Virginia free press. (Charlestown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1832-1916, 1878-12-21
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DYJ. d. McGILL.


Sir: find in a recent issue of your paper,
the'.olioWiDg excerpt
Burke loathcd Sheridan to such degree that
he always Quilted q room when the latter enter
ed IT,"
Permit me TO say that Il would be well nigh
impossible & crowd into two or three lines q
greater perversion of fact or OF historic truth.
Mr. Burke, the very soul Of amiability, capable
of such rudeness as TO quit room upon Tue
entrance Of Mr.. Sheridan or anybcdy elso =
This must be a condensation Of one Of the
numerous libels directed against this great and
good man by those penny-a-liners Of the day,
who delighted 10 hmpooning him, because
they were incapable Of comprehending the
all-towerng genius OF the statesman and phil
osopher. whose views were SO much in advance
Of bis own times that even the Earl Of Chat
ham, his son, Mr.. Pitt, Lord North, aud nearly
al bis contemporaries OF the British Parlia-
meut were very iuadequately appreciative Of
them. Posterity, is, however, doing full
Justice to his memory aud TO the transceudant
part which be took in eleyating the tone Of
public affairs and saving intact British liberty
and even the British throne from licentious
assaults.
Richard Brnslcy Sheridan aud Edmund
Burke were both natives Of Ireland, born 10
the same city, Dublin,} though the former
was twenty years the junior Of the latter
Both sprang from that rank 10 life which must
work out its own way to wealth and eminence.
Both studied law in England, but were weaned
therefrom by the attractions Of general litera-
ture, and from this again by the more animlt-
!ng bustlop Of politics, in which it was their
fate to struggle, the greater part Of their lives,
in the uphill path Of opposition. Ill-success
did not, however, shake their coustaucy.-
DisinterestednesS was, in an eminent degree,
merit Of both for, amid unparalleled shiftiugs
Of principle aDd party, by men who had not
the apology Of STATED Or embarrassed fortunes
to plead, they continued faithful to their
cony;cti0ns-a fidelity not less honorable than
remarkable, because it was initiated by few
Sheridan was witty aud Ingenious and possess
ed Of uncommon natura. powers. He vas
good poet, the first comic dranatiSt of the age
and, almost, in our language, an adroit
politician and a powerful orator--ready,
shrewd, and remarkably cool 10 temper in
debate. With all these talents he was, how
ever, far inferior TO Mir Burke, TO whom, with
Charles James Fox, the great lelder Of the
Wings be looked up very naturally for many
years as guide, philosopher and friend.
On the memorable trial Of Warren Hastings,
Sheridan and Fox proved valuable coajutors f
Mr. Burke, the former delivering at the open
ing n speech on the Begun charge Of more than
five hours continuance. which was considered
one Of the finest orations ever delivered 10
Parliament. Time and space will not
permit me 10 dwell on the numerous
irs'ances in which they q kuo ylelged
their Indebtedness to him. cannot, how
ever, refrain from quoting passage or two iu
a speech Of Mr. Fox, in 1890, when tho first
allusion was made 10 Parliament to the French
Revolution d" II, said be, were 10 put oil
the political information | have gained from
books, all that have learned from science.
and all that the knowledge Of the world AMI
its affairs has taught me, into one great scale,
and the Improvement have derived from the
conversation and instruction Of my right
honorable friend Mr.. Burke in the other, the
latter would preponderate From him have
learned nearly all my political knowedse.-
To him owe all my fame, il fame | have
any" &c. On the appearance Of the ignis
f1tuis Of Liberty" proclaimed by the French
destructives, however. he aud Sheridan we're
completely carried away and their better
Judgment became so pervaled, il not dazed,
by the spectacle, that they sought to bring
Parliament and the country to accord with
their views. Mr. Burke, on the contrary,
resisted, with all the energy am vehemence Of
bis nature, every ondeavor TO c5untenance the
and he might, had the couplet
then been written, have exclaimed with the
Wizard, 10 "Lochicl's Warning
"'Tls the sunset Of ne gives me mystical lore,
And coming event. cast their shadows before"
hi. prescience is seen in letter to Lord Char
lemont, 10 August, 1880, three weeks after the
;torming Of the Bastile, when he refers 70 "ihe |
I'D Partisan ferocty having broken out 10 a
shocking manner" and adds: "Ths: people |,
ire no. 81 for liberty, and must have a strong I
1and ike that Of their former masters. to 4
,oerco them. Men" he continues. must have I,
. certain fund Of natural moderation 10 quail I
y them 70, freedom, else II becomes noxious I
o themselves and q perfect nuisance 10 every /
,ody else To French correspondent, N. }
,a Menonyille be thus describes the freedom !
hat be loves: ut is not a solitary, uucOo- (
,ected Individual. selfish liberty. !, Is social I
reedom. Il IS that state of things IN ieAioi
he Weriy of no nan, and no Joiy Of men, IS
n a condition to frespdss on the liberty ef any
arson. or any description Of persons, IN socie-
~" And again: Total anarchy Isa SELF
destructive thing. BItifthc same ends should