The Emporia news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1859-1881, 1876-02-04
INGALLS, EULOGY ON WEE4-
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son.
The leading eastern Journals call |
our Senator Ingalls, eulogy on the
life of the late Vice President, de- |
livered in the Senate few days |
ago. as among the best productions
of the cession. We copy, as fol-
lows:
Mr.. President, it has been com
mon to allude to the history of men
like Henry Wilson as peculiarly
American, and 10 declare that such
careers are possible crly under re-
publican institutions. Nothing
could be further from the truth.
The world has had few leaders who
were born to All inheritance of pow
err. Its real kings have not been
the sons Of kings. Its acknowiedg
ed monarchs have not descended
from monarchs. The founders of
its philosophers have not been the
dynasIies the heirs of emperors.
The trainers of the creeds, the in
ventors of the. faiths and religions
of the human race have come from
the manger, the forge, the carpen
ter's bench, and not from the
church. The great leaders OF its
armies have not sprung from war
riOrs; and those who have written
the dramas and pronounced the
oratiOns that are immortal have not
inherited their passion nor their ell
oquence. A pedigree may be graf
flying to the pride, but Il is not
consoling TO ambition.
| The choicest productions of ma
ture are developed in her valleys,
and not on her SUBMITS; and in the
lower social strata we find the cri-
gin of the most successful men.
In the profession of public affairs
or statecraft, it may be that the OPP
Grafton of this universal law is
more apparent under political
system like ours, where the hard
restrictions and Limitations of Gus
tom donot prevail ;but history gives
ample illustration Of its truth. To
discriminate among the living
would be ungracious, but if we in
Iquire who among the illnstrious
servants of the Republic in the
past have most lneffaceably stamped
their ideas aud purposes upon the
3 institutions, aud irrevocabiy shaped
: the destinies of the nation, the an
had not been favored by birth Oh
among the presidents, Webste: Clay
;. and Douglas amoug the statesmen
f are imperishably associated with tn
e first century of the Republic
p Emerging from an Opscurity NOR
. profound than either of these ant
reaching an elevation that Civ
e him a permanent position in on
e history, Henry Wilson demands t.
day the last formal recognition ant
e tribute that his country can exten'
e to his acts and fame.
The story of his life has been toll
|; by his successor, whose powerful
O deliueation of his character an
: services has left nothing to be re
q counted save the lessons of hi
i marvellous career.
1t is perhaps not too much to sa
y that he succeeded less in spite O
: his disadvantages than because c
e them. The defects OF his trainin
e and scholarship, the laborious pov
= erty of his youth, the humble ave
cations of his early manhood, wer
favorable to his fortunes. The
. kept him on a level with the mass
5. es of the people and enabled him t
8 interpret their purposes with pro
3, phetic accuracy. 1t was by reasO
: of this that he became a popular OIL
ator without being eloquent, ths
he became q YOluminous authC
II without the advantages of parli:
= Massachusetts ignored their patri
clans and sent their Natick cobble
to the Senate, and finally to die
the Capital of the nation.
He possessed in an eminent de
tgfee that peculiar assemblage {
: physical, mental and moral quail
5. ties that are requisite to polite,
81 success in a popular government
D. He was from and of the people prt
s. eminently; not alienated frol
ii them by extraordinary endowment
is or great wealth or superior cultur
Is but exhibiting a higher degree or
more vigorous activity of the vi
il tues and powers that are commO
c. among men, industry, diligenc
patience, AMI scrupulous iutegrit
s. So that the great body of citizens
In supporting him seemed to be ind
q rectly paying a tribute of respect
a. themselves, and not yielding eitht
a willing or reluctant obedience
ne a superior or ruler.
- But no public man, whatev'
IN may be his qualifications, can su
OF coed unless he Identifies himse
Id with some idea or conviction exis
I'd ing in tho minds of the people. E
who would lead must follow. An
tn in this respect the vice-presidel
e. was especially fortunate. He el
r. tered public life at the commenc
v ment of that great revolt of the n
to tional conscience against hums
he slavery, and thencsforth he cxerte
o. all his energies to its extinctio
He became one of the great exp'
10 nents and representatives of tn
to idea. 1t gave form, substance ar
a complexion to all its efforts. E
"a mastered its statistics, defined i
= purposes, and in the great conte
" that followed he bore a conspic
~ out part. He gave expression
the resolve of the loyal million
u that in the country of Washingtc
es the creed of human liberty shon
not be an unmeaning formula n
e- the brotherhood of man an emp
IS, dream.
n This is the measure of his wol
and its reward.