The Southern post and literary aspirant. (Macon, Ga.) 1837-1837, September 16, 1837, Image 1

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THE SOUTHERN POST. AND LITERARY ASPIRANT. TWO DOLLARS IN ADVANCE-THREE DOLLARS AT THE END OF THE YEAR—SI 25 SIX MONTHS. *3. R. HANLRXTER & CO. Miscellaneous Dcpartment. From the London Athenaeum. AMERICA. [continued.] Orator} r is the proper growth of a republic. It is now in Amer ica, as it was once in Athens— the fire and energy of its mast r minds find their readiest vent in public addresses, and will, in this shape, live with posterity when other exponents of the age are indistinct or forgotten. We do not tli nk the orations of America are known in England, and yet, to produce but the half-dozen which lie before us, would be to answer at once ti e gfeat outcry for something national and pecu liar. There is no anniversary in America—no occurrence of pub lic interest—no death of adisiin guised individuil, in their own country or abro id, which has a refence to tiie history of the.r in dependence—nothing in any way bearing on their feeling lor the republic , which is not commemo rated in an oration —and one, too, in which the utmost liberty is giv en to the speaker, and which, from the excitement that prevails, (and tiie Americans arc the most excitable people upon the earth on national topics,) kindles all that there is in the speaker’s soul of enthusiasm and eloquence.— These orations are delivered, in the first place, to crowded audi ences, copied and commented on in all the newspapers, printed and circulated most widely in the form %/ of pamphlets ; and the most stri king and fervid pass iges are then extracted into school-books, and given as lessons in eloquence to the youth of the country. There is no caleulaiing tiie effect of this per petual supply of fuel to the fire of republicanism. The United States will sit under a monarchy, when they can produce no more such orators as Webster and Ev erett, or when theit* speeches are expunged from the school-books, and oration to a public assembly becomes a capital crime—and not before. We have mentioned the names of the two most distinguished public speakers in the United States, Daniel Webstrr and Ed ward Everett: the first is well known in England as a statesman and jurist; and an elaborate pa per, on his pleadings and orations, appeared in a late number of the Law Magazine ; we refer the rea der to that review, for varied spe cimens of his composition, and appeal to them, if th re has been any thing, since the days of Burke, of equal force and fervor. ***** Edward Everett is a very young man and is less known abroad.— Ilis rote has been a distinguished one from tne first: at cighcen years of age he was “ s t eti” (an American word, which means chosen by vote of the church as a regular pastor) over one ol the largest and most enlightened Uni tarian congr- gations in Boston. His youth and singular eloquence drew crowds whenever he preach ed, and, aiter the great Ch inning, lie was the most chaste writer, and fervent speaker in that remarka ble sect. His health failed in a year or two, and he was sent a oroad at the expense of Ills con gregation, and made the best use of Ins tune m two years’ travel in Europe. He returned, in exteri or, a polished man of the world, and iro.ii a doubt of his health, or a more ambitious reason, gave up tiie puipit ior the professorship of languages in the wealthy and long established University of Harvard. He achieved m a year or two a brilliant reputation as a Greek and Oriental scholar, and having made nnnself all that a professor could, looked about ior another arena, and stood for a Represon tive to Congress. He was elec ted by acclamation, and has ever smee been a colleague of Web ster's, in representing the core of New England in the Congress of the United States—die most in telligent and educated portion of tne republic. Tics is, of course, his last change, and being still under thirty, and in die full vigor ot Ins health and powers, he has played a part mostly of reserve, and managed lus cards warily and well. He speaks seldom in the House, but, when he does, it is with all the eifect of an aim direc ted with unerring judgment. Everett is about tlie middle height, very fair, and of the most modest and simple, and yet per fectly thorough-bred address,— His features are not remarkable, but his face is the very imprint of openness and candor, and is per haps well described by the word in cresting. His oratory is form ed upon the Channing model, t ie peculiar emphasis of which he still retains; but there is much about him which is entirely his own, and which marks him for a peculiar place in men’s admira tion. Absolute control of every power, nerve, muscle, and re source, is the great feature of his character, and if it is true that he who can govern himself may go vern the world, he is, of conse qu :nee, sure in his ambition. His voice, like Chanmng’s is peculiar ly sweet and persuasive, and his skill in playing upon its tones is something marvellous. lie is not REASON, SEPTEMBER 16, 1837. a violent orator, and is sparing of gesture, and h;s sentences are weighed in their music, as his ihougii.s are in their plausibility and progression, in scales of gos samer. Antony's speech over the budy of C esar contains the se cret oi his (loquence ; he exc tes by seeming to shrink from and suppress the feelings of his audi ence. Sir Pe iron el Flash’s simi le ol the surgeon's knife, which 44 works in the wounds of others, nut ieels nothing itself,” is some thing m ins way. It would be unfair, as well as difficult to de cide whether he had no feeling, or whether his ambition were the stronger spirit; but, feeling, it is certain, li never shows, except as a most subtly thrown make weight of oratory. The Ameri can republic is, in this age, pro bably, the political instrument of the most compass ever turned to the music of power, and, in our opinion, Everett is the man by whom its stops are most cunning ly understood. He has the two advantages, we may add, of hav ing married a lady of wealth and power ul connections, and o ’ be ing, what he can have no tempta tion not to be, a true patriot, and a man of most honorable and un blemished character. Os the American poets, Bryant has written the best As a poet, in the highest sense of the word, Percival and Dana are both far before turn ; but Bryant has taste and judgment,and these aux iliaries to genius often produce an immediate eifect superior to the higher efforts of genius itself. Bryant chooses always a subject perfectly within his range and fi nishes it with the most elaborate stud . His illustrations are fitted into, not flung upon, his theme. He writes rarely, and yet not al ways w ell, for though a man past the prime of lift', there are but three or lour of his pieces that have done any thing towards building up his fame. Delicacy and sweetness are the better strings of his lyre. One of his sonnets, addressed to a girl dying of consumption, closes thus : Glide softly to thy rest, then ! Death should come Gently to one of gentle mould like thee, As light winds, wandering through groves of bloom, Detuch the ddirxite blossoms from the tree. It is this apt and graceful talent for similitudes which distinguish es Bryant. The three things which are most quoted of his, are “Thanutopsis,” “Lines to a Wa terfowl,” and “ The Evening W md,” and this last we will quote as the best thing he has done, and tie most finished production that ns yet come from an American pen: VOX.U2&SI—3. Spirit that breathost through tuy lai re, *hou That cool’st the twilight of the sultry <ia’, Grfttefull ■ flows thy freshness round rm brow; Thou hast been out upon the Jeep at ; h , Rifling all day the wild blue waves till ti> . Roughening their crests, and scattering high their spray, And swelling the white sail. I welcome thee To the scorched land, thou w anderer of the sea ! Nos I alone—a thousand bosoms round Inhale thee in the fulness of delight; And languid forms rise up, and pulses hound Livelier, at coming «»f the wind of mght; And languishing to hear thy grateful sound, Lies the vast inland stretch beyond the sight. 1 Go forth into the gathering shade ; go forth, God’s blessing breathe ujam the fainting earth ! Go, rock the little wood-hird in his nest, Curl the still waters, bright with star?, and rouse Tne wide old wood from his majestic rest, Summoning from the innumerable boughs The strange, deep harmonics that haunt his breast y Pleasant shall be thy way where meekly bows The shutting flower, and darkling water- pass, And, ’twixt the o’ershadowing branches and the grass. The faint old man shall lean his silver head To feel thee ; thou shalt kiss the child asleep, And dry the moistened curls that overspread His temples, while his breathing grows more deep ? And they wiio stand about the sick mail’s bed, Shall joy to listen to thv distant sweep, And softly port his curtains to allow Thy visit, grateful to his burning brow\ Go—but the circle of eternal change, That is the life of nature, shall restore, With sounds and scents from ail that mighty range,- Thee to thy birth-place of the deep once mote ; Sweet odors in the sea uir, sweet and strangt, Shall tell the home-sick mariner ol the shore ; And listening to thy murmur, he shall deem He hears the rustling leal and running stream. Bryant is a man somewhat past forty, and was bred to the law* Foets seldom like such 44 uncon genial lore,” and with a large family growing up on his hands, and no practice, he found huusc. If under the necessity of trying something else, and undertook Uie editorship of the Evening Post , a political paper of ext< u sive circulation in New-York.— Politics m the United Siates ra ther soil the fingers, but he found the truth of the old proverb “and r ty work brings clean money,” and alter a few years’ close attention to it, he has lately crossed the wa ter with his family, and is now in Italy, whitewashing his fancy, probably. [to be continued.] BEAUTY AND HEALTH. Females should be early taught the important fact, that beautv cannot, in reality, exist indepen dent of health ; and that the one is absolutely unattainable by any practice inconsistent with tiie other. In vain do they hope to improve their skin,—to give a 44 roseate hue” to their cheeks, or to augment the grace and symme try of their lorms, unless they are cautious to preserve the whole frame in health, vigor and activ ity. Beauty of complexion, and to a certain extent, that of shape also, is nothing more than visible health—a pure mirror oi the per fect performance ot the internal functions, and of their harmony