The Sumter banner. [volume] (Sumterville, S.C.) 1846-1855, 1849-10-17
L. B. MACAULAY AND THOMAS
an@ CARLYLE.

Macaulay's sense Of beauty is keen,
but not deep; his enthusiasm has no
central fire; his convictions want depth,
and, as consequence, his eloquence,
with apparent earncstncss, wants force.
The surface Of his mind is large and
active; but its regions below remain un-
troubled. The consequence is, that he
has no influence on his age. He flat
ters the Incidence of his readers; he
does not stimulate their minds. He
delights; he does not inspire. In read
ing him, we do not feel that his soul is
speaking from its depth to the depth of
ours Compare him with Carlyle
Two moro opposite men cannot be nam
ed in the same breath Macaulay,
clear, definite, elegant, methodical,
crowding his pages with antithcsis and
illustrations; more solicitous about the
fall Of a period than about the accuracy
of his assertion; grouping details into y
picture; fond Of paradox, yet never
probing beneath the surface; expert in
polemies, yet seldom fighting for great
truths; captivating by the grace, and
dazzling by the gorgeonsness of his
diction, and leaving upon the readers
mind no more durable impression than
that which a splendid spectacle leaves
upon the mind of a theatrical audience.
Carlyle, suggcd, mystical, abrupt,
immcthodical, unmusical, vehement,
scornful, sarcastic, sardon;c, and humo-
rous; rich also in pictures; inordinatcly
fond of paradox, but profoundly seri-
Gus; striving at all times to see into the
depths Of things; disdainful of ordinary
rules of composition, disdainful of all
clegancies, graces, and shams of life
and of literature; forever appealing to
the soul of man, and bidding remember
that he is in tho presence ofthc Infinite;
stcrnly recalling those awful facts of
life which friYolity endcavors to gloss
over; ficrccly preaching the imperative
nature of duty and Of carncsness; speak
ing in prophet tones to needless gene
ration; mingling the quaintcst imagery
and without buitoonery with the saddest
pathos and the dreariest gloom; q sccp-
tic, yet a prophet; amidst alternate
laughter and alternate tears, alternate
exhortation and alternate contempt; he
does not dazzle, he provokcs; he does
not captivatc, he inspires; and the i'm
preston he leaves upon the mind is va
rious and abiding, as that left by ira
gcdy of Shakespeare. AS specimens of
literature, in the limited sense Of the
word, Macaulay's writings are immca-
surably superior; but if literature be
something more than the amusement of
cultivated intcllccts, something more
than an intellectual luxury, for the dis
sipation Of leisure hours, Ca,lylc's su-
periority is unmistakablc. Macaulay
has delighted thousands. This is no
slight thing, and VIC should be the last
to undcrvaluc it. But he has matcri-
ally bettered no one. lie has deepen
cd no mans convictions, he has given
fresh strength to no human soul. His
influence on his generation has been
null. Carlyle, though sconed by many
tor hls offences against literary taste,
ana though dreaded oy others Tor his
reckless treatment OF great questions,
has, nevertheless, produced a visible IN
iiucncc on the minds OF contemporaries:
he has glvcna direction to their thoughts,
and has suggested SO much thought that
he is rightiullv regarded as teacher.
Tins tact there Is no galnsaying.
THINK what we may OF the influence. be
1t evil or be 1T good, 1t Is there. We
could name more than one distinguished
m,a ra,l,.In r' ...,;;', ~ !, w. La.;, .l,a
' ~; 1 - "a, ool,ol ,,"",, a', M
L., u, ;,.,,,, ~ doc,.rn tha, w;,l, sn,rnnl,,
n,,, l;,;S. on,l,om ,,nra go ,a,s anrna