Edwardsville spectator. [volume] (Edwardsville, Ill.) 1819-1826, 1821-08-07
SPECTATOR
EDWARDsvlLLE, AUGUST z, 1921.

EDWARDSNlILE, AUGUST z, 1871.
The following paragraphs are repub-
lished from the Illinois Gazette for the
purpose of shelving, that as it is so easy
for editors in our own state to be deceived
by their Missouri feelings into a system
of misrepresentation, it should not be
considered strange that Missouri editors
themselves should be mistaken, and
hence the frequent barking at our heels
from that quarter.
From the Illinois Gazette, july IA.
A little volume has recently emanated from
the Press at ST. Louis, entitled Missourian
Lays and other Western Ditties," by Angus
Umphraville. This is the first essay of the
Muse in Missouri, and exclusive of its intrinsic
merits. Give may judge of the whole from the
specimens presented by the editors of the St.
Louis Enqurer) deserves, and will probably
receive cordial greeting. The editor Of the
En1OaraSUile Spectator ho7oever, APPEARS to be o.
adi6erent opinion. He says that " the Missouri
ans rpiAno doubt puff their bard" and therefore
determines wishes, something Of the sort, to
apply the lash Of criticism severely to the faults
which, he says, abound in this unpretending 10
hme.
We regret to perceive in the Spectator a
continued spirit of invective and hostility
against our young sister state but we little
expected to see it displayed in this highly un-
generous form.
From the lines in Italic it will be seen
that zoe are accused of employing the
terms and ideas there expressed in re-
lation to the disposition of the Missouri
ans to puff their bard. We beg pardon
of our Missouri friends, the Shawnee
town editors, and would inform them,
that the article from which that is an ex-
tract was a communication for this paper,
and so published, over the signature of
" Homuneulus." We make this state
ment for the purpose Of clearing our
skirts of the charge of speaking of the
Lays and Dtties, as they are spoken of
in the communication alluded to. Ifbe-
cause that communication has been found
in our paper, we are therefore to stand
father to it, the same course of reasoning
would ascribe to the editors of the Ca
zette, the "upright, downright, straight
forward. roundabout nonsense" pub
lished in their paper over the signature
of F" Toby Shandy;" and we certainly
feel too high respect for all of those
gentlemen to believe that such nonsense
could occupy any portion of their valu
able time.
But to shew still further the error into
which the Shawneetown editors have
committed themselves, we beg leave to
inform them, that the communication
which breathes this " continued spirit
of invective and hostility against our
young sister state, displayed in this high
ly ungenerous form," was written in 81.
Louis, and, as we believed at the time
OF receiving it, by person who is not
iuimical to the " bard," unless such dis
position be adduced from the axiom tina,
Is man is his ozcn worst enemy" 1t was
our intention then not to publish the ar
ticle unless some notice of the poems
should appear in the St. Louis papers !;
and two or three weeks thereafter, seeing
a note to the correspondents of the En-
quirer, that communicat on the sub
ject of them was reluctantly postpon-
ed" the publication of the one sent to
this office was no longer delayed. Mr..
Umphraville soon afterwards applying
fer some copies to be struck off in the
shape of handbills, confirmed our belief
with respect to the author of clio
muneulus."
If it be asked what motive the writer
could have had in detrac.ing from the
merit Of his own work, it may be an
swered, that of pressing it upon the Mis-
sourians as an article "persecuted BY
Illinois" Had this been the case,
the Shawneetown editors would have ri-
ven to the bard" a more cordial
greeting" in Missouri, by throwing their
mite, in addition to that of Mr.. U. him
self, into the clamor Of " Illinois perse.
cution," which in all probability, consti-
tutes the best Recommendation of the