Arkansas intelligencer., 1848-04-01

a
view Of this. am ready TO exclaim. with the late
editor OF the Gazette, when commencing Mr.
Mathtt 10 this community, IN his paper OF Febru-
airy 3d, that - Genius is shining mark against
which eRUy has delighted 10 fling the mud and iIth
in which she herself walows." What an apt ey.
plficaton does this just sentiment fnd in the dis
reputable course of the present editor and his
street-corner compeers An additional feature
IN the eXempifcatou, Is suggested TO the minds of
those who have had the unhappiness to hear this
editor, HIMSELF TO perpetrale orafory; when the
fastldous Prince Of Denmark, might have order
ed even 50 passion torn TO tutters-Io very rae" "
IN glad relief from the boring monotony, and
snuflling drone, of school-boy recitation and post
ike rigidty.
But, the state pride, well as the polished
taste of this modern Qunjiiian, is grossly insult
ed, unpardonabIy outraged, by the Lecturers
imposition upon him, of ''such tissue of trashy,
disconnected, and dull newspaper detail" Now,
1t so happens that this same series of lectures
which the Gazette one day calls "brilliaut." an
other liable and eloquent" but now ''dull, trashy
disconnected and Indifferent" have been received,
with honor and applause, by College Faculties,
Learned Societies, and the most cultivated audit
orles, in various portions Of the United States. |
well remember having been in the city Of Balti-
more whom some of them were delivered there;
and although greatly desiring to hear them. /
found il impracIicabie, on account Of the crowds
OF people who filled, aud even surrounded, the
house, at an early hOur. Such, too, has been
their reception, in the other chief cities of our
country. 1t is well known that the late venerable
JohH Quincy adams, himself ";he old man elo.
quent," ;han whom there were few better orators,
and fewer who knew 50 well in what true elo-
quence consisted, even he was wont TO hang with
delight, upon the words, they fell Sin linked
sweetness from this Lecturers lips. But that
which delighted an Adams, could not satisfy the
editor Of the Gazette! And the wonder ceases,
when we remember thai Hyperion's mirror re.
flected no image of beauty upon the Satyr; and
that the classic bird of Juno has no taste in COM
mon with the naUsoous buzZard. Why need I,
however, 90 abroad, for evidence, or back into
antiquity for Illustrations! Here in Little Rock,
though not on the lopmost round of classical at.
tanment, and critical acumen, we have the ordi-
nary senses and feelings Of human beings, by
which we are enabled 10 hear and see and Judge
for ourselves, and are not, thank Heaven, depend.
ent upon every InpertInent popuiay of the quill,
who thruSts himself unbdden, upon the Judgment
seat Of letters. We the people have heard this
man, ourselves, and can. therefore, understand
how it is that his 'mnistrations, elsewhere in the
pulpit, and at the desk Of the lecturer, have so
powerful. We have witnessed their effects in this
community; and unless ou~ people have practiced
an hypOcrlcy that would shame Spartan, they,
including the Gazette, and its purIieus, have re-
ceIved Impressions, IN depth and importance,
never before experienced, and if retained will
cover our city with blessings How often, as the
"honey-dew Of e!oquenco" distilled from his
tongue, have seen checks that had grown old in
arldness as perfect as that Of Ara ban sands.
flooded with tears How often, when in the
tempest Of his inspiration, he hurled the bolts of
SInal's thunder, has the man Of pructced, boased ,
Odamanline, stoicism, felt ''each particular hair
TO stand on end, like quis upon the fre.fu por-
cupine!'' Indeed, | could scarcely have been
surprised, at some moments, 10 witness, as was
tabled of ancient eiOquence, the gathering of
swarm of bees upon the lips Of the speaker; and
among them, but that he belongs to that sharded
species OF the chronological tribe, which has no
taste for honey, but with prociyy ever down
ward, seeks lower for its prey. And as ifto "gild
refined gold and throw perfume DER the violet"
have fancied that the slightest remaining brogue
of his native lsIe developed by excitement, like
the "veiI of moss" flung by "Ihe Angel of flowers''
o or his fUvorite rose, lent "a grace and
additional richness, to ais exquisite, and as even
the Gazette grudgngy allows, his "Gnished eo
cutlon; the magic meZZOtint, without i'm
pairing force gives the new beauties of softness
and attraction.
Again-the Gazette says, Mr.. Maniu "may be
a very good Preacher, bat he is a poor philoso-
pher, and worse politician" A second Daniel
come 10 JGuSmenI! II preach0f may be JuJged,
like other inslrumentaiitjes under the providence
Of God, by the effects of his labors, then, indeed
may this one be held to be unsurpassed, whoever
shall be his equal. AS philosopher, he taught
no system but tine Bible. If .hat be ''poor," then
are all ''poor indeed" And as politician
dscarding all party relations and views, he advo-
Gated the most enlarged, lofty and ferveut pat
TiOtiSn. Love of our country, and enthusiastic
devotion to her rights and honor and free institu-
tions-as the only true safe guards of civil and
religious liberty, he urged with a powerful and
earnestness. of which few men are capable, and
which could not have been unprOductye Of good
and lasting impressions upon the minds Of his
hearers. This he had the right TO consider high
and common ground, to all patriots; and raising
upon it the broad flag of the Union, it was but
reasonable TO expect that, all men of all parties
might, so they would rally under its glorious folds
For myself can sincerely say that, while listen
ing to him, forgot, for the time iha: there were
such divisions as political parties in common
Indeed, | sometimes fancied him TO be
some heroic leader, upon the fields of our nations
prowess in arms, cheering his brave followers on
to .'deeds of noble daring" One passage, in
particular, was so fraught with the spirit of chiv-
alrc devotion, it transported me to the very foot
of ChapuLtepec-to that haowed spot, crinlsoned
with patriot blood, where, on the memorable
mOrnino Of the 18th of Sentember one Of. his