The Northern galaxy, and Middlebury people's press. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1843-1844, 1844-01-03
INFIRMITIES OF GENIUS.

1t seems, nowadays, as IL, inc WISER
man becomes by experience, opportunity,
and study, the more like Ounce lie is ex-
pected to speak, write and act. Shak-
speare, describing phrenzied poet, says
he sees more devils than vast hell can
hold and there was much more truth
than poetry in the line. Yet not more,
when applied to poets than to some mod
ern divines, editors, political teachers,
"learned blacksmiths," and the like. Fer
in these days this kind of phrenzy does
really seem the very error of the moon"
And apropos of the moon. ltturns out
that that most learned of Mulcibers, the
really talented Burritt, whose lectures on
most topics have been considered sensible
and improving, has become one of the
Animal Magnetisers, and swallows clair
rouancs, as a boa-constrictor does sheep,
whole. If we can credit that recently
published letter, attributed to him and ad-
dressed to LIE Roy Sunderland, is not a
hoax or a forgery, Mr.. Burritt is really en-
gagged in running down notion ofhis own
that it is perfectly practicable to ascertain
by clairroyance, the language spoken by
the inhabitants of the moon
Here is an extract; and let the uncrack-
ed reader say whether any thing more IL
dicuously absurd was ever written, or
even imagined or conceived.
"a few months ago l received ccm-
munication from a gentleman residing I'D
a remote part of the state, OF this effect.
He had sent lad, in the ciairro9dni state,
to the moon where he had made many
discoveries with regard TO the inhabitants,
&c. Having found his way into build
ing resembling a school house, he detect
ed a book, which upon the opening he was
unable to read. At the request OF the
maenetizer he copied off twenty-eight well
formed characters, as different from each
other as the letters in our alphabet. These
were forwarded to me to compare with the
characters employed in the Oriental Ian
quapes. A few weeks afterwards L re-
ceiyed another letter from the gentleman,
containing the results of another tour OF
discovery. The lad saw things more def
initely this time, and took drawings OF a
monument and a metallic horn. Upon the
monument was an inscription, written III
the very characters, which the boy found
in the book. / have Just written to the
gentleman, requesting him to begin new
series of experiments upon the moon, SIM
ultaneously with Mr.. Shepherd, and send
the result TO me. / would therefore pro-
pose that YOU do the same with your sub
iect, and to publish the result OF the three
series together, should there be a striking
correspondence. The course l have pro-
posed for Mr.. S. and the other gentleman
was. to take their subjects to the northeast
side ofthe moon, let them proceed through
to the southwest side, then from the west
to the southeast, from north to the south,
and from east to west, describing what
they saw, as would be natural to travel
Ter lourneying throug h a new country
When each Of the three subjects has been
gone through in the above order, ii might
be of grea: interest to compare notes OH
the moon.
THE "Iearned blacksmith had better
return to his anvil, unless he can extract
something more sensible than this from
the forge Of his BRAIN. "Too much learn
ing hath made him mad"
While Mr.. Burritt is thus clairvolrlng
the moon Mr.. Garrit Smith Ia New York
philosopher of somerenown,) is setting-uP
as Sabbath-day preacher ofpolitical abb
olitionism. He is very jealous IN this
pursuit, and is impelled, he intImates, TO
prosecute it by stringent sense oil duty
He is of opinion that so long as preachers
will not, he "must" do this. lie has no
time but Sunday to do it in, and ne must
do it on Sundays. Meantime, however,
but Mr.. Smith shall speak for himself
in an extract from one of his own " Ser
mons"
"The apprehension is often expressed
that NV preaching of politics on the Sab
hath is opening wide door for the most
pernicious consequences. frankly coll
fess. that such apprehension exists in my
own breast. / have painful fear, that
persons, even less fit than myself, both IN
head and heart, may, prompted by my ex-
ample and their zeal for the slave, set
about preaching anti-slavery politics on
the Sabbath. Nevertheless, with all this
hazard before my eyes, must continue to
preach such politics on the Sabbath Nay