Newberry Library - Metcalf, Isaac Stevens, to Joseph M. Metcalf (brother), Isaac Stevens Metcalf family papers, 1844-1850

Metcalf, Isaac Stevens, to Joseph M. Metcalf (brother), Isaac Stevens Metcalf family papers, 1844-1850

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Open book Metcalf, Isaac Stevens, to Joseph M. Metcalf (brother), Isaac Stevens Metcalf family papers, 1844-1850

Title Metcalf, Isaac Stevens, to Joseph M. Metcalf (brother), Isaac Stevens Metcalf family papers, 1844-1850

Creator Metcalf, Isaac Stevens, 1822-1898

Date 1844-1850

Place United States

Subjects Bowdoin College, Brothers and sisters, DuQuoin Coal Company, Illinois Central Railroad Company

Format Business records, Correspondence, Diaries, Genealogies, Invoices, Manuscripts, Personal narratives, Records

User-Contributed Transcription It is, and it must even be the favorite, in fact the one essential dogma of Demagogues. But I am a good deal inclined to believe, with their opponents, that such an origin and sanction of government is not really at heart, recognized by such men & minds as Vinton and Webster, and Marsh, and Evans, any more than it is by the master minds of other countries or other times. The older & the wiser a statesman grows, the more he thinks perhaps, the less hold this idea has upon him. A really great mind may be radical in youth, may be democratic in early maturity, but as true as truth & honesty influence it, age, wisdom, & experience will make it conservative. I have considered Guizot as one of the greatest & wisest and also one of the very best statesmen that Europe has ever produced; probably the very first in his own country. He was too the very "embodiment" we might say, of the enlightened liberal, constitutional, principles of France, the principles of Lafayette; Republican principles . Yet this same Guizot taught ( as one may suppose) as La Fayette was, by much wisdom and hard experience, how utterly incapable the people, French people, were of governing themselves aright, and patriot like, endeavoring, for their good, to guide and govern them properly, was the one against whom the present French Revolution appears principally to be directed. I must doubt whether the French will soon see as good a government again What the result of this Revolution is like to be, I cannot really decide in my mind. With the character of one man I do not understand fully. With Odillon Barrot. Webster's Rhode Island argument, I have not read: have you? You call it a "mere lawyers plea" and "flimsy". It may be so. But it was certainly a very important case; and one of the greatest subjects he, or any one else, ever spoke upon. I do not judge him a man to be "flimsy" on such an occasion. Moreover, if that did not influence the court something else did. The U.S. Supreme Court perhaps the grandest judicial tribunal in the world Full Bench Taney, Woodbury, & all, previously disposed to the contrary, I believe decided in favor of his side, mangre the days or weeks of argument, fact, precedent or what not, brought forward by the opposing counsel. I repeat it sunshine & summer scenes are "true pictures. That the man may laugh or frown tomorrow or next week, and thus for a moment after his appearance does not make his Dagueotype likeness of today an untrue picture. But let me quote Authorities for you - "The misery of man appears like childish petulance when we explore the steady & prodigal provision that has been made for his support & delight on this green ball which floats him through the heavens. That angels invented these splendid ornaments, these rich conveniences, this ocean of air above, this ocean of water beneath, this firmament of earth between? this zodiac of lights, this tent of dropping clouds, this striped coat of climates, this fourfold year? Beasts, fire, water, stones & corn to serve him. The field at once his floor his workyard, his playground, his garden & his bed." So says a book I am this eve reading. The same author directs - " If a man would be alone let him look at the stars." Think of that. In another place he - "If the stars should appear only one night in a thousand years "&c.". What a sight. "How would men believe and adore! and preserve for generations the remembrance of the City of God which had been shown! The same writer being somewhat inclined to trancendentalism, affirms. " Most people do not see the Sun." To be sure he afterwards qualifies the expression.

Transcription Status Needs review

Transcription Note This document was transcribed by volunteers as part of the Newberry Transcribe crowdsourcing initiative.

Archival Collection Title Isaac Stevens Metcalf papers, Midwest Manuscript Collection

Link to Catalog View finding aid | View record

Call Number Midwest MS Metcalf Box 7 Folder 193

BibID 821787

Rights Status No Copyright - United States

Contributing Institution Newberry Library

Newberry Open Access Policy The Newberry makes its collections available for any lawful purpose, commercial or non-commercial, without licensing or permission fees to the library, subject to these terms and conditions.

IIIF Resource Type Canvas

Size 3211px × 5013px 92.14 MB

Filename 998217878805867_mms_metcalf_box_07_fl_193_005_002.tif

Unique Identifier NL11FK6X

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