“These qualities were re-inforced by remarkable firmness, as shown by the measurement over the top of the head, where the development is a half-inch in excess of that of Daniel Webster, and a quarter inch above that of Napoleon Bonaparte. This characteristic is also shown in the projection forward of the lower lip, caused by habitual compression in the exercise of this faculty.
“In this connection, it is interesting to note a comparison of Mr. Grady’s head with the measurement of other noted personages. Here is a table which I have compiled, and which you will find entertaining,” continued the phrenologist, as he unfolded a paper with the figures herewith reproduced:
| NAME. | Size around the head at base of brain. | Size from ear to ear over top of head at organ of firmness. |
|---|---|---|
| Henry W. Grady | 24 in. | 15½ in. |
| Henry Clay | 23¼ " | 14¾ " |
| Daniel Webster | 25 " | 15 " |
| John Quincy Adams | 22½ " | 15 " |
| Thomas H. Benton | 23 " | 15 " |
| Napoleon Bonaparte | 23½ " | 15¼ " |
| Average | 23½ in. | 15 in. |
| Average of human race | 21 in. | 14 in. |
“From these figures,” continued Professor Windsor, “we may draw a melancholy conclusion of the power Mr. Grady might have exhibited had he lived to ripen into perfect development. It will be seen at once that only one of these distinguished characters had the advantage of him in size of brain at the base, and that is Daniel Webster, whose character was more remarkable for ponderous greatness than brilliancy, and Mr. Grady’s head rises a half inch higher than his in the moral region. Between the two measurements there is a comparative difference of one and a half inches, in the heads of Webster and Grady. That inch and a half marks the difference between the debauched sensuality of the ‘Lion of the North’ and the moral graces of the ‘Apostle of the New South.’
“The extra inch in the basilar circumference of the head of Daniel Webster was due to an enormous development of social propensities which in his case carried him beyond a correct balance and resulted in notorious licentiousness, because there was not enough of the moral sentiments in the crown of the head to control them. Mr. Grady’s head, on the other hand, was not remarkable in the development of these propensities. He had enough of amativeness to give him a proper appreciation of women and the delights of sociability, but his love manifested itself more through the intellect than the passions, and his social nature was of that diffusive character which manifests itself in the formation of popular attachment rather than exclusive friendships. There are many men undoubtedly to-day who pride themselves on being among the intimate friends of the deceased who would be surprised to know how many others have reason to entertain the same feeling. When the social propensities are larger than Mr. Grady’s, the possessor is likely to form such exclusive attachments that the energies are expended in promoting the interests of individuals rather than those of the masses.”
“From your view of the nature of the man, Professor, what would you consider Mr. Grady’s chief fault?”
“The lack of self-esteem. That organ is one of the smallest in the whole line of development, and was, unquestionably, his weakness, as it is unfortunately of too many of our best men. He did not comprehend his own importance, nor realize the value of his own personality. This defect is directly chargeable with his illness and death. Had he possessed a larger development of this organ, he would have been more cautious concerning his health and personal exposure. There is a kind of unselfish extravagance in this direction which leads to deplorable results. A more selfish nature will husband its strength and escape calamity. Had he realized his own value sufficiently, he would not have gone to Boston on that fatal trip, and overtaxed his vitality. He did not comprehend the dignity of his character on any occasion. His friends say that he was as genial and approachable as a school boy, and that is what I should expect to find in a head like his. We might have contented ourselves, however, with a more distant manner and a more haughty nature, for the sake of his self-preservation.
“There is profit in the study of human nature. We may contemplate the characters of the great to arouse emulation, of the moderately endowed to suggest improvement, and of the weak to guard against their failures. Phrenology enables us to form correct estimates in each case, to praise without flattery and to criticise without injustice. There is value in the perpetuation of the physical forms of the illustrious dead upon ‘storied urn and animated bust,’ as well as in polished granite and enduring marble. For while these monuments cannot
‘Back to its mansion call the fleeting breath,’
still the inspired features and lines of development bear eloquent testimony to the practicability of human improvement, just as