION 10
Spain and its modest declinatire. Then the
spontaneous call to the Vice Presidency, then
his election to the Senate, and now the deep
and strong under-current OF popular feeling m
his favor for the Presidency. Such unparalleled
succcss-cspccialiy in orr country, and Tor )"
Young u man does not Of course pass without
emphatic remark. 1t is debated sometimes in
popular style, and sometimes with piillo"opi'i-
cal gravity. Some dispose Of tl!c matter in a
summary way, Of the simple theory of luck:
This rgunent certainly Cannot DC logically
disprorcd. Others say it is because hc is 4
fine, gallant, genial, high.spiri;cd fellow; but
there are hundreds OF men ni that character
who are never heard OF beyond the small cir
! cles in which they move. There arc those
| again who refer his popularity ami success TO
his brilliant talents, but there are many merely
brilliant men who live unsuccessful and die
| obscure. There are still others who dcduce
his intellectual and p%olilica! powrras necessary
! physiological or psychological results OF the
! blood that is in him. They argue that NOT
only his father, his grandfather, and ali his
, kinsrncn Oh. the Breckenridge side, were :icn
| Of mirht and high sense Of honor, hut that so
| were his ancestors on the maternal side begin
ming with old John Withcrspoon, If the Decia-
ration Of independence, and coming dow To
! the present; that his family, throughout "'r
| whole existence rs Il nation, has matie lis marx
| upon the politics and mora!S %! the country,
| and that it is because he is sprung from such 4
| race of men that he has RIM such i SplcndiG
career. But all this Is wide nl the MARI. iHe
true source Of it all is in the man himself, and
| in the common sense Of tho people. II is sheer
! impossibilitY To account for it on any other
| grounds. lie may he APPLY described in his
own words applied to Butler and Clay, for he
possesses the great qualities OF BON. lie Is Il
man pure aud incorruptible, n Democrat OF the
Jackson temper, q statesman without guile
all the hereditary instincts Of his race Spurn-
;nr concealment or evasion; and in him lutel-
lect. ncrscn, elouncnce, and courage unite to
firm a character fit to command. Ii he were
not such Il man he would have met with no
such uninterrupted success, and had n" such
surprising popularity.
Eu; few OF orr conventional great mgn bear
the test Of close inspection. 1t is a subject Of
common remark that nearly al Of them arc
dTarfed into the merast mediocrity by c!Gsr
and familiar observation. In most cases it Is