The Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1837-1845, 1843-07-20
UNIVERSAL FAME.
BY j. X. PAuLDlNG.

BY. X. PAULDiNG.
1t is amazing to observe how little mankind know
OF each other, although the vanity of human nature
whispers every distinguished person, that his fame is,
or will one day be universal. The myrads of Asia
and Africa, with few solitary exceptions, never
heard oil the llustrious heroes statesmen pOets and
philosophers of Europe; and vast portion Of The
inhabitants of the latter, Ignorant of the very
names OF the great men Of the east. But instead Of
essay, will give readers story to illustrate
our meaning.
1t happened once on time, that an Israelite, an
Egyptian, Greek, Turk, Persian Chinese,
Frenchman, an Englishman, a German an Italian,
and an American, met by chance at caravansary,
somewhere in the east and being all great travellers,
speaking many languages, entered into conversation
with each other AS usual, they all differed in their
estimate of human happiness the comparative value
OF the various enjoyments of fe-and, above ALL in
their own individual Importance, in the scale of ma
tons Each one held up his own country the acme
Of projections and the utmost he would allow the
others, was degree of meri xacy corresponding
with their approach towards the infaIlible standard
OF his own self importance.
"The IsraeIites," said the Jew, "wcre the chos
people; therefore they must be the most true and
vrtuous of mankind"
1.-The Greeks" exclaimed the Athenian, "were
the brightest race that adorned the world. Look
at their laws, their literature, and their arts"
"Pooh" cried the Egyptian, "you had nothing but
what you stole from US. You were ignorant barb,-
rans, and SO would have remained your wise men,
as yo" call them, had not come to Egypt to learn
their A B c."
SPY your leave" said the Persian ssthe natives of
lrak being the most ancient people Of the EARTH must
have been the parents of all human knowledge"
eli YAH" quoth the Chinese, "cvery body knows
my nation is the most ancient by at least forty thou
sand years, and that the foreign barbarians derived
all their knowledge from them.'
"Mashallah !" said the Turk, taking his pine from
his mouth, "Mashaah! there is no religion but that
OF Mahomet, and NJ knowledge but that Of the Ko-
ram The sraeltes choutouts, the Christians are
dogs and there is no truth but among the followers
of The Prophet"
''Pes,e!' cried the Frenchman-"there is nobody
knows the true art of living but the French"
"Fhere is no nation " hose music is not ntolerable
but the Italian" said the Neapolitan.
'Ihe Germans are all philosophers" quoth the
native of Weimar.
eyes, but England, old England, cried John Bull,
sis the country for roast beef and freedom, nobody
can deny that"
81 do" exclaimed the Yankee.-"The Americans
are the only free people in the world"
"Mashallah whence did you come :" asked the
Turk.
"From the New World"
81 never heard OF it BEFORE" said the Turk
"Nor t." said the Persian
s'Nor ], - said the Egyptian
"Nor J." said the Chinese. 81 don't believe there
is any such place"
"Nor H. said the Tu X "There is but one world
one Cod and Mahomet is bis prophet"
"What parcel Of ignoramuses" exclaimed the
Yankee.
AS it is impossible TO settle the claims Of nations by
these loose generalties, the company proceeded to
particulars each bringing forward the greatest men
and greatest achievements ofh countrymen, battle
array, TO support his pretensons 10 superiority
Was there ever SO wise a man Solomon, so
great poet as ID avid SO brave warrior as Joshua
who made the sun stand still, or such prodigy of
learning as RABBI Ben Hamne-kend who wrote be-
yond the comprehension of all his readers" asked
the I-raeIte.
Did the world produce such hero as Ma.
poleon, such poet as Voltare, such tragic writers
as Cornee aud Racn such comic one as Noli-
ere or such dancer as Vestris ?" cried the French
man.
.sDah ~ exclaimed the Enelishman. "Wbat do
you tiink of Wellington elson, Shsk. peare, Bacon
Locke New ton, and all that sort of thiny ~
They can't hold a candle TO Armenius or Kant
or Call or Schiller, Goethe ~ said the German.
"Nor to julius Caesar, nor Scipio, ner Virgil nor
Cicero, nor thousand offers, who were all NV coun
trymcn, though they called themselves Romans
cried the Italian.
"Pshaw ~ said the Yankee" all your heroes
and philosophers put together would not make one
Franklin, or halfa Washington J"
"Gen emen," said the Greek, "ynu NAV boast
as much as you will bat had il not been for Greek
warriors philosophers poets a.l sayes you would all
have remained barbarians To this day. What think
you Of Homer, and Echyus, and Sophocles, and Eu
rpides, and Demosthenes, and MIltiades, and The
X
tends to the uttermost ends Of the esrth;''
"Wbo are these BIO kheads talking about :, asked
the Ely ti,n the Chinese, the Persian and the Turk
of each other.
"Talking of" cried the rest with one voice,-"Of
the lights OF the world, the children of mmol tality
THE HEIRS UNIVERSAL FAMEp
We never heard their names before, and there
fore they must have been rather obscure persons,o
the reply.
"But if YOU come 10 the Heirs of Universal Fame
al tba Pere, .f all 10 Tho
he Rstand, and the great poet Fordous who wrote
poeiical history Of Irak, in twenty thousand cou-
pletsp'
"Did any body read ''' asked the Turk
gravely.
We never heard of e her, answered oil The rest,
What ignorant wre cbes !" muttered The Persian
eli Yshl' exclaimed the Chinese. HI Yah
Your elder brother Leo Choo knocks head and w or
ships What do you say to the great Moon Of poe
ry The light of The universe, Kwarg C5ung, Lord of
the Celestial Emlne, and head of the world who
wrote three bundled volumes Of poetry, in he inter
prclanD Of which three thousand learned runjs l. ST
their seLses The whole universe was Fl. led with
his verses"
We never heard of him before" cried they ALL
"Wbat set of foreign babariapsl" said the Chi
"And what think you of our great prophet Maho
met asbe the Tu X. E" MasbaiIab his sword was
inv ncible against the enemies of the faith and his
wisdom invinc,ble than bis sword Al know
ledge is contained in the Koran"
IL nay be, but We have never read II" said they
all, with tic exception OF the true believers
"Doss !" cried he; may your heads bc!conver,ed
into shoe bush's aud youreyes become blind as your
undeis onlngsW
As usual in these cases cont Dtion succeeded ar
gumer, and abuse was answered by rccrmin,,;on
Each beng unable 10 establish his claim To supe-
or,ty, made himself alcnds by dciractnp fir m ih.
claims of his opponents; and if eli had b. en- ,rnc
VIII ch they said of each other, their heroes and Urea,
would have hcen parcel Of miserable creatures
unworthy The gratitude, even the rem mbrance oi
posterty.
And this is universal fame ~ exclaimed an ola
Jeivise, who sat smoking his pipe quietly in corne,
wihOu taking part IN tho debate" To be sdored as
prophet III one quauor Of the world and sbborred
as an mposer IN the olhers-to be hero in one ma