Waterbury evening Democrat. [volume] (Waterbury, Conn.) 1887-1895, 1894-02-23
LETTERS EROMTHE PEOPLE
Washington and Wellington.


To the Editor of the DEMOCRAT:
The Duke of Wellington was hard,
formal man of soldierly nature, but with
out any of the genius OF enthusiasm which
in many fine instances distinguishes that
nature This, of course, is no news to the
readers of history. Washington resembled
the duke in some respects OF duty, order
and formality, but had simpler, and
therefore a greater nature, and also the
grand superiority which the genuine re-
publican sentiment gives the human char
acter. The common, and even trit1ing
acts of mans life will generally exhibit
some trace of his natural disposition and
this is test of uncommon men also. DIR
Johnson said you could not talk with Ed
mund Burke in doorway during a shower
without discovering his power of mind
though 1 strongly suspect that unless the
interlocutor was some such clear-headed
fellow as the doctor himself, few of the
orators stray remarks might rather bother
him than give him an idea of superior in
tellect. Be this rs it may, the general
rule seems to hold good. l have just seen
an exempliication of it in couple of little
notes written by the two men mentioned
above. Those two notes are in answer to
applications for the privilege Of taking the
portraits of the great men. Washington
in answer to a request for a sitting to Mr.
| Pine, the artist, begins cheerfully with an
old adage, then goes on to quote a saying
from Shakespeare, then speaks of himself
in clever, metaphorical style of gaiety,
and then makes a thoughtful moral rehec-
ton on the influence of custom or habit
| over the life of man. His next para
graph is a polite compliment to the artist
and, giving his assent. He concludes with
gentlemanly cordiality. The note of the
Duke of Wellington is also a reply to a re-
quest for a sitting. He apologies for
having omitted to return an answer i'm
medlately on the request The duke al
ways prided himself on his punctuality.
He then says that during the session of
parliament and while the court is in town,
he cannot find time to sit. He goes on to
explain that there are not less than
a dozen artists going after him;
that he receives them at his houses of
Strathfeldsay or Walmer castle; that " il
kie, Chantrey, Cambell, Lucas, and Lister,
the principal artists, have been down with
him and passed there three or four days at
his country house; that last autumn the
queen desired him to sit for his portrait
for the king of the Belgians; that he sat at
Windsor castle, instead Of going out hunt
ing one day and shooting, on another day,
with his royal highness, Prince Albert,
81 do everything IN my power, he eX-
claims, "to have time at my disposal. l
never dine in company on the days on
which the house of parliament, of which
am member, sits for the decision of bust
ness; nor go out in the evening. [ rise
early and go to bed late" The end is, his
whole time is occupied and he cannot sit.
The old dukes letter shows the love OF
state and dignity which ruled him and
which kept him to the end of his life occu-
pied by the forms and frlvollties of aristo-
cratic society. He had Il certain amount
of what the world thinks so much of, com
mon sense but his mind must have been
q shallow one naturally. He doubtless
found a pleasure in impressing the Ameri
can with an awe-struck sense of his great
Importance to the politics and statesman
ship of England. The simple and Thought
full dignity of George Washington towers
ten thousand miles above him, even il
that act of writing little note.
How vain the daring to compete in words
The height of homage that the heart woult
render,
And yet how proud to feel no speech affords
Harmonious measure to the subtle chords
That thrill the soul beneath thy placid
splendor.