The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1878-02-04
PRESIDENT THOMPSON
ON THOMAS sABINGTON MACAU.
LEY.
An Eloquent Talk of His Life and
Works, AT the Zane street NJ. L.
Church Saturday Night.


lecture on "Macsuley." Prof. Thompson
is one of the best speakers In the State.
His voice is low and even in its tones,
and every word he utters IS clearly and
distinctly pronounced. He does not rant
at all, and leaves theatrical and high
flown mannerisms to others who need
them.
The speaker began by saying that his
treatment of bis subject was scarcely
q lecture, it was simple, quiet, TAX
with bis audience upon the life and works
of one of the greatest OF all Englishmen,
whose career abounds in noble lessons.
Mscauley struck no attitudes, and
claimed no honors. He was not founder
OF any school of philosophy, nor did he
lesd the armies OF his country to great
victories, but nevertheless he was great
and grand type of great and grand ma
ton. He was kind, and considerste OF
the feelings of those with whom he came
in contact. He was honest, earnest,
noble and unselfsh, and although he
was man of stupenduous intellect
and high rank, still he enjoyed
nothing better than game OF
blindman's buff with little children.
Born in comparatively humble lite, he
lived to be sought after by the first So
ciety of London, became the Governor of
India and Her Msjestys Secretary OF
War, and was finally laid to rest in the
grandest tomb that mankind knows, in
the hushed and famous precincts OF
Westminster Abbey.
With a mind almost supernstural'y
gifted, he possessed heart IS soft and
tender rs a woman's, and conscience as
perfectly clear from stain as man could
own.
Thomas Darlington Macauley WAS born
at Rothley Temple, in Scotland, October
25th, 1900. He was descended on his
fathers side from a long line of Scotch
clergymen, and inherited many of his
good qualities and his personal appear.
ance from them. His mother was
pretty Quakeress. Thomas Carlyle first
saw him as he was bending over book
in the British Museum. Upon beng
asked Whist be thought of "thst gentle
mans appearance" he replied: "Any
one can see he is an honest, good,natured
man, made out OF Scotch ost meal"
Little Tom was wonderfully bright and
precocious boy, Sid lis mother greatly
feared that he would share the fate of
such children generally, and die young.
A female servant of the family used to
say that when Tom was little over
three years of age, he loved to sit and
read TO her as she washed the dishes.
Until he was four years old
his favorite amusement was lying on the
floor in front of the fire with slice of
bread and butter in his hand and read
ing. When he was four he was
sent to school and his mother asked
him what re would do without his slice
Of bread and butter. MADAM" said he
with stately bow, "industry shall be
NY bread and application my butter"
At the mature age of five he owned 2
garden, the beds of which were sur
rounded by rows of shells. One day a
servant named Ssliy displaced some OF
the shells to his great indignation and he
marched into the drawing room, where
his mother was entertaining some
very aristocratIc guests, and said
"cursed be Sally" a pause OF surprise
on the part. OF the guests followed this
singular speech and Tom added. Cursed
be Sally For the Scriptures say:
Cursed be he who moveth his neighbours
landmarks"
When he was seven he wrote treatise
cit Nuhi hn INT AnI fnr
the conversion of the heather in Msls-
bar, and at the same age he presented to
his mother history of tho world, which
was full of ability. At twelve he COM
posed the celebrated epitaph on Henry
Martyr. His first appearance in print
was IN an index to a volume of tie
Christian Observer, a paper Of which his
father was editor. Some time atterward
when short of matter IN article defend
ing the works of Fielding and Smolett
was taken from 3 popular magazine by
Mr.. Mscauley and introduced into the
Observer. This article created some dis
turbsnce among the supporters of the
paper who did not agree with its tone,
and TO the horror of the editor Of the
Observer be discovered that it was the
work of his son Tom.
When he was eighteen Macsuley
entered Trinity College, Cambridge,
where he aiterward graduated with high
honors. He was very fond Of this col.
lege and in after years desired TO return
to it and take up his residence there.
His essay on Greclsn civilization appear
ed in 1924, and made him famous at
once. His description of the Puritsns of
England in the reign OF Charles the
First is one of the finest in the language.
PROF. Thompson then read an extract
from the essay referred to- lie seems 10
have read everything and remembered
all that he read. His essays show his
familiarity with almost every subject.
He was equally At home in GreCisn his
tory, talking OF uncouth Sam johnson,
writing Of the craftsmanship OF the
elder Pitt, or describing the trial of
Warren Hastings. His tribute to the
Catholic Church is well known and Is
one Of the gems of our literature. The
lecturer then read the well known lines |
ending, "She will exist when some |
traveller from New Zealand shall take |
his stand upon the crumbllng arches OF
London bridge to sketch the ruins OF St. F,
Psuls." In 1880 ne entered Parliament, |
and his first speech in that body was in |
favor of removing the political disabili- |
ties Of the Jews. He also took leading |
part in urging the passage of the cele- |
brated Reform Bill. Soon after this he |
went to India AS representative of the |
Crown, and while there he promulgated |
wise and just criminal code. He
became Secretary of State for the |
War Department in 1889 in the
cabinet of Lord Melbourne, the same
gentleman who some years previous had
remarked to friend OF Mscsuley's, Il |
wish was as certsin of anything ss
Tom Macsuley Is Of everything" his |
speeches in tho House were masterpieces |
of eloquence, and his words went |
through his hearers like thrills of cleo |
tricity. The cry "Mscauleyis up," MA
canlay is III, " WAS su ffir,aDt Of app TINA