The weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1869-18??, 1870-03-30

"a ff.tr,9a 49,
HENRY GRArTAN.- Perhaps Of all the
men who swayed the hearts of his country
men by his eloquence, and by the warm
glow of his patriotism kindled in Ireland a
sense Of national Independence, there is not
one who can dispute the palm with Henry
Grattan. Grattan was small and slightly
built, but although to appearance of weakly
frame was wiry and muscular, and so redo
lent OF power was his Temperament, that
many who heard him speak came away with
the impression that he was man of bold
and commanding presence strange error,
but one which many have owned they have,
fallen into with regard to Lord Palmerston,
whom really it is not always easy to remem-
Der as man oflow statue. Grattan's fea
tures-with an intensely melancholy cast of
expression-were finely and delicately cut :;
the eyes beaming with alook of gentleness
peculiarly engaging, and the mouth strong
y marked with those traits ofhumor which.
in him, however, were always subordinated
to deep purposes and serious effort. 1t was
said he took Chatham for his model and
there were certainly many points of resem-
blance between them. Still Grattans man.
ner was distinctive enough to reject all idea
ofimitatiou, and there were traces of that Gel
tic nature so evident about him, it would
have been impossible for him to have con-
formed to any discipline that should have
cuIbed the imaginative discursiveness of
of his mind, and the play of fancy that
SCARED to the highest flights of poetry. His
own alteration of Chatham-of whom he,
said, 'Modern degeneracy had not reached,
him, the features of his character had the
hardihood of antiquity; his august mind
ovcrawed majesty itself,"-may have con
tributed to the impression that he had
taken him for his model. There was. how
ever, in Grattan one characteristic eminent
ly individual, and, in a great degree, Celtic.
He was extremely antithetical, not SO much
from any deficiency in the power of gradua
ted reasoning and close logical ability, as
from his instructive quickness of perception
amounting to positive lmpatience, which
rejected the slow march of a demonstration,
when by bound he could grasp the proof
that lay under his hand. ~ $50 1lit
Wide and great as were his intellectual
powers, there was that in his temperament
aerial and lofty that scared high above
them. Engaged with great subject, or
with ole to which his genius had lent
greatness, his enthusiasm knew no bounds.
All the resources of the splendid intellect
came forth in glittering array, and no man
could marshal them with such terrible eff
feet; lofty and impass1oned appeal, noble
sentiment, classic allusion, brilliant imagery,
the most polished wit, sarcasm the most
whitening, and, not least OF all, tone of
tenderness that yibrated in every heart
that heard him. All were his, and none
could vary, combine, or alternate them
with more consummate art. Above all
his intellect rose his personal nature.
There never lived more generous,
more torgiving, more kindly man-none
who could dwell with more heartfelt pathos
on the ties of friendship, nor one who could
depict an adversary with more generous jus.
tice The charm that surrounded him in
private life, they who knew him in his in
timacy speak OF as something of actual ,fas,
cination. There was not one Of his great
powers that he could not bring, reduced to
themeridian of daily life to the intercourse
of society. Without touch of pedantry,
he gave to common conversation the ele-
vance of literary culture, and this without u
vestige of the great political leader, or even
overbearing by bis superiority the least ven
turesome or ambitious about him.-Cor1hM
magazine, 4 * 63iian-- t3sgs lioiiaza -i =