National Republican., 1878-01-23
LECTURES LAST EvENING.
Lecture Of the Secretary Of the Navy-A
Fine Audience and Brilliant Eject.

Lecture Of the Secretary Of the Navy-A
Fine Audience and u Brilliant Eject.
Notwithstanding the threatening weather and
the act that two other popular lectures deliv.
cred last evening, the Foundry Church was well
filed with most select and appreciative audience
to listen to Hon. r. W. Thompsons Personal Rec
objections Of Deceased Statesmen" The frst pon
tion Of the lecture consisted Of graphic picture
OF the contest between John Quincy Adams aud
the Southern leaders, occaSoned by the attempt
Of the latter 10 crush the old hero
for Offering a petition for the dissolution
OF the Union, but which resulted In their utter dis
comfture and signal victory for che old man elo-
Kings reception last Saturday evening, and was
reported IN our issue Of Monday morning.
Al the conclusion Of this animated description,
ceeded 70 give some Interesting @ remin.ccnccs Of
President Jackson. He first saw h m at Nashville,
h posns @ m as he roHc IN o@ tbc Her Herr
mitagc on horseback. lie next met him IN Wash.
ington, In 1879. when he had come on With his
troduccd TO the President by his father as one
whose views were already changing from the
Democratic standards. jackson laid hisband on his
head and said Young man, have no advice to
give you with regard TO politics, but to think 81.
wsys for yourself aud let conscience be your inra.
riable guide"
Referring TO the charge that Jackson did not
write his inaugural. the speaker stated that he had
some original confidential Letters Of the General
.
He mado passing reference to General Eaton
and the troubles arising from the Kitchen Cab-
net, and closed with glowing tribute to Jncksons
noble traits Of character and his undoubted and
unlinching loyalty to the Union.
The next statesman treated OF was Henry Clay.
He frt described his brilliant and impassioned
oratory, of which he said. those who had not heard
him could get but very imperfect idea from his
nearly the Grecian than the Roman standard, aud
IN all the essential qualities OF true eloquence II IL
doubtful Y he was surpassed by Dcmosthenes or
| Cicero. Hut he was not merely speaker, or man
OF genius; he was thoroughly practical statesman,
and understood the machinery Of government bet.
| ter, pcrhaps, than any man Of his time. The
speeches Of Webster are read In the school room as
models Of classic d!ction aud those Of fcahoun are
wonderful specimens OF the severcst logic; but
those Of Clay charts, pointing nu: the rocks ON
which the ship OF s'a,c cannot strike without go n.
| to destruction.
| Clay was undoubtedly ambitious but lie was also
rmucnily unseiiish and aimed To secure power
more for the hcncht the country than for him
self Ills famous declaration that lie had rather
be right than be President fully sustained by
every act of his public aud private life The scene
In the House on the occasion Of the delivery OF his
farewell address In 1874, and especially his leave
| taking OF his Old antagonist, Calhoun was de-
scribsd as most affecting. Called To the Senate
again by the exigences Of the country IN lSiy, his
heart was rent by the discussions between the
| North and the South. and he wore himself out in
his efforts to bring about the compromise of ls;D
Referring again TO Clhy's elOluenCc, he 'n!d that
he bad never studied Uritary, aud lie sometimes
fell below himself particularly In what are termed
vet srvcchCs.' lie required TO bc stirred up sc,
on NE IL we're 10 do himself justice. aud this lac
never failed to he when his personal honor OF
that Of hi country was assAiled when tic furvld
stream Of glowing Language poured forth with
Irresistible force.
Among those present were the President and
Mrs. Hayes. pTSimaster-CenerG Key, and Other
prominent officials, the Japanesc Minister, Rev Dr
GalmEgc tof Brooklyn, Hon. William Dennkon
and UthgFN,