The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1871-04-28
IN OLD TIME STATESMAN.
photographed Letter Of William L.
Marcy.

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| AutobfographIcu1 Letter Of William L
Marcy.
The Washington Patriot gives q letter
hitherto unpublished, written by William l.
Marcy, and dated from December 3lst to JAN
uary l, 1885, which latter figure is obviously
wrong. It begins by saying: Before this is
finished I shall have passed from public to
private life. and be in a situation that / have
not occupied for the last eighteen years" and
the following Is a liberal portion Of what fol
lows:
We sometimes arrive at particular points in
the journey where retrospection IS naturaLy
forced upon us. have reached one OF these
stages in my career. Having arrived SO near
to It's close, it is natural that | should ask what
| have done ior myself and what for others. J
do not think that I am open TO the reproach OF
having been idle or uselessly employed. yet |
cannot boast Of having done much. what l
have done for myself may speak-what for
others, they can better Judge. The stations
have held are honorable. aud such as are not
USUALLY attained by accident or good fortune
alone. Whatever other consequences that
have attended them, they haze not been prof.
table. The pecuniary compensation which |
have received for eighteen years OF 1ncesSant
iabors-the largest portion oil active and ViSor-
Gus lite-has been a bare subsistence Tor my
self and my comparatively small tamily;. per-
haps not eatirely that. The means l had when
I entered into the public service. If left to &c
cumulate In the ordinary way, would have be
come at this time more than dare promise
myself l now have. My labor, cares and re-
sponsibilities have been greater than would
nave fallen to my lot in the ordinary pursuits
OF private life. fmy acquisitions in q pecunl-
airy way have probably been less. and my 10
bors and vexations greater, what compensa-
ting advantages are 10 be brought into the call
culation to balance The account?
Public life Is in some sense q servitllde. but
it is usually accompanied with enjoyments,
and these are to most minds a sufficient re-
ward; but The extent OF these enj0yments de-
ponds essentially upon the character OF the
recipient. If u public man Is endowed with q
good degree Of vanity he is made happy by the
respect his station procures him;i if he is am
bilious, he is male happy by the opportunity
afforded him OF gratifying that dominant pas.
sion. If he is anXlous TO extend the sphere Of
his usefulness, he is mace happy by the real
iZation OF his benevolent wishes. | Will not
say that from each of these sources have not
derived some enjoyment, but If do not mis-
Judge Of myself, IL has been less than most
others would have felt in my situation. This
implies an opinion that ! have less vanity and
lSSS ~ LlAui " ObANA ~
diligence OF this opinion you may regard az q
refntation OF its correctness. Selt-deluslon
more readily and more egregiously errs IN dis
believing the existence OF faults than over-esti-
mating claims to merit. All the acquisitions
of life are generally pronounced empty and
unsatisfactory as soon as the passions Wnlch
attended the pursuit of them have subsidized.
Honest fame deserves to be priced as highly,
perhaps more so, than any OF them, and this
usually accompanies, N q greater or less de-
gree, a man In an elevated station, who has
been faithful to his trust, even IT his capacity
and qualifications are ofan ordinary character.
How much OF Ii / merit, or how much Will De
awarded to me-, (for q man may get more or
less than he deServes,) I will not attempt TO
lous, even to an intimate friend: but If, in my
free unbCsoming &C myse!fto yon, I felt at lib
erty to express an opinion on that subject, l
should be at q loss to graduate 1t. | mignt shy,
perhaps without arrogance or the imputatidn
Of vanity, that l have a fair claim to considers
ton for good intentions; for u diligent app!ica-
ticn OF my faculties, whatever they are, to my
public dulles; for having taken, at least. usua!
pains to guard myself against the intrusion OF
improper motives OF action, and to adhere 10
and follow out correct principles, or rather,
such as / thought 10 be correct. l do not deny
that / have had regard 10 the interests Of my
party, but | have pursued these as subordinate
and subserVlent 10 the pn0ilc So0d. But non
esty OF purpose and industry, the. Only points
in regard to my claims to public consideration
upon which ! presume 10 venture an opinion.
are but a trivial part of the materials required
tor the foundation Of public fame-indeed, OF
themselves they do nothing toward it. Good
intentions, without abilities to carry them into
effect. and Industry without u sound Judgment
to give it o proper and useful application. are
OF very little worth. No one can earn for him
self the praiseworthy distinction which de-
serves the name OF fame without native tai
ents, large requirements, sagaclty, prudence,
and a sound Judgment. Many claim a fair
share of these, and those who think they have
them in an eminent degree are the most likely
to be mistaken. OF my endownents in these
/ shall only say that have enough OF
prudence and Judgment not to indulge In even
a conjecturul estimate OF The share OF them
that I nossess. You may think that | ain
rather prematurely summing up the cause be-
fore all the facts are brought out, but think
the testimony Is closed. My spring and sum-
mer are past, and l have advanced lar into the
autumn of life. 1t would be folly in Inc 10
think of sowing seed for another harvest. At
most, / can only CLEAN a little longer In The
old fields. / neither see a prospect nor feel u
desire OF returning again to life. Nor an ! At
unhappy that it is so.