The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1875-05-23

ilesh from the soul which scars away,
too great aud noble for ia tenement OF
clay,
a philOsophlo historian, In explOr-
ing the records Of men, has remarked
that there ARE few characters which
have stood the closest scrutiny aud the
seyerest tests, which have been tried
In tho furnace aud have proved pure I
which have been weighed In tho bal
allee aud not found wanting which
have been declared sterling by the gen
eral consent OF mankind, and which
are ylsibly stamped with the Image
aud supersGrlpil0n Of the Most High |
but when some future Maoaulay shall
narrate the events Of our bloody drama,
and reproduce the portraits OF those
who were its most conspicuous actors,
no will find indellbly stamped upon
the character OF BreokinrIdge both the
Image and the superscriptiOn OF dOd.
His mind was one OF those rare gifts
OF nature which IN capable OF contract
Ing Itself 10 the humblest duties or "
expanding Itself TO the highest require
ments Of human effort. We soc him,
the leader Of n great party, cOnde-
scendipg 10 become the commander Of
q small brigade, and declaring that no
was ready 10 shoulder his musket with
his sons and become private In the
ranks Of an army which he aubse-
quently commanded. After being seq
rotary OF war and directing the move
ments OF all the armies OF u cOnfeder-
acy that Numbered for four years for
peace at the gates OF the north, and
more than once lighted lts camp fires
In the foreground OF Washington, no
offers Ills services 10 the sheriff OF Fay
cite county 10 put down tho petty dis.
orders OF Il precinct
hut he was greatest on the greatest
occasions. In the council at Charlotte
court house, which determined upon
the surrender Of the slOuched aud dis
plrited remnaptOf n once powerful
army, he still Possessed the stOutest
heart and the most lnfiexlble courage.
Since the war he has stunned politics
aud avoided oil expressions which
might augment the burdens OF peo-
pie In defense of whom he had fought
and for whom he had shown his Will
lingness 10 die. He readily dlstln-
guished what was accidental and tran
STORY In politics from what was immu-
table and essential, and, while ready
TO adjust old institutions to new state
Of society, desplsed that vulgar herd
who are always willing 10 barter the
most sacred principles OF human
liberty for the mere pittance Of
temporary success. He preserved
throughout the wilderness OF his soul,
and pursued course which showed
him IN great In defeat M In victory, ~
noble In neglect M In the most eleva-
ted station. His was the most daunt-
less spirit In the chamber OF death.
When physicians were bending with
heavy hearts over his emaciated and
broken form; when relations and
friends were clicked with s0bs and
convulsed with the agony of 30 great a
loss; when there were hurryings 10 and
fro and trembllngs of distress, he alone
was calm and resolute. He died ~ he
had lived, the same intrepid and Inn
partial spirit, conquering first the adj
verse agents of fortune, and ut last dis
arming death OF its terrors. Now he
lies In Lexington, so cold and still, the
ruins Of the n0blest man to whom
Kentucky hos ever yet given birth.
But what shall we say of mind 30
gifted and genius 40 commanding
AS II reasoner and logician he was the
equal of any adversary Of his time. AS
n rhetorician and an orator he was
perhaps the superior. But he never
allowed the latter to overshadow the
former. In parts of his best arguments
in the senate, during which his feel
ing were excited by conflict, he finds
vent for bursts OF patriotic and poetic
raptures but he was the master aud
not the slave of his emotions. The
vivid imagery which adorned his
speeches never impaired their strength
or obscured the clear common sense OH
which they were based He was mas
sive without being heavy, and graceful
without being weak. He who reads
his speech on the removal of the SEN
ate from the old chamber to the new,
and his reply to Andy Johnson just
previous to his Withdrawal from the
senate, will find an illustration of what
we say. The one
"would have made Quintilan stare and
gasp"
the other would have captivated and
convinced bench Of august judges.
He was not only statesman and an
orator, he was also soldier. His was
the mind to grasp extensive military.
plans, and his was the courage to exc.
cute them with u calm and noble valor.
''If had an army" said General Lee,
NJ would at once put it under his COM
mand." We have indeed tried to re-
call character in history which we
might compare with his own. But we
have failed. He com bined so many of
the best qualities of the great and good
who lived and died before him, that
we can not, without difficulty, fit
his genius to the mold of any one. He
had the valor and energy of Hampden,
the ardent public spirit of Sydney, the
discernment and eloquence Of Burke.
the humanity and moderation of Lee
And when the youth of Kentucky, In
some future peril of their country, shall
wish to gather strength and derive q
lesson from the lives of the immortal
martyrs of human freedom, they can
resort to the spot consecrated by the
ashes of Kentucky's greatest son, and
breathing an atmosphere still instinct
with the spirit of the departed hero,
their hearts will beat with warmer
love of liberty and their souls be EN-
kindled by q new and more glowing in