National Republican., 1880-08-23
nENpEG,Ks oN sNGLI.n.

HENDEItKs on english.
Tho Hon. THOMAS 4. IIENDRICKs has
been long known TO fame as an orator of
persuasive gracefulncss, but little inclined
to ioGgiuess so that it was not often clear
to duh comprehensions exactly what he in
tended TO praise aud what to condemn. lie
made many eloquent addresses during tho
war, which led some people TO think he
strongly sympathizod with the soldiers who
were in the field, but as he uniformly op.
posed all the important measures designed
10 prosecute the war with vigor so that the
soldiers might win an early peace and re-
turn to Their homes, it was not so certain
what his feelings actually were until he
finally joined in the declaration that the
war was a failure II was much the same
on the currency question, his uuorances cx-
hiliting q dissemination to n hasty plunge
on either side until the sreenbacli elements
showed signs Of great and growing strength
sufficient to Justify any prudent man in
not desiring to be recloned rs altogether
an enemy; and so has it been on other
questions,
The nomination Of his dear friend, ESG.
JIsH, to the vice presidency has afforded
him an opportunity to show himself in
more decided attitude, and scizng it with
the ayidity of a waun.hearted adnirer who
is almost too full for utterance, he las come
TO the front in the character of panegyrist
whose words are destined to be read aud
remembered especially by the object him
self
Eulogy is not the easiest form of public
address, and great orators often struggle
fearfully before they can say all they would
in the way they would. EDWARD EVER
EFT was two hours in delivering his far
famed address on WASHINGTON; WENDELL
PHILLIPS takes an hour and half to depict
the virtues of DANIEL O'CoNNELL, and
RUFUS CHoATE in his mastery delineation
Of the character and work of WEBSTER had
single sentences as long as some of the en-
tire addresses of RALPH WALDO EMERSON.
HENDRICKS, however, was not thus tedious
He compactod all that could be said oi
ENGLISH that was valuable into about
three seconds, and most of it was embodied
in q single epigram: "He is not extrava,
giant in hope; he is not abundant in prom.
" ise.' This, il is true, is not quito so posi-.
tive as the language of some, being mega
lively put 1t is not given to all men, and
especially TO natural sraddlers, to put
things Nflrmatively in condensed form
HENRY LEE said Of WASHINGTON: "Hc
"was first in war, first in peace, first in the
hearts of his countrymen." HAMLET
said of his father "IIe was man that
take him all in all, we shall not look upon
" his like again."
" Veni rid, rici "-"I came; saw; con.
"quered." These are all in the affirmative
form of praise, and like the later saying o
HENDRICKS are extremely neat and pointct
and will be remembered at least as long
why shouldn't they?
1t ought not in any given case to be ex
pected that even in eulogium more should
be said than there is to say and in thi
special instance it does not appear tha
HENDRICKS has been censured for leavinl
out anything which could be of service
The vital points were touched with a mas
ter hand. "Not extTavagant in hope" n,
man who protects his precious person il
sleep by the wise drawn canopy of an iror
cage would ever be expected to carry az
overload Of hope on his upper deck. N,
man who charged his fellows ten per cent
per month for money loaned would be &C
counted liable to entertain extravagant no
tions respecting the probable future ofthos
fellows or their wives and children n
man running for the vice-presidency on IN
any earthly reason for extravaganza of hope
unless the ballot should be inordinatel,
free or the count more than ordnaril,
fraudulent. We believe HENDRICKS is righ
ON the point "Not abundant in promise.
There is slyncss in this part of tho epi
grammatic sentence worthy Of as great
master Of sarcasm rs the lamonted ARTE
MAS WARD The poor men, whose land
and tenements were summarily seized ant
sold under the inexorable grab mortgage
of the indianapolis SHYLOCK, could, ever,
soul Of them swear that those instrument
NtfC d1 uNHblNib ~ IlblllloC dS uUylllnI
written by the jew of Venice, there bein
in them no hint Of relief, no grant of ex
tension and no intimaton of any remed
for hardship, or escape from falling int
the clutches of the dreaded individual VIII
proyorbially snatcles and Z" takes the hind
most in the great scramble for eXistonc,
Not abundant in promise we should say
and if we mistake not, the managers Of th
party, with their eyes on the ENGLISH bar
rel and their memory fixed on TLDEN'
sealed up bung-hole, arc saying the SAM
thing in sorrow
The most intense study of tho languog,
Of Mr. HENDRICRs shows that he was wei
posted as to the character ofhis friend, ant
did not mean to lead any one astray in tina
regard. The negative form Of praise ad