The daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1848-1851, 1849-04-30
The State Engineer.

Junoi oulIor WltnOut any consultation VIII HIS coi'
laborator, has called forth two communications in
defence of the appointment for State Engineer
lately made by the Governor. One of these com.
munications was signed "Justitia Fiat" and was
| addressed to the Picayune; the other was signed
"Civis,'' and appeared in the columns of the Delta
1t is well that the signatures chosen are in learned
| language. If could only translate "Justtia
Fiat and Civis into the plain English of theiI
authors names, the public would probably be
much edited and amused at the motives which
! prompted those worthy gentlemen. Neither " JUS
titia Fiat nor "Civis could get an editor to en-
dorse their statements for the Delta only says that
it is requested to call attention to the communica.
ton of Civis'"
We begin with 'Justitia Fiat,'' as he seems to
be more furious and therefore more interested than
"Civs.' Indeed "Justilia - las we will call him
for the sake of brevty) has let his anger carry him
beyond the bounds Of propriety, to say nothing Of
his transgressng the limits of right reason For
example, he wishes TO represent as a scof1er at
religion and all the decences of life. Every one
who read the article of Saturday must see that this
Is gross Misrepresentation and that however
many professions of justice and charity Justita %
may make, his practice reveals many lamentabe
shortcomings. As for our regarding the frequent
ers of tipplng-shops with peculiar favor, we will
say that there are some vices in comparison with
which even drunkenness, bad as it is, is a virtue.
We do not mean this at all for the Rev. Mr. Wool
dridge for from all we have heard from his friends,
his character is fair and honorable We say it only
to let "Justitia - and others know that we regard
avarce and intrigue, and trading on the public inter-
ess, fully as despicabe and degrading as drunken
ness The latter may be the vice of an over-ardent
temperament; the former betray the existence of a
depraved head and distorted conscience
Justltla :" runs counter to logic as we'll as COM
mon sense, when he tells us in the first part of a
sentence that Mr.. Woodbridge possesses high
order of intellect" and thorough scientific edu-
cation,' whilst the closing clause affirms the
strange fact that the labors of our State Engineer
principally consist in the science of pulling snags
out of baHous, and cutting away bending trees
which obstruct navigation" What use for the
thorough scientific education, if Justitia - has
proper conception of the duties of State Engineer
As to Mr.. Hebert's residence, we were mistaken !;
we thought he lived in Assumption, but have since
learned that he lives in Iberville. But does he
stoop to practise the arts of caucusesi Can he
manage many votes in his neighborhood9 Where
as, although Mr.. Woodbridge may not no,o live in the
Third District, his friends assume to sway the Piny
Woods. st. Tammany is gratified by the appoint
ment of the new Eng Its breast swells in
sympathetic unison at the triumphs of its favorte
sons. The suspicion expressed in the closing SEN
tence of " Justitia - is unfounded. No one con-
nected with the Crescent ever applied to Gov John
son for an office, either directly or indirectly;
though if we had thought ourselves peculiarly I'M
in fho uift of tba
might have been daring enough to deem success
probable. Our vanity, however, prevented us from
surprising ourselves possessed of the &c first, last,
best qualifcation-probabyw we ought to say dis
qualifcation-for receiving an office from Gov.
Johnson.
Now we come to /" Civis' and "Civis." if not
angry 7" Justitia,' makes some very grotesque
efforts to be witty and sarcastic at our expense He
has evidently pondered long on the description of
rlgmarole which he places at the head of his ar
tice; and no doubt the author of Don Juan, if he
were alive, would thank Civis for the fine prac-
teal commentary he has furnished of the lines so
appropriately prefxed to his communication The
attempts OF Civs " at wit remind us of the gam
bols of-an elephant, we were going to say but
we beg the elephants pardon for such an intention
They are not lively enough to be compared to the
antics OF monkey, nor graceful enough to be
likened to the wadde of a duck, and we are afraid
we shall have to descend for smile to the top.
loftical serio-comic strutting of gander. As for
the arguments of "Civis,' they are about on a
level with his wit. At one time he defends Mr..
Wooldridge's appointment by representing that
gentleman as very scientific, raising the new Engi.
neer, by the force of exuberant imagination to
a place among the Newtons, the Lapaces, and the
Descartes Then he says that "mere men of sci
ence are in general, woully deficient in the details
of business Does 'Civis' mean to nut Mr.. |
Woodbridge among the mere men of science, But
the Finally" of "Civs" overturns all the first |
part Of his artcle for it informs us that no scien.
Ilfic attanments are necessary in order to make
competent State Engineer After elevating science
and scientific men above the stars, Civis laughs
1t the ridiculous absurdity of the Crescents com.
plants on the score of science'' We, forsootb. |
equlre the Engineer to be too scientific One |
more remark to "Civis,o and we have done with
llm He says abuse is more kindred to some
minds than reason" Too true, my dear "Civis,o
md you showed your good sense by not qualifying
7our assertion with the truth that there are some
minds too weak for their malice to rise 10 the height
# abuse, although they may all the time be lacking
n every thing like reason The absence of abuse
oes not indicate the existence of reason. Your
rticle, my dear Civis,'' amply proves that there
re some minds that reason avoids as if they were
ainted with the plague-spot.
Having answered our friends ''Justitia - and
Civis, we return to the original question of the
lotves with which the appointment for Engineer
'as made and the qualifications of the new incum-
ent for his place. The motives lie on the surface
e that runs may read When we see clearly the
blect after which Gov Johnson is striving, there
no difficulty in accounting for his appointment
Mr. Woodbridge. As for Mr. Wooldrdge's dual.
ications, we only know that he has no practical
cquainlance with Engineering; and this is enough
Or us to declare, in the words of Mr.. Webster that
1t was an appointment not fit to be made. ,, Even
olomon, with all his wisdom-the quondam clar.
vman will admit the weight of the authoritv-
allied to his assistance practical architect when
e began the building of the magnificent temple at
,rusalem. But our Solomons are "wiser in their
ny and generation" They are Engineers by the ,
rec of reflection, unaided by practice-accom.