Delaware State journal and statesman. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1855-1870, 1869-08-03
IFrom the Louisville tKy.l courier-Jouinall
GREAT YOUNG MEN.

that there is wide difference between tb
men who produce revolutions and the mel
whom revolutions produce The epigran
has been illustrated for us over and owe
during the last ten years. But il is of SOM
Importance for us TO know what sort Ol mel
are likely TO control the desllnies of thl
country hereafter.
The men who produce revolutions arc oh
scured by the revolutions which they pro.
duce. The men who figure during nerlod
of revolution are generally untitled for III,
period of repose which succeeds the revolu-
tion in which they figured There is an in
terim Of unfashiOned mediocrity. The ole
iogles, who were great before the war, az.
every year passing ont of sight and out q
mind. The heroes of the war are every
year growing less and less heroic. Tho
new crop has not come on. Nothing is quite
formed Nothing is thoroughly seasoned
There are just enough fragments of obsolete
stateHmanship TO clog the wheels oil govern.
meni. There are just enough of accidental
statesmen in power TO confuse, but not 10
seriously retard, The progress of a system
made up Of features peculiar 10 itself. These
| pecnliarilies create fresh supply of thoughts
and actors suited TO the altered conditions
of lie and the novel exigences of affairs.
History does not repea. itself; but human
nature does, and, though the events may be
never so dissimilar, the influences, the mo-
lives, and the purposes are very much the
same.
The vanity of very young men has led
them TO believe that they are the great men
OF tie present, and that its concerns must
go wrong unless entrusted to them.
This is an error. There will never be
another great young man in civil affairs
That which advanced the pretensions of
Pitt, Clay, Webster, Breckenridge, and
Banks was oratory. Oratory is no longer
power. Population settles that. There has
been no Infant phenomenon in England
since Pit. None in New England since
Webster, Banks alone excepted. None in
the West except Breckinridge. AS popula.
tion in each of these localities has increased,
the effectiveness of public speaking as
means of disseminating and enforcing opin-
ions has decreased. The five thousand
whom an orator addresses are bnt so many
dropsin the bucket that holds millions. The
exaggeration that the pen is mightier than
the sword, which was absurd enough when
1t was uttered, is beginning 10 be realized.
II is certainly mightier than oratory, and
this destroys the young mans best chance
OF advancement. If ones capacities are TO
be measured by his talent for excited decla-
nation, precocious auGacity and personal
appearance, there is no reason why lad of
as attractive figure as his elders. He has
the strength, fire and freshness OF youth on
his side, and, as the manner of his discourses
rather than their matter is the criterion and
tumutuous mob the judges, he has a posi-
i've advantage over age and reflection.
Pitt carried the House of Commons with
Inn and was made prime minister of Eng
land before he was twenty-five. But then
MS speeches were not reported were not
read in cold blood were delivered TO an in
hammable auditory ; were doubtless vehc-
ment, rOtund and graceful. Clay was in
Congress before lie was eligible. He, too,
could speak in the presence of all his con-
stltuenis So with Webster, and also, in
limited degree, with Breckinridge, who was
Vice President at thirty six, and Banks,
who was Speaker Of the House of Represen-
tatives during his second term. But there
will not he another Pitt in England NOR
another Clay in America. The examples of
Breckinridge and Banks-who were ten
years behind both Pitt and Clay, though
rapidly pushed forward-ill illustrate the point.
The altered condition Of the civilized world
cnlorces it conclusively.
Oratory, as power, is dead. II is now
merely an accomplishment. Year by year
the influence of personal contact must give
way hefOre the force o IDEAS The mob that
hears speech is hut small parr or me fntfss
that reads ii, A big voice, sententlous ne
riods, fcryid volubillty, grace, jocularity,
eloquence, all the tricks of speech combined,
will not suffice il they be not sustained by
some strong underlying quality, such as or
iglnallty, or sound doctrine, or robust
thoughts, that will bear the critical action
OF time. The man who would lead the
people must, first of all, represent the peo-
pie, and he must be of mature mind. He
cannot thrive on sound and fury lie must
rely upon tho matter, not the manner, of
what he says must look to see IL recorded
in black and white must calculate its weight
and effect in cool blood. Thus government
will become more and more reasonable as
its public men become more and more
thoughtful and mature.
This Is not fiattering to the ambition of
Young America. But, if it be not true. whv
have we not host of brilliant young states. |
men now thronging the halls of legislation,
state and national The old fogles are
passed away. The war men are mediocre |
Here is a noble chance for precOciOus genius. |
Why does It not assert itself? For tiie rea- |
sons we have named. Greatness, which |
used 10 come by nature, now comes through |
The union of nature, experience, and culture |
In England man is said 10 be young man |
at iorty. The reason is that men do not |
begin to rise before they arc forty, and van |
ity and tradition lead men 10 desire TO rise |
young. So will ii be with us. We are pas
sing through the interim of commonplace. |
There is just enough of that which is not
of the time left among us TO |
conceal the growth of The harvest of new |
IDEAS and new men that began to snrout |
with the first dews of peace that fell from
heaven. A few years longer and we shall |
sec them ripen, broadminded and new. FASH
oned boys of thirly-fve and forty, who have |
come TO their growth amid the clash of two |
warning systems with neither OF which they |
thoroughly sympathized who are identified |
with none OF the old schools; who, having |
no histories, are blessed who are better
educated than their fathers, and, if not
better men, at least better suited TO their
epoch. They will laugh at our spotted
records. They will take small heed Of pre-.
'edents. They will hew out for themselves
hat which they think best, and whether it
will be an empire or republic no man can
predict