The Irish standard., 1886-06-12
THE GREAT EDMUND BURKE.
Continued from first page.)

1 (COn tinued from first page.)
than Edmund Burke. 1t has been con-
tended, and not without excellent show
of reason, that as an orator Burke is
not merely in the first rank, but that
he is himself the first, that he stands
alone without rival, without peer,
and that none of the boasted master
pieces of antiquity can even be said to
contest his .unquestionable supremacy.
Such enthusiastic advocacy may, per-
|haps, be admitted to belong to the fer
vor of partisanship at least, it is in no
sense necessary to Burke's fame that
the fame of others should be in any
wise degraded. It is sufficient praise to
say that Burke is one of the greatest
orators the world has ever had; to
argue that he is superior to Demos
themes on the one hand, or to Cicero on
the other, is to maintain an argument
very much on par with that which 1t
amused Burke himself to maintain
when ne contended for the supremacy
Of the Hneid over the Iliad. 1t is quite
enough to say, and it may be said al
most without fear of contradiction. that
Burke is probably the greatest orator
who ever spoke in the English language.
Certainly I can at this moment think OF
no nobler passage of human and mum
dane eloquence than that In which
Burke concluded his speech at the
Guild hall in Bristol in the year 1880,
and which I make no more apology for
quoting now than l should for asking
a mau to admire q splendid sunset on
the ground that he had often seen the
sun to sleep before. 1t is the close of a
long speech in which Burke has trav-
ersed all the political field; he has ex-
pressed his gratitude to the electors for
having 'set me in place where l. could
lend the slightest help to great and
laudable designs He would be glad
to lend that help still in that way if it
be their will. ''If have taken my part
with the best OF men in the best Of
| their actions I can shut the book |
might wish to read a page or two more,
but this is enough for my measure-I
have not lived in vain" Then comes
the concluded passage, perhaps the
loTtiest apologla pro vita sua ever made
by public man in the face Of his fel~
Iow-men a hundred years have come
and gone since those words were spo-
ken, but they ring in our ears to-day as
clearly as if we too had stood in that
hushed crowd forgetting the odd deliy-
cry and the ungainly actions Of the
speaker in rapt admiration Of the spok-
en- words.
"And now, gentlemen, ON this serious
day, when come as it were to make up
my account with you, let rae take to
myself some degree Of honest pride on
the nature Of the charges that are
against me. do not stand here before
you accused Of venality, nor Of neglect
Of duty. It has not been said that, in
the long period OF my service, / have in
a single instance sacrificed the slightest
of your interests to my ambition Or to
my fortune. 1t IS not alleged that to
crafty any anger or revenge Of 'ny own
or of my party, I have had a share in
wronging or depressing any description
of men or any one man in any descrip-
tion. No! The charges against me are
all of one kind-that have pushed the
principles of general justice and bene-
Violence too far; farther than a cautious
policy would warrant; and farther than |
the opinions Of many would 60 along
with me. In every accidentwhich may
happen through life,--in pain, in sor-
row, in depression and distress-I will !
call to mind this accusation and be
comforted.''
Such an accusation was worthy Of the !
man such a reception Of the ssccusa-
tion reflects a glory, not merely upon
the man who uttered it. but upon all
the age TO which he belonged. An in
genius and fanciful philosopher of our
time has quantity urged, as an encour-
agement to upright action, that every |
single good deed raises the average OF
human virtue all over the world, and
thereby benefits not merely those im-
medjately concerned, but all the mill
lions upon millions who tread our earth
and breathe our air. In the same way, !
such a speech, such pure and lofty
expression of public faith, lends a new
dignity, not to one man, one country, !
or one epoch, but to the whole history
of the race and to all genera
tions of men. The key noe
to ali Burke's life is to tel
found in those high courageous words.
A sweet English poet has said OF a very
different man that she nothing COM
mon did or mean,'' and the words
in their loftiest Interpretation may be
applied to Edmund Burke. He moth
ing common did or nlean' in all the
days OF his life; and the lessons he has
left behind him are we'll calculated to
make men like him, With ambitions
moulded to his serene ideals, OF whom,
700, it might-indeed, must-be said, if
they follow his teachings, that they