The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1851-12-30 00:00:00

THE MAIL BITING HIS BRIDLE

A FORTNIGHT ago we ventured (without previously ask-
ing the gracious permission of the Liverpool Mail) to
deprecate the unhandsome tone in which our Town Coun-
cillors are frequently spoken of, by those cvli ) ought both
to know and practise better. Our remarks were evidently
applicable in an eminent degree to certain individuals,
whom we shall not name even now ; but they were inten-
tionally expressed in general terms, for the avoidance of
even the appearance of personality. We do not expect,
and never did, that our contemporary would understand a
motive of this kind—how could he ? We explained the
matter to the satisfaction of all intelligent and respectable
readers last week, and these, after all, are the only persons
whose opinions are valuable. We lament that there are
" leaden" intellects in the world, and these, as might be
expected, are unusually dull.

It appears, however, that our "bow at a venture"
struck him between the joints of the harness and, besides,
that there were two shafts on the string. In allusion to a
letter on the subject of the Scripture Readers' Association,
we showed him that we would not bow down and worship
any of his particular idols ; and our views coincided with
those of a gentleman whom the Mail has often and deeply
injured, and therefore whom he " can never forgive."
Hine ilice lachrynue ! We beg that he will not mistake
this quotation for high Dutch. So far from regret.
ting that our musket was double-shotted, we rejoice at it;
and now that we know the points on which his consci-
ence still shows tokens of sensibility, he shall hear from
us again. Why should those who defend be less coura-
geous than those who assail ? Do we not read " Thrice
is he armed that bath his quarrel just ?" To retort his
own expression, we briefly place the offences " on record,
for future and fuller castigation."

Our contemporary possesses a certain low species of
talent in a very unusual degree. and that is, the capacity
for crowding a large number of blunders into a small space.
For instance, because we defended several classes against
the indecent sneers of a few members of one, he infers,
with characteristic inaccuracy, that we are setting up a
rivalship of ranks. He must have been looking in his
glass when he wrote this, for the pen and ink portrait
represents his own pleasant features. But there is a
danger in looking into the glass too long ; for men some-
times come " to see double," and then, of course, instead
of single-mindedness, they are prone to duplicity
though we tell him civilly that he assailed an innocent
gentleman as the supposed writer, there is not one woad
of repentance or apology ; but he atones for one offence

Again,

in his own way, by committing another. And as if this
were not enough, he assails the proprietor of the Standard,
a comparative stranger in the town, without the remotest
semblance of a cause. His only regret now is, that he
missed his aim ; for his hospitaty and civility, like the
tender mercies of all his class, are cruel.

But the richest condensation of blunders, is where he
attempts scholarship. With his usual swagger, and
affectation of superior intelligence, he declares that raleat
quantum is " dog Latin," and that " valeot quart-urn" is
the true reading ! ! Here, in a single line, are ignorance,
insolence, and untruth. We beg pardon of our readers
for descending to criticism of remarks at which a schoolboy
might blush ; but the quarrel is not of our seeking.
Quart-urn ! Ha, ha ! " I thank thee, Jew, for teaching
me that word." The Helicon from which the slashers of
the Mail draw their inspiration is pretty well known ; but

we caution them not to hint at it so plainly in future ; or
if they will adopt a sly double-entendre, why, surely, pint-
um might suffice.
His logic is neither better nor worse than his philology.
He seems to say that we do not know our own meaning,
but that he does ; that we are not judges of the propriety
of alleged conclusions from certain premises, but that he

is ;—in short, that we must just accept his interpretation,
and then his abuse. 'We beg with all due respect to
decline both. We are very sorry indeed that we can only
lay before our contemporary facts and arguments ; it does
not belOng to us to confer on him the intellect to appre-
ciate them, of which he stands so wofully in need. But
one kind hint to him,—confidentially, if he pleases.
Before he attempts to " chop logic" with us, he should
try to learn the alphabet of the science, or at least get up
a few of the principal terms, for the purpose of mystifying
his readers. There are several cheap works that would suit
him; Pinnock's Catechism is strongly recommended for
beginners.

In the peculiar style of gentlenianly language in which
he occasionally indulges, we are threatened with " future
castigation." Oh dear ! He also says, "We defer our
fiercer denunciations." We are sorry that he puts
himself to inconvenience, as, perhaps, his excellent tern.
per might spoil by keeping. Seriously, this literary foot.
pad threatens us with extermination if we do not salute
his flag, and acknowledge him the only true journalist in
Liverpool. We beg to decline this too; and to tell him
that if this style of bullying continues, one of us must eat
the leek, like Pistol. But he must look into his glass
again to ascertain which.

There are some writers who resemble the cuttle-fish,
and when a dangerous antagonist is at hand, they squirt
out a large quantity of ink, that they may escape in the
clouded waters. From the wordy style of the Mail's gas-
conade, it is evident that he is retreating ; and we do not
believe one word respecting the threatened attack, because

he has promised it. When a man is bent on some mis-
chievous act, it requires a certain amount of honesty and

manliness to give his opponent warning ; we are to sup-
pose that he possesses them, qualities, hut they certainly
do not appear in his columns. It sometimes happens,
however, that the symptoms of ill-nature cannot be con-
cealed, for as Campbell's Wizard says : " Coming events
cast their shadows before ;" but these warnings, though
important, are undesigned. It is a merciful arrangement
of Providence, that the snake with the deadliest fang is
also provided with a rattle in its tail. There is just one
thing which we really dread, and that is the praise or ap-
probation of the Mail. We implore him to spare us from
anything so worthless and injurious ; but he may rattle
his fiercest thunderbolts about as thick as hailstones—
they have lost their fire.

He teljs us that he will never hereafter believe any
assertion of ours unless accomparied with an affidavit.
Alas ! how shall we s rvive this calamity ? Perhaps we
will not care to convince him, but be satisfied with the
approval of the intellectual, moral, and religious of the
public. There are some who folloW the principle of
judging their neighbours as thy lead their own lives ;
and we have heard it suggested, uncharitably perhaps,
that the Mail's frequent abuse of mankind argued that the
specimens which he knew within doors were not first-
At all events, he has succeeded almost, to a
miracle in giving the degree of ctAibility with which
many of his own pieces of long-bow practice is received.

Let us fairly understand each other. Once for all, we
advise the Mail to mind his own business, if it he sufficient
to occupy him. He is too old in a certain grade of moral
and social virtues to mend ; but he has at least selfishness
enough to guard him from knocking his head against a

post. There is a saying, too, about people with glass
heads ; he knows it well enough, and the application of
it. The record of his offences, public and personal, would
more than fill an entire copy of our paper ; but we shall
comment upon select passages from time to time if he will
persist in establishing such rival entertainments. We
know him well—his history, his practices, his motives, his
—no, but we shall be obliged to any of our readers who
will tell us first whether he is guided by any fixed prin-
ciples ; and second, if so, what they are. His insolent
threats of abuse we treat as the Knight of Kerry used to
treat a cold when he had it—" with sover, ign contimpt."
It is not our business to become the moral scavengers of
the town, and to remove every nuisance, even when it is
admitted to be such. But there are certain occasions on

which patience ceases to be a virtue, and becomes a crime;
and then we tell the Mail, frankly and fairly, our scrip
shall always contain a sling and a stone for the forehead of

the shameless brag

LATEST INTELLIGENCE.

BY ELECTRIC TELEGRAPH

The Globe's correspondent

PARIS,

istration of several departm

that tl
ts, by wl

already been eff,cted, could only
power, with a parliamentary sysi
utterly impracticable. No p.a.!'
should attempt them would lat

guard will be reduced to abou
sons between 25 and 35 years of
beyond the sublieutenants. A'

Df the admin

:tone by dictatorial
ce they wou!d be

overmnent which
The national
of per-

No officers to be
rs abor, that gr.

lent. T 1

be appointed by the P
to be paid. By this arrangement the line= be reiluced. It i
thought that he president will require 10,000,000 francs per an-
n um. 1(12,000,000 were voted, the nation would he satisfied. The
agreement with the associated hankers and capitalists of Paris,
and the Paris and Lyons Railway stated to have been on the
point of conclusion, has beet
anions urged by the Governs
declined to accede. 'Ph

various numbers notice
fished by the papers, is
departments as are co

voting, however incomE

BY SUBMARINE TELL

PARIS, MONDAY

II take place it
VIENNA, DEC

•ope at

fined a 'victory of v

peror o

that of St. Andrev

orders have been re

and raw nt
BERLIN,

the A4rh-lt

(kill 1.

It not colic

lectio-n will be from t
nr Snnin_ 'lii , A nstr

The Archthil

peror's brother, is on boa
The Austrian Presse

ever to act in opposition to the wishes

he votes

g such of the
them where

er the Te Deum day,

Sa lender

)rt time 1

'ter of Conservative

to take

t in comr

states, that
the duchies

veromelits of Naples,

lid Maximilian, the em-

LEGHORN, Dec. 20.—Henry Stratford, calling 't
Aldborugh, and .his brother, Edward Stratford. ;-
of death commuted to ten years' impriso--
and six years for the latter. Chart
liberty.
-Gro

CE, Dec. 23
bardo•Venetian Lo

CONSTANTINOPLE.—M. 'FeTat
from the French consul not to
rnunication with the Porte.

TATTERSALL'S I

METROPOLITAN.-30 to 1 on the f
taken—Any odds apt Don Ped
2,000 Gt:INEAs' STAKES
—lO to 1 agst Fillius; tat

CHESTER Cup.-
Goldfinder ; taken

-10 to 1

DEI:BY.-9 to 1 00 tbe field —l5 to 1
Claverhouse —25 to 1 agst Orelio ; tak,

LONDON MONEY AND St
The English market was im
'asy, and several buyers abou

self Lord

,ford has bee

{erne-Brewed ; taken

taken-100 to

RR MAR NETS

ugh dishe
jug so.—ltailway Shares exceedir

MONDAY

most cases pric
closed scarcely s,

es nave
) strong

but yet

ppearance, money
s the close there

to & per shay

all day, and in
The market

A large l

per eel-

field, and Lincolnsl

ctivity in Alex

re ; Caledeni
3-16th ner s

Consols Account,
a Quarter per Cent

k, 1174

Nottingham, ar,
Enstern Count

shire. and
Brighton,
Berwick, It

kshire, CO} 1
South
to! N

liester, Shet
ks good, with

,st, 95 64

North'S

k awl North 11-1

ANCH ESTER Si
owing were the closing price
Lancashire, and Cheshir
London Sic
16; Midlar

East Lancashire, 151
Shams, M. and B. C., 1
shire and Yorkshire, 6O

LO DO'

CORN MARKET

Wheat
obtained.

dearer.
ling

_
our the turn higher
saleable nt

'0 .tlO
Lanca-

oth
ish White Whea
, Red Ditto.

against 52,924 last year, I
casks. The deliveries l

.n increase of is casks

Stock, 5

LONDON CATTLE MARKET

The supply of beasts and slteer
Fridty's prices. Calf trade unalt

20G;
_Sheep,_l,l-70 ; 'Calves, 1

—MoN DAY
.e of Is. p

Gil. to 4s. 6(1.; V(':

ase this
punted tc

MONDAY
and trail

from A 1-e' Xa"

over on her beam C;;CisTri
4 blowing fresh from tl
in, for Ilarre, for shelter.

FRANS TTBSTANTIAT

preach a sermon, in S

platter

Foreign

• ucev
peasts,

,r this r
it Dec.—

Seallant
led, fell
etl. It

running

nchael's Church, on Sunday
on the above

evening next, in answer to One pre
subject by the Rev. Dr. Cahill, in See

-street Om

Sunday week

TRAINS BETWEEN MANCHE
The Lancashire and Yorkshire, ------ -
Western Railway Companies, having been running o
tion trains between Manchester and Liverpool for saw
past, both starting about the same time, have now

arrangements for the passenger traffic. The trains of both
companies will leave the Victoria station, Manchester,
alternately, for the Exchange and Lime street stationv,
and from this town, alternately, from the Exchange and
Lime Creet stations, to the Victoria station, Manchester.