Lamoille newsdealer. [volume] (Hyde Park, Vt.) 1860-1877, 1861-10-25
A Biographical Sketch OF Thomas GleeS.
Read dctore Tie Ve,momt Historical
Society, Oct. 10TH 1861, By Il. L. Per-

Soc'ety, oct. 10Th, 1861, By Il. L. Per
Ains, Esq, Of Store, Vermont.
DR.. johnson says in the RAMBLER ~ have
thought that there has rarely passed a life OF
which a judicious and faithful narrative would
not be useful. For, not only every man has in
the mighty mass of the world, great numbers in
che same condition with himself, to whom his
mistakes and miscaniages, escapes and expedi-
ents would be Of immediate and apparent use
but there is such uniformity in the state of man,
COM idered apart from adyenttious and separabe
decorations and DISCUSSES that there is scarce any
possibility of good or i'll but is common to man
kind. We are all prompted by the same motives,
all deceived by the same faacies, all animated by
hope, INSTRUCTED by danger, entangled by desire
and seduced by pleasure, and therefore no species
of writing seems more worthy of cultivation than
biography since none can be more delightful or
more useful, none can more certainly enchan the
mind by irresistible interest, or more widely
iifluse instruction to every diversity of con-
Ii ion
We're the Vermont Historical Society about to
put forth special appeal with view of enls-
prhensive or conclusive argument could be made
in behalf of one department of its labors than we
find in this passage of the English essayist. We
have here a striking calculation of the maxim
That " History is philosophy teaching by example ,
The man whose every endeavor il crowned with
success, or he who meets with dlsappointments
and reverses at every turn, are both to be studied,
and philosophically compared by US that we may
Judge how far the success of the one was the re-
result of wise forecast and dilcretion and the re-
verse OF the other of indiscretion, and i'm provi
dence. Such philosophical compaii sons will be
made by us with much greater facility and
accuracy of nen who have lived and fuf led their
lions have borne the nearest resemblance to our
own soil and hence no biography can be
studied with greater profit if we keep
those purposes ever in view, than of men
who have lived when we live, and experienced to
some extent the same political, ci,i relations
that we do, and the vsstudes of the same country
state and community. - he object, then which
the Society has in view in giving to biographies
OF Vermonters SO prominenta place in its allot-
ments Of business must meet the entire approval
of all who appreciate It's designs. 3ft
Many of the papers hitherto prepared for the
Society have been sketches of eminent men who
lived in former generation, and who long since
passed away. However bitter might have been
the grief of the generation in which these men
lived at their departure, We do not shareit. We
study their lives for the noble examples that they
furnish for our imitation. We exalt their virtues,
but rarely do our sympathies run back far enough
to cause any poignancy of regret at their death.
But in the progress of the Society from this
time onward, as it already embraces in its MEM
bership many of the most eminent men of all
departments of bus mess in the State it will be-
come no small part of its duties to provide for
the preservation of the histories of its own mem
beers who shall be called from among us year by
year. This work has commenced and there are
now in the rich depository of papers of the socie
ty, several eloquent tributes to the memory of
men who but as yesterday greeted us with their
presence ut our meetings.
The short but active and industrious career of
Hon. Thomas Gleed, Of whom am about to speak
had brought him into the favorable notice of
large portion Of the people of our State. By his
connection during the lat four five years with
many prominent matters of public interest in the
State, which his own voice no doubt helped much
to shape and control, he had drawn forth from
the people and the press, numerous testimonials
of appreciation and esteem, and often were these
early manifestations of talent and ability, spoken
Of as presages of future eminence and distinction.
But his life is rendered worthy Of our attention
at this time not more by what he Accomplished
however, rapid and brilliant may have
been his services than by the circumstance of
his sudden and most unexpected removal from
these earthly scenes, where he appeared so re-
Gently as an active participant. At the last
October meeting Of 'he HI torical Society he
was present and in the full enjoyment Of health |;
young, vigorous, energetic, having ever ex-