Daily Richmond Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1840-1842, 1842-02-10
A NEW PARALLEL.

The ideas which go cropping abou, IN the darkness
OF the Editor of the Madisonian's brain. certainly
knock their haeds together, at times, after very
strange fashion. few days ago, in speaking of
his young masters" poetry, what should tumble
up into his thoughts but Milton He had some
vague conception thai the first of British poets went
oy that name; so he forthwith assigns to "Ahas-
uefus" rank along side of"Paradise Lost" Now.
we nave no objection to magnifying n tom tito
praising It's one-note chirp, the splendor of its
plu mage and declaring that il rivals the Niehten.
gale in song, and the Phenix in its colors But who
before ever thought OF ex,olling its formidable Ia
Ions, its terrible beak, and the rushing sweep of its
wings as matching those of an eagle tom ii,
we insist on it, should be praised tom-titicslly. and
not aquiliney IL is against all rules of Art. md
even all rules OF Aduialion, flor that too has its
precep's') to aud blind man for his perspicacity
a hunch-bac for the column like straitness of his
shape, or cripple for the easy grace of his gait.
Nay, such praises are usually considered inhuman.
as well as offensive; they are never ventured I'M
less their subject is as grossly stupid as he is blind
or deiormed or lame; and the Court Editor cer,ainlv
could not employ, upon the fal or paternal Dull
ness, the dreadfulIy ineongruous .laudation. which
II lavIshes, unless he and they were SO desperately
imoecile that there was no chance OF their perceiv
ing that such praise operated the most ntolerable
and annihilatiug satire.
tie should have kept within safe bounds. md
averred, with as many transports of admiration "a
he liked, that the new Epic had all the fire and veor
oil Mrs hemans; that its sublimity SCARED quite as
high as that OF Laura Matilda or Swift,s "Sono bv
person OF quality" and that is melody was as
IullIns as that of Crashaw, or the author of the
Mountain Muse" But Milton, or any other great
name ofSong, he should have as sedulously avoided
to mention, as one does Jail in presence of a con
vict Just out OF the Penitentiary
We, ourselves, are much more careful. no, onl,,
OF the sons but OF the fathers reputation and never
could have brought ourselves, in even the keenest
sarcastic mood, 10 commit the shocking Injustice
and cruelty which tho Madisonian has done. in its
paper Of Wednesday. We avow tina, we have never,
In oil our lives, placed in light so yfuilv
ridiculous, as the President is, by the following mas
ssge. Upon our souls, we are sorry TO see him
handled so:
"His,ory presents few examples Of exaltation
more rapid or more regular, from post to post Ma,
poleon rose not to the height OF his military fame
by graduations more marked by successive proofs
OF superior Judgment, than those which have illus.
tr ted the rise of our President Il calls for no
stretch of fancy to extend tho parallel in some par
ticuars thet do honor TO both In taking the men
to sign the Veto, he displayed the same courage and
forecast that prompted the Frenchman TO seize tho
colors and take the lead at Lodi. In both, il was n
crisis IN the fate OF themselves and their country
While all others trembed for the result, they "took
the responsibility" with confidence that genius
near akin 10 inspiration only could inspire. Had
Napoleon hestated, one fatal disaster would have
closed an inglorious campaign! So had TYLER
yielded, the triumph Of the Bank Wings would
have ended in one great abortion, We should
have had, 1t is true. the skeleton OF n mammoth
bank, but who does not see that no human power
could have breathed into it neither life or useful
nessi The Wing party would have been broken
down under the weight Of popular imprecntiop. for
promises made to the ear and broken TO the hone
In another respect, how striking the resemblance OF
these remarkable men, The French General. like
the President, rising alone by the force of his own
genius, was distinguished for nothing more than his
sagacity IN the CHOICE OF MEN SUITED TO rur
WORK IN HAND! Was it to charge with cavalry
to storm redoubt-to crcumvent a willy diplomo
us,-he always knew where TO put HIS FINGER ON
HIS MAN 2"
Now really, MIR Jones, if you or the Presiden,
canno. see that comparison OF this sort mus, only
wherever read, cause a universal CONFUSION OF ca
chination, roar of mirth and derision from one
end OF the continent to the other we are ashamed of
you and concerned for him Independent.