Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1826-12-21
RICHMOND, DEC. 81.
To the Editors of the Enquirer.

To the Editors OF the enquirer.
Leaving to ADLER pens than mine, a commentary
| upon the orthodox republican principles, which
have guided our learned President since he has
come into office, shall confine myself to the more
humble, hu, not less pleasing tax, OF calling the
public attention to the many and varied beauties OF
s,,e, exhibited in his late message to Congress
| In speaking of the decease OF the Emperor Alex
| anGer, the following sentence occurs:
" The ordinary diplomatic communications be-
tween his successor, the Emperor Nicholas. and
! the United States have suffered some interruption
by the Illness departure, and subsequent, decease If
his minister residing here, who enjoyed he
tied, the confidence OF his new sovereign,
he had eniinemtiy responded to that Of his pre-
isceSSor."
la reading this, who is not struck with the sin
guar beauty of the last member OF the sentence
hch hav e'placed in ltsl!c-?-An ordinary wri
! ter would have written, d" as he had enjoyed that
| Of his predccessor"; but the repetition of the
word - enjoyed'' would have been vulgar, and the
President, doubt. TO avoid this fault, and fer the
sake o. melody, has used the words " eminentIy
| responded" 1t would have been no grea, con
plimenr TO have said that the minister responded 10
iha, of his predecessor Our sagacious Presiien,
has. therefore, very properly used the expression,
emiueRfiy responded Independent. OF the u,anifes,
| advantage in the substitution OF the word " res
pended" instead OF - enjoyed" in point Of style,
! what beautiful obscurity Is introduced by 1t :!
WHO, but Professor OF Rhetoric, could tell wheh-
er the word predecessor" referred the deceased
! sovereign, or his minister
There certainly not be the same objection to the
placing of favoure idea in a variety of forms;
the objection is only to the frequent use OF the sam
,oord. The President, therefore, who appears 10
be good deal troubled at the failure negotiate
| a treaty with the British Government, and who
wishes 10 throw the bauie The 0bSctfrity of the
act OF Parliament entorces tie idea in the follow
ing manner: 4" In the mean time, another act OF
Parliament so doubtful and ambiguous IN its i'm
port as to have been misunderstood by the of
fcers in the Colonies, ,Dio ,Dere 20 carry it into
execution" sc. In the next sentence, j. is again
inforced " This act passed In July 1926, no,
communicated to the government of the Unite,
States, not understood by the British officers OF
customs tDhere Il ,caS to be entoced,' &c In
the following sentence we have i; again GO Ii
was deemed expedient to await the result of that
negotiation, rather than subscribe to terms, the
inport of which ,cas not clear and which the
British duthwities in this Hemisphere ,oere not
prepared to EXPLAIN" This may properly be
termed Ciceronian fullness. In speaking of com
mel cal endorsements, he has given US new
| version Of the word " recoil' in the folio. ing
sentence The severe shock, extensively
sustained by the commercial and manufacturing in
teresis in Great Britain, has not been without per
ceptible recoii upon ourselves" In common ac-
l a
but our President very properly extends the mean
ing, by transferring the shock TO this country from
Great Britain.
But the principal beauty of the Presidents style
consists in the of the figure called ALTERATION,
Of which lie seems TO be extremely fond, and which,
he manages with great deXteriiy. 1t would seen,
from this. that he must have some Irish blood in
his veins as il is their favourie figure in writing
and speaking Take the following examples "a
mong others in his late message to Congress
@ Reducing the duties of observation-disclosures per-
mt;ed 10 pdricipate'--" published by procama-
tons, copies of which herewith communicated
TO Congress-" candor & Cancellation 80 con,
promise of claims" p,incipls heretofore prac-
| iised''--" calm s. candid" 80 the destiny s. the
duty -. measure of their menus" portion
OF their pa.rpose"--to toll & treasure"-co,ner OF
our eouairy"-" gloom TO glory''-'' sense s.
sensibiluy."
The following sentence affords another sr ecimen
Of Cicero ful!ness " These treaties then receiv-
| ed the constitutional sanction Of The Senate, by
the aduicc ami consent to Their ratification" a
verbal critic might say that the sanction OF the
Senate necessarily implied their consent and advice
| 10 the ratiScation-But then what becomes of
| style MARTINUS SCRIBLERUS.
| FOR THE E.NQ UIRER
u u. L.. e.