Daily Richmond Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1840-1842, 1842-09-02
or nature aud ,hol1 star. to y, %r slcis


In srif,
ar nature aud their wrie,"
now independent il was, though sctuated by the
mort benevolent purpose, to stray from the paterns
ROOT without the knowledge of theis female ANCESTOR
| ou' when we md one Of these humane aud ham
less writers relinquishins the gentle and fowery
tone OF compliment and assuming the harsh and
peHous language of cen.nrc our surorisa pauses
10 ascertain, whether We should bs more nston shed
at the temerty Of this trash erdeavor.p or amazed
~ the entire Inconsistencies Of the haz ,rdous task
nc has undertaken, with which he b'unders along in
| M, his new labor-not OF iove-but of criticisn
We have high authority for supposng that wisdom.
learning ana experience not indispensable TO true
criticism. Byron informs US that
| "Crtes all are ready made"
And this might have been 30, II those venal md
hte,ng critics, under whose uasparing lash he
writhe', naughty and scorrfll rs he was but IL
does not hold true when the critic is but an amateur
VINO IS exempt from the cramp OF hunger and want
when supply the requisite fasehood and venom to
the other, the prices OF is daily bread
his mere gratuilous criticism must ia pfon,pted
either by observing some glarirg defect in the au.
thor, who is the subject OF il, and then il becomes
the critic alike IN justice 10 the popular mind be il
ABOUT 10 en- shten, and in justice TO the author he is
censuring, by fair aud faithful examples to dsoIav
the faults and his wisdom or his supcrior
power of analysis have detected; or il results from
VAN and mischievous desire TO display a supposed
capacity ,or satire or enustcity or finally. It 10 but
n form which dyspepsia assumes. In the first case
set forth above, II merits the thanks and gratitude
OF the reading public as in u recent case, when one
OF these sentinels upon the literary watchto wer Of
Wulh' an English reviewer, eravely cautioned tho
pubic, not TO believe the history Of the Peninsula
War, as t was shadowod forth in thu, clever work
OF DE. Levers, Charles O'Malley and that mora
especially should they discredh tho story Of Mickey
| Frees correspondence with the Duke Of w ellington,
which IS tod with such inimtable vraisemblance,
In the second supposed case, IL the criticism is
playful and humorous, we should smile; IL severe
and unmerted, we should condemn.
la the last cass Of cases. pity alone is aroused
and visions Of an lnhrmnry onlivened by tho spec
tees OF B'andeth and Peters stalk in nAuseating
array before our minds" eve.
| We hesitate for space 20 determine into which
of these classes should resolve this now prac,i-
TONER Of
"Thsnberrl art. which costs no pains
oI study, Industry, or tIans"
and who styles himself with a classic TASTE which
witnesses his eruditiOn-" Srictorp until we vere
forced TO ieve, that he was governed merely by a
DESIRE no harmless or playful desire either; but
10y wish TO display his critical Rcumen ut the ex-
pense OF one known 10 be foreigner, and 10 WHOSE
eapabilty for writing our language elegantly or
with grammatical correctness. the presumption was
already strongly opposed. He commences his arti-
ee, noticing the articles Of the September No OF tho
Messenger seriatm, and il is not my purpose TO
say aught against the praises he SO avishly bestows
upon them. lie proceeds, after "soapins its varied
contents, with lihera.ity which must have reioiced
its worthy Editor to cricise and csnsurc the article
an =" Essay on the Greek Dramaisls," from the psn
of Professor Minniserode, of William and Mary
College, with severity which finds parallel only
IN the ignorance and want Of taste the criticism itself
dHp'ays lie manlfesis 50 little courtesy and for
6eiranee, and makes ungeuerous IN assault upon
Professor Minnigerode, that even il the criticism
were Just, we should be slow TO pardon him; but
being uumcrted and silly, no excuse can be found
Tor his want oil courtesy 10 a gentleman aud a TO-
reigncr.
This vindication Of Professor Minniseroje. which
will be here attempted very briefly, is prompted by
no idle apprehension that his wide spread and ex-
alted reputation, as man of science and learning
as iorcole, and Tor the opportunity he has enjoy
ed, wonderfully accurate ard elegant writer can
be shaken 10y the puny attacks OF such Ignorant
pre;enders as his present critic. But coming for
the htst time before the Virgins public, to whose
service his talents and high classical attainments
are about 10 be devoted, unaequainted rs all of ny
are, save those who have seen the high encomiums
which have been passed upon his character and
genius, IN the innumerube testimonials he brought
with him-wth his requirements, it becomes u.s.
who are 10 be- his future Judges to keep our minds
Tree from prejudice, and to scout attacks such as
the one alluded TO, when made without reason or
even plausibity, as inSidious and unius. And here
We vii! take occasion to say, that which in eandor
we are not sorry TO have an opportunity Of saying,
even in the face of this Critic no pronounces the
gentleman, whose article he reviews, as incapable
OF writing English with "propristy or elegance
Professor Minnigerode Of william & Mary, I'M
like most Of the foreigners who have come 10 this
man. OF distinguished family-ihe freedom with
which he thought, spoke, and wro.e upon political
affairs and the science Of government made him at
once dangerous and odious to those, who, armed
with sovereign power, pursue with relentless and
vin1ictve persecution. all, whose independent spi-
ris and active minds lead them TO question the n,
thoritY and to doubt the soundness and wisdom Of
their policy. The eye OF authority was upon him
his elevated position made him CONSPICUOUS object
Tor political persecution and he sought, in our Tree
country, tina, liberty Of speech and of action which
had been denied him in his own. Educated in tina
most celebrated colleges in Europe, and taught with
that accurate and untring labor and application
which rs unknown TO our system OF education
IN oil the branches Of science, he had achieved for
himself NJ uncomfortable reputation as linsust
before he lett his native country. lie has been with
US Tor two or three years and has established in that
brief space Of time q character for integrity and a
reputation for learning, which, upon recent occA-
son, placed him, though contending agnins, thirty
hvo OF tho nbest hnguisis in the Union, beyond
competition and he elected almost by hcclama-
ton to the Proiessorship Of Humanity in William
& Mary, by the Visitors Of that institution Who ie
they could have been biased by favor, would have
preferred, oil other things being equal, a native
American to foreigner. But he ou,stripped ali
rivalry, and bore of the palm without a contest,
lie IL now before us holding the responsible po--
siiion Of Professor in our venerable, old Wiz
linn and Mary, and long may we enjoy the benoft
OF his rare accomplishments.
Bat had almost forgotten my friend f'S,rie.ot',--
'NtNenOuS nos mOutont" IN the NteraI.
ii is good enough to say that the Essay on the
Greek Dfamatisis will attract attention because il
is the "Announeed Production OF Professor Mnni-
ge'oda." fls further informs US with parity CON-
mensurite with the important fact he is about TO
commun cate "Ihal the Professor Is an accomplished
lingulst and literary antiquarian, but that IL does
not follow that the OFT OF writing English ee-
g1ntY or even cluectlY, necessarily belongs To-
him" Again. he says, "nolhing can DO more diff
COLI rs task than 10 write with ease in n foreign
tongue and by way Of anti:rn ing objection, and
settling the question finally, he concludes the sen.
tence, land II this proposition we're in tho least
doubtful tr urtirnble, the example Of so accom-
plshod man as Professor Mn g,rode would co
firts establish H." And hear him, finally: "fhs
first paragraph in the Introduction 10 Professoe Mas
Essay is prefix. inSov;d, end, consequently, OBJ
scure; hut 20 II III aher ncOnvenient to qoote IL tho
following sentence, which is not far OIL will answer
by way Of illustration" These extracts from Styc
ter Review Of the Essay" are given, that We
may perceive hos we'll qualified he is for pronoun-
cling upon propnely and elegance Of style. We
will examine them as they appear
II may safely be predlea,ed in view Of the pre-
miscs, that IL is not ensy ns task 10 write with
elegance in a native tongue. Keeping in vaw that
dculo is the only ~ weapon 10 combat humbug.
OF oil kind, We will take tile at this critics pre-
tensions Imprmig, then, let ne inquire what no
means by ANNOUNCED production" We arc free
n say tina; such a confederation Of words dsfes
both our syntax and photography. IL may I've that
il IS recent elegant and proper" elpsts Of which
we are not nppnsed, but " our memory serves us,
we orc sure that announced hos nevcS been made on