The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1877-11-01

those he made on the impeachment of
Warren Hastings, in minute knowl-
edge, in moral force. in severe invec.
tive, in oratorical flights, in which he
exposed the peculation, the
the oppression, the injustice
and the unprincipled heartlessness of
the company servants. the bitter mis-
cries and the needless casualties to
which the helpless and unfortunate
people of India were subjected speech
es which commanded admiration and
extorted homage, even while they hu-
inflated and classified.
But greater subject than Colonial
difficulties or Indian wrongs, now ag-
itate the mind of Burk, to which he
devoted all the energies of his declin-
ing years /; this was the trouble grow
ing out of the French Revolution. He
was now in the meridian of his fame,
in the maturity of his vast powers,
deeply read in history and philosophy
experienced in politics, and profoundly
acquainted with human nature man
who while he loved liberty more than
any political leader of his day, loathed
the crimes committed in its name. He
was also Christian, and was disgust
ed and shocked with the shallow but
flippant infidelity which passed cur
rent for progress and improvements.
The estimates of Burk's wisdom and
greatness will be ever effected by the
views which many people still enter
tain of the necessity of the French
revolution itself.
l will not here discuss that mcmora-
bic convulsion, its good or its evils,
the causes which led 10 it or calamities
which attended it until it was absorb
ed in the military conquests of Napo-
leon. Burk, however, abhorred it, op-
posed it and stirred up mighty hatred
of it by his ridicule, sarcasm and in
vective, SO that on him, in no small
degree; rests the responsibility of the
war which England waged for twenty
years against France, and in compar-
ison with which the contest with
America was but mere raid. The
story of those in favor of the revolu-
ton was that the Bnrbon misrule de-
manded redress. that the denominations
of the government for over hundred
years cried to heaven for vengence,
that the ieudal injustice was an out
rage upon humanity; that the miseries
of the people were appalling, that the
mobiles were heartless and oppressive.
that the clergy were careless and
worldly, that the court was extravi-
CANT and frivolous, that the laws were
unequal, that. in short, a searching and
sweeping reform was needed, almost
impossible with the ancient regime
Burk however did not consider these
evils, he simply regarded the remedy
proposed as worse than the disease
and detested the quacks who admins
tered to the malady.
1 haye no words to express my ad-
miration of the learning, wisdom and
literary excellence displayed in his
Reflections on the French Revolution.
So luminous in the statement of plain
truths, so sasacious in the detection of
sophistries, SO full of inspired ihtui-
tions, so Christian in its form and
spirit, although scornful and severe in
rebuke and distasteful as truth ever is
to those who confOund rights with du-
ties. x X
o, how loftily his majestic name
towers aboye the other great states
men of that troubled age. Yea, no
equal to him has. since appeared in
learning and wisdom. Like the odor
of sanctity supposed to eminate from
the tomb of al Eastern hero, the halo
of his imperishsble glory is shed
around every consecrated retreat in
the land. The nation will not let him
die. 1t is by services that men assim-
ilate to deities. The services which
Burk rendered we're noble and benifi-
cent spread over thirty years of public
life and increasing in usefulness till
his career was ended. Mr.. Pitt may
have surpassed him in vigor OF judg-
ment and ready replies; Sheridan in
wit; Fox in power of debate: Chat
ham i'm vehement defamation, Town.
send in Parliamentary skill, but none
loI hs In. sol,,
in learning, in common sense, yea, in
imagination, in rhetorical flights, in
polished irony, in moral wisdom, and
above all, in a thorough knowledge OF
those primal principles of right and
wrong which no sophistry could OBJ
scnre, DO ingenuity gainsay. Aud
here his power, not originality, which
he possessed in the highest degree, mot
learning by which he amazed his aud
itOrs, not sarcasm, of which he was a
master, not passion, by which he over
whelmed such man as Hastings, not
fuency with every word III the lam
gnage at his command, not criticism
so searching that nothing could escape
him, not philosophy, musical as
Apolo's Tyre. not wit, by which he
brought down house, but an insight
into real principles, the moral force of
truth, clearly stated and earnestly de-
Tended.
In every movement for which the
present generation is Iauded, he had a
hand. He gave an impulse to all those
political discussions which have since
resulted in benificent reform. lie
lifted up his voice against tho slave
trade. He encouraged and panegerized
the labors of Howard. He advocated
freedom of trade. lie supported the
just claims of the Catholics. He as
sisted the dissenters, though he was
himself Church man, in their efforts