New-York tribune., 1874-01-14
through life like a great In tho hriDsment some.
times obscured by passing clouds. but bright and

lum,nous 20 the last. -.
OF dsreo mold pronounced by some Of his best friends
vain and irritable yet pureas one or his great cotem
oil party and left the Government after four
Years administration to spend more than twenty years
in the tranquility Of his home In tho bosom OF deght
Tho third President was singuarly well equipped FOR
public life Thomas Jefferson born for leadership,
and he liked load. Literature art music, science,
society conversaton sud staesmsnship In It's highest
sense were his cbosen Instruments He one Of the
fow men who ever lived and proved his precepts by
example. He differed from Hamilton out always hko
gentleman They apostles Of different schools oil
noitcs Mr. Jefferson always opposed presidential
ievees as unworthy Of Republican government aug
now "s e. M the ne %ne House II an abuse
aD unspeakaDle nuisance -, .oo,o, ,-o,,.s
Jefferson in the Presidency James Madison and James
Monroe served peaceful terms ana no scanual
1ns @aTsoa type, OF the best men Of their time
thinkers patriots and scholars. May the time sooa
como all the south shall bo represented by men VI
equal ability and character. .
estng OF the Revolution aud was capable OF re-
tanning the most accurate recOectons or the men OF
that period. Io presents character at once vaIied
and competo Reared 70 statesmanSnip ey a. caeIo aeo
macy. To him the Presidency was hitting theates Ior
his remarkable qualities and msn more enjoyed oe
in his father and In his sonfortunate on him
who led him along the paths OF fame and unspeaxaoH
fortunate In the fact that that fame can De saley
trusted In the tender care OF highly cuaVated pos
terlty. , . a., .., AN
posite OF J0hn Quincy Adams His school was tnat OF
the rugged Western frontier his teachers the pioneers
Permeated by honesty born OF his early hardships.
confirmed by a contempt for money because he had 80
often done without it, lie became the emOody menu OF n
domitabe force He rarely failed In any undertaking
aud to deny that he was happy President would be 70
deny the proof Of his marvellous triumphs over Ill
Martin Van Buren, was what might be called com;
and % % e Of n psseacy
q sort OF Chesterfeldian interval
Gen. Harrison's time was too Drief. he was Sy Wnen
ha ala -fpnn
and therefore an easy prey to the hungry paceen WHO
hunted him to death.
ture OF vanity honesty, and ability He was happy IN
his concet and had plenty OF Virginia pluck He
Democrats But ho Thought ne was right. There is
resemblance between the cultured John Tyler anu
the unoutured Andrew JohnsOn-both men OF great
selI,sunerng, both honest, Dotn quarrehng WIN ese,y
party and both wrecked because OF their inability 10
improve their opportunities ,.
James X. Polk had a comparatively quiet admnistra-
on, owing to the skill with which be selected ms CAP
met aud the and dignity OF his accomplished WIFE,
Gen. Taylor reached the highest office at too great an
age, and after sixteen months OF worry Win the PoI
seized early opportunity to separate himself from hls
party, but without making much OF reputation Ior
himself or making many anmoslties.
Franklin Pierce was the sunbeam OF the White House.
Take him .for all in all, never knew more gener-
character without guile or selfshness or mean
ness, he was a true friend and a forgiying enemy .
James Buchanan was tue exception to the rule OF
happy Pfesdens he Is the historical example OF 1861
opportunities.
Abraham Lincoln was the saddest and the Wit
test OF all our PfesdeuLS. FROM tle VI
brated declaration before Independence Hall on the 22d
OF February 1884, the dark day when he fell yctim
to the he followed by the shadow OF death;
but through all his trials he maintained quaint phOsO-
ply of his own. His humor the SILVER lining TO
every cloud. He was the same in every presence-a
simple natural original man. VINO impressed all
by his manifest sincerity and aroused admiration ana
friendship by his serious candor. No man, however
great left him without feeling that ne mad srappled
with his equal. .
His dealt gave Andrew Johnson, who deliberately
threw away the richest prize He undoubtedly thought
right III his course aud doubtless recurs 10
counsels had been followed would have been better
for the country.
| presume that nobody doubts that Gen. Grant Is
happy President He takes his own course, and fnoWs
his own counsel and seems to think that having been
called the Presidency reward for Ills services In
the field he can precisely he peases and no one
doubts that he doing The main questions or the
day have nearly all been settled. Both parties are
uniting on tho same platform, and are beginning 10
realize that such thing great people pros
pering without government. The whole plan OF the
H. OF our dicuues with England, the manner in which
survived tho panlcall these events are ratner
the product OF the admirable working OF rree ihsttuoha
than Of any party statesman1ke sagaclty.
Col. Forney continued, at some length, 10 speak OF
American statesmen who mad not reached the Pres
dency-of Webster Clay Calhoun. Douglas, and others,
all OF whom worked from love OF work, and reYeleu IN
H. closed with comparison OF the present with the
past age. III have statesmen 80 great as then ~
IA because the whole people being eveled upward.
The tall trees OF the forest longer dstingushabe
because the underbrush has become forest lie
thought that the present age was no ess honest thl
former ages