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THE REFLECTOR.
)L. I.
MILLEDGEVILLE, G. TUESDAY, Al’lIlL 28, 1818.
NO. 25.
BIOGRAPHY.
MR. MONROE.
ct from “ Letters from Washington on the eotwti-
-n, laws and public characters of the United States,
Foreigner”—published in the National Register.]
ad yesterday tite honor of an introdur-
to Mr. Monroe, the. present chief niagis-
of the United States. “ It is seldom,
Dr. Johnson, that we find men or plac
ed as we expect to find them,” ami I
confess that in the present instance, the
of this observation has been realized. I
tl Mr. Monroe alittle different from what
ancy had presented him, but neither a Lil-
tian nor a Pnatgoniau—He appears to be
cen fifty and sixty years of age, with a
above the middle size, compart, inns-
r, and indicating a constitution of consi-1 any s
the silence and peace of obscurity, than the
bustle, confusion and glare of public assem
blies, but to preserve the custom established
by her predecessor, a lady, it id said, of great
elegance of manners and dignity of deport
ment, she gives what we call conservationi
but what is here termed drawing rooms, for
the pai'posc of gratifying the wishes and cu
riosity of such strangers as may please to vi
sit her and the president. These conserva
tion! are conducted on principles of repub
lican simplicity, and are widely different
from the magnificence and splendor of the
English levees. They appear to me, howe
ver, very unpleasant, The rooms are
crowded, the hum of voices so loud, and the
motion of the company so constant, that th
possibdit' of continuing a conversation on
b;.. . is wholly precluded, and you
ble. hardiness and vigor ; his countenance t ce obliged to move with the company, by
ibits lineaments.of great severity, and
•s as if it had been seldom irradiated by
rays of joy, or softened by the touch * *f
ibility ; he does smile, however, but not
Shakes pear’s Cassius,
«•“ in such a sort,
‘ s if he mocked himself and scorned his spirit
hat could be moved to smile at any thing.”
So moments, there is a benignity and
ity in him, that invito confidence and
* suspicion. He. is rather awkward in
jldress for a man who has mingled sc
in polite society, and his manners and
li incuts are more those of a plain coun-
cntleraan, than an arcoinplishad states-
and a profound politician. Awkward-
of manners, however, seems to be more
mon among the Americans, than I had
ceived. Their most eminent men are, 1
k, deficient in that ease, elegance and
ce, which distinguish the. prominent poli-
l characters of France and England.—
e nature of their government has a ten-
ncy to beget this, by preventing those sa
tires to the graces, which are made in the
rc refined and polisluod nations of Europe,
e importance and magnitude of their pnr-
■(s, and their general association with
at we call the lower ranks of society. pre- ;
de the acquisition of those exterior em-
lislnnents so industriously cultivated by
r countrymen. A discipline of Chcstcr-
ld, with all his refinement and fascination,
uld he regarded in this country as a mere
etemaitre, calculated only to charm the
and fascinate the heart of female ignor-
But 1 have wandered from my sub-
Mr. Monroe is attached to what was
,e denominated the republican party ; for
present all party distinction seems to be
t and the parties thcmselve wholly amalga-
ted. In his political career, he lias mani-
ted the most unimpeachable and unbend-
integrity, and though long hofore the
blic, has never failed to meet the experta-
ns and to gratify the. wishes of the people,
at he possesses ambition, will not be de-
d ; but his ambition is limited to tiie at -
ment of excellence and distinction within
bounds of patriotism and honor. If lie
not the unbending sternness of a Cato,
has the more pleasing and benignant inte-
ty of Fabricius. Mr. Monroe entered
*y into public life, and has performed the
ious duties of a soldier, a politician and
tatesman. His mind has been accustom-
to dwell on the nature of governments and
revolutions of Europe ; subjects so vast
duce a correspondent enlargement of in
ert, and sweep of comprehension. The
d which is occupied in trilles will not he
to amaze by its greatness, or astonish by
magnificeneof; it may glitter, but will nc-
blaze. The peculiar character and mag-
de of Mr Monroe's pursuits have witli-
his attention from the minor and less
ortant subjects of literature, and he is
y far from what we should call a man of
ding or general science. The knowledge
ossesses has been acquired more by per-
al observation, laborious reflection, and
uent conversation, than by repealed pr-
1 of books, to which his occupations
Id not permit him to devote, his time, but
as examined and re-examined that know-
e till it has in fact become his mvn ; re
ted by combination, established by prac-
and tested by experience. It is said, his
d is neither rich nor brilliant, but capable
he most laborious analysis, and the most
ent research—not hasty in its decisions,
not easily changed when its decisions aro
ed. Judgement appears to be his prn-
ent intellectual feature, and in the exam-
! on of any object, he seldom suffers it to
arkened by prejudice or warped by pas-
This brief sketch, my lord, will satis-
ou I presume, that no man could be cho-
better calculated to fill the important
2nhe holds under this government, and
no man could be more cordially and sin-
y disposed to further the interest and to
ote the prosperity and happiness of his
try. Mrs. Monroe, to whom I was al
Produced, is a lady of retired and do-
’c habits—not elegant, but apparently
amiable. She receives company hut re-
no visits—she seems more attached to
whom you are jostled every instant, without
the powi r of enjoying the “ feast of reason,”
or even the pleasure of sense.
Mr. Monroe has never been blessed with
male issii”, and what is remarkable, out of
the five pi ’shields who have served since the
c.rganizati a of this government, hut one
has had sons. I mention this merely as a
curious circumstance. Mr. J. Q. Adams, tin
present se rotary of state, is l believe tin
only son of the second president of the Unit
ed States, and is, you know, a man of great
talent, information and industry. Mr. Mon
roe, since his elevation to the president ir.,
chair, is said to haw discovered much saga
city in the selection of his cabinet counsel or
executive officers. These arc the secreta
ries of state, war, treasury navy and attor
ney general, who with one exception, pos
sess the rare gifts of nature in no ordinary
degree ; and who have already rendered
themselves conspicuous in the walks of lite
rature, the fields of eloquence, and on the
theatre of poiiiirs. You will understand
that 1 do not mean to include in these remarks
the secretary of the navy, (the exception I
have mentioned) with whom 1 have no ac
quaintance, and with whom, from whin
cause I am unable to say, the American pub-
lii seem to be a little dissatisfied. Mr. Craw
ford, secretary of the treasury, is the same
gentleman, to whom you were introduced at
l’ iris, and though he possesses great dignity,
wants the graceful elegance of manners of
which I h ave previously spoken. What lie
was thought of in Franco 1 ci»not inform
you ; hut it is impossible he could have suc
ceeded amidst the polite and splendid frippe
ry of the Parisian circles—the courtly non
sense, and graceful and elegant nonchalance
of a French politician, must have been strik
ingly and ludicrously contrasted by the re
publican simplicity and awkward movements
of the American minister. Mr. Crawford
has risen from obscurity to the station he
now holds, by the force of native genius ; he
was employed in his early life in an occupa
tion which is now unfortunatvly too much de
graded, but which ought to be more highly es
teemed—i mean that of “ teaching the young
idea howto shoot.” His next career was
at the bar, at which he acquired both emolu
ment and reputation. The excellence of his
understanding and the superiority of his in
tellect soon brought him into public life,
where lie displayed to advantage those pow
ers with which nature had gifted him—be
became ambassador to France, and during
bis absence, was appointed secretary of war,
and afterwards minister of finance. In all
of these various stations lie has never failed
to discover the same powers and energies of
mind ; he has literally the mens Sana in cor-
poro sano, and the vigorous and athletic ap
pearance of his body serves as an unerring
index to the power and energy of his intel
lect. It is invidious to make comparisons ;
but it is by comparisons we are often enabled
to arrive at truth. I will therefore endeavor
to draw a parallel between the gentlemen of
whom I have been speaking. Mr. Monroe
and Mr. Crawford, are alike distinguished
by integrity &. understanding ; but the lat
ter has more quickness, anil the former a
greater range of mind. In the specimens of
parliamentary eloquence, which arc pre
served here only in the ephemeral and fugi
tive columns of newspapers,and which I have
take the trouble to examine for my own
musement, Mr. Crawford evinces some vig
or of imagination, and occasionally some
brilliancy of thought—Mr. Monroe has
ver wished to excel in the flowery partarre
of fancy—his compositions display only the
soundness of his mind, and the excellence of
his sense, without any of the frippery and
festooning of rhetoric, or the meretricious
and extrinsic drapery of imagination—Mr.
Monroe has more practical knowledge, but
is less prompt in his decisions. Mr. Craw
ford has greater powers of invention, but
is less skilful in combination—Mr. Monroe
has had more experience, but Mr. Craw
ford, from his superior quickness of com
prehension, has treasured up as many re
sults, ami acquired as many facts—Mr.
Monroe’s knowledge of mankind is more
correct and more practical; but he wanks
Mr. Crawford’s energy to render it exten
sively useful. In political shrewdness, mo
ral integrity, and intellectual acquirements,
they are supposed to he nearly equal. With
this brief parallel, 1 shall dismiss these gen
tlemen, and , proceed at your desire, to
sketch the portrait of the secretary of war,
and the Attorney General. Mr. Calhoun
is a young man, of about thirty years of nge
—his form is above the middle size, but mea
gre, bony and slender—his face wants beau
ty, but his eyes possess all the brilliancy
and lire of genius. He is a native of the
south, and lias been educated for the bar. It
is not my intention to enter into any abstract
speculations, on the influence of climate up
on the human intellect. On this subject much
ingenuity and learning have been wasted,
.mil the visionary theories of Bulfon, Ray-
nal. See. have been laid aside as the lumber
of the schools, or tiie idle sportings of fancy ;
hut it has always appeared to me that some
climates arc more propitious to genius, and
'lie rapid developcnient of the intellectual
powers than others. The soft and voluptu
ous climate of Jonia, for exa nplc, is better
adapted to nourish and expand the genius ot
man, than the inclement “ thick Boctian
air” of nothern latitudes. Be this however,
as it may ; whether Mr. Calhoun be indebt
ed to climate, to nature, or to circumstances
for the powers he possesses, he is unquestion
ably an extraordinary youug man. Hestart-
d up, on the theatre of legislation, a politi-
i al Roscius, and astonished the veterans a-
round him, by the force, of his mind and the
singulaiity and rcsistlessness of his elo
quence. He has the ingenuity without the
sophistry of Godwin, to whose mind his bears
it striking analogy. On all subjects whether
abstract or common, whether political or
moral, he thinks with a rapidity that no dif
ficulties can resist, and with a novelty that
never fails to delight. Ho has tbe brilliancy
w ithout the ornament of Burke, the correct
ness without the literature of Fox, With
an invention, which never abandons him,
and wli ose fertility astonishes, he seems to
loath the parade of rhetoric and the glitter
and decorations of art—bis style of eloquence
is peculiar and extraordinary— without any
apparent pageantry of imagination, or any
of the flowers of language, he seizes on the
mind, which like the unfortunate bird under
the influence of fascination becomes passive
and obedient to the power it neither can nor
wishes to resist. In the « tempest and whirl
wind” of his eloquence, his argumentation is
so rapid, his thoughts are so novel, and iiis
conclusions so unexpected, yet correct, that
you Can neither anticipate nur think—the at
tention is rivetted, and the mind occupied a-
lone with the subject which lie is handling,
and it is not until the fascination of his man
ner has subsided that you fool inclined to rea
son or become capable of detecting hrs er
rors—even then bis witchery lingers on the
imagination, and casts a veil over the judge
ment which it cannot remove, and which, in
opposition to the strongest efforts, obscures
its perceptions and weakens its energies. 1
have heard gentlemen, who were associated
with him, declare, that when lie spoke, they
were for some time after lie had closed, una
ble to remove the spell by which they were
bound, and that, by condensing almost to ob
scurity, they could not answer the whole of
his numerous arguments and ingenious de
ductions, without occup) ing too much of the
time of the house. And yet, wliat is very
singular, he has never been known to at
tempt but one rhetorical flourish, and in that
he unfortunately failed. His oratorical sty le
lias none of the embellishments of art, or
the witcheries of fancy, but is almost to dry
ness, plain, unadorned and concise. With
all the excellencies I have mentioned, howev
er, Mr. Calhoun has some great faults—« il
n’ appartient,” says the duke de la Rochcfo-
cault, “ qu’aux grands hommes d’avoir des
rands defauts.” He wants consistency and
perseverance of mind, and is incapable of
long and patient investigation—what he does
not see at the first examination, he takes no
pains to search for; but still the lightning
glance of his mind seldom fails to furnish
him with all that may he necessary for his
immediate purposes. In his legislative
career, which though short, was uncommon
ly luminous ; he sometimes advocated a mea
sure w hich he afterwards abandoned, and of
ten opposed a question which ho afterwards
supported. His decisions were in many ca
ses, marked with a precipitation and haste,
inconsistent with the character of an able
statesman, and though he sometimes could
satisfy his coadjutors, he but seldom was su
successful as to satisfy himself—His love of
novelty, and bis solicitude to astonish were
so great, (hat he has often been known to go
beyond even tin; wildest dreams of acknow
ledged political visionaries, and to propose
schemes that were wholly impracticable, and
that he seemed to offer merely for the pur
pose of displaying the exuberance of his
mind, and the extent of his integrity. Youth
and the necessary want of experience, may
be pled as an apology for his eccentricities
of intellect, his apparent aberrations, ami
his occasional perversion of talent. The
wisdom of age, and a more correct and ex
tensive acquaintance with men and things,
will doubtless allay the ardor of bis mind,
anil lessen the impetuosity of his passions.
Like our eccentric countryman, Darwin, be
is capable of broaching new theories, but
wants the perseverance, depth of thought,
and patience of judgoinent, necessary to
bring them to maturity, or to render them
useful. Such men are often both very ser
viceable and vcry\ injurious to society. In
such a body as the congress of the Un.ictl
Statos, where the concentrated wisdom of
the nation is assembled, such a man’s sphere
of usefulness cannot be ascertained or de
fined. Amidst the variety of schemes, his
ingenuity suggests, and his ambition urges
him to propose, many will no doubt be found
to be practicable ; and though he cannot
himself mature them, the mass of mind by
which he is surrounded, anil on which he
blazes, will reduce them to shape, and give
to his “ airy nothings a local habitation and
a name.” In short, Mr. Calhoun is one of
those beings whom you can only trace like
the comet by the, light, which he casts upon
his path. But the situation to which lie has
recently been elevated, has, I fear, abridged
his sphere of usefulness, and as Secretary of
War, Mr. Calhoun, who occupied every
tongue during the sessions of th >• national
legislature, may dwindle into obscurity, but
will never be forgotten.
TOPOGR APHIC AL.
WESTERN COUNTRY.
Extract of a letter from a gentleman who
sometime since emigrated to the western
country, dated at St. Charles, near St. Louis
in the Missouri territory.
I have finally concluded to fix my family
here. In point of healthiness, beauty of coun
try, and fineness of land, I have seen no
place that I like so well. This village is sit
uated by the Rivers forty miles from the
town of St. Louis, and about twenty miles
up the Missouri, which is navigable inure
than three thousand miles above this. The
land about this town is the most delightful
that can be imagined. Great part of it. is a
kind of land of which the people in New-
England have no idea ; an open, level plain
of the richest possible soil, 40 feet deep, per
fectly free from bushes, and covered with
grass higher than nty head. On these fields
the people got 80buslielsof corn, 30 of wheat,
2000 lbs, of tobacco, and tbe same q nuitiiy
of imps to the, acre, with no manure, and
very little cultivation. Where they have or
chards, they raise most beautiful fruit i ima
ginable. Plumbs and hops grow wild in
great abundance. As thousands of acres
of the. finest pasture lies open, every
one keeps as many cows and horses as lie
chooses, and cuts any quantity of hay for
them, where he pleases. And yet butter
and cheese arc higher here than in New-En-
gland. This arises from the extreme lazi
ness of the people, and from not one in a
hundred knowing how to make cheese. Me-
elranics get from 2 50 to 3 dollars a day.—
Land may now be had from 2 25 to 3 dollars
the acre—hut as emigrants are flowing in Ire
hundreds it will shortly rise in value. We
are here near the mouth of the Missouri, anil
the Illinois, and only four miles from the
Mississippi. Goods are conveyed from here,
to Ncw-Orleans cheaper, than 59 miles back
in the country to Boston. Wild game is a-
bundant; I seldom go out without seeing a
tfetr—and in a ride last Monday lam confi
dent I saw 500 wild turkeys. And yet Ihe.
land is great part of it open, and looks like
old field.—The country is as heaithy, l think
as in New-Engiand and I am inclined to
think it more so for feeble people. I never
have hud my health better. The summers
here are very hot-, but the air is dry anil
healthy. The winters are short and mode
rate. 1 am about tyring to build me a brick
house in the Village—but if I am able, I
mean in the spring to have a log house anil a
farm on the beautiful prarie near this town
in view of the Missouri, Illinois and the Mis
sissippi. The soil is the richest anil the pros
pect the most delightful of any place I have
ever seen. I languish indeed for the society
of my friends ; hut if we are to see each o-
ther’s faces no more in this world, let us so
live, that we may have some grounds to in
dulge tlm hope that we may meet in heaven.
Fort Folio.
Marietta, —** I find this to be a poor,
muddy hole ; the mud here is more disagree
able than the snow in Massachusetts. It is
the most broken country that I ever saw.
Lean pork is 12 cents per pound ; salt at 4
cents per lb; poor dry fish 20 cents per lb.
rum 25 cents a gill; sugar 37 cents per lb.
molasses, none ; iron 12 1-2 cents per lb.
There has been lately a great freshet in Ma
rietta, they hail to drive the cattle back to
the hills, and to paddle all through town in
to their houses.—Ibid\