The Camden journal. [volume] (Camden, S.C.) 1836-1851, 1850-02-22
ZACHARIAN AGE.

sd" THE ZACHAtlAN AGE.
Augustus Caesar was so celebrated for his
munitcent patronage of men of letters, that the
period of his reign has been ever-memorable as
the Augustan Age. And SO remarkable was
this epoch in Roman history, that all parallel
periods in the existence of other nations have
been called by them the Augustan age of their
literature. Thus, whenliterature most flourish
ed in England, during the time of Johnson, Ad-
Olson, and others, the period was denominated
the Augustan Age of English literature Now,
if the Emperor Augustus could, on any account
of his patronage of letters and the tiourishing
condition of literature in his reign, impress his
own name upon the period, and induce all pos
terity and "the rest of mankind" to call it the
Augustan age, why may not President Zachary
Taylor, by his cultivation ofletters, and his pat
ronage of literary men, give his impress to the
period of his presidential reign, and induce all
men to call it the Zacharian Age? We think
no President who has yet occupied the White
House has better right to give such celebrity
to the epoch of his own letter and literary quail
fications than president Zachary Taylor; and
no President ever had abont him secretaries and
ministers who have made such bold innovations
upon what was before deemed standard litera-
ture. That the novelties ofliterature introduced
under the present official dynasty may be pre-
served for future history, we group them all to-
gether, for their better preservation. we begin
first, with the presidential bulls, which some
wag, out west, has thus analyzed and classified.
He says:
The horns of the presidential bull are thus
marked and described:
First horn Of the bull: :.
"We are at peace with all the world, and seek
to maintain our cherished relations with the resi-
sGsSc0ohhia horn of the bull:
"While enjoying the benefits of amicable in
tercourse with foreign nations, we have not
been inscnsibe to the distractions and wars
which have prevailed in othe, quarters of the
world"
! The rext literary tyou is from the pen of the
honorable Secretary of State, John NJ. Clayton
1t is to be found in his letter of instructions to
Thomas Butler King:
"You are fully possessed Of the PRESIDENTS
VIEWS, and can, with propriety, suggest to the
people of California the adoption Of measures
best calculated 10 gire them effect. THESE
MEASURES MUST, OF COURSE, ORIGINATE SOLELY
WITH THEMSELVES.
And the next and last is from that distinguish.
ed saran, Abbott Lawrence, General Taylor's
minister to England At the Scotch dinner he
held forth in the following pure and classic Eng.
lish, more remarkable, however, for its chro-
nology than for its language:
"The Americans were Anglo.Saxons rs
we'll as Englishmen. They were older thanhis
fnln1u hpf 10, IL,
l776, he in common with his countrymen, had
the same pride and glory in the British name
that any British subject could entertain that
night
This is pretty we'll for man who was born
some twenty-five years after. But they are all
precious morceaus, and, by their novelty and
uniqueness, mark the age in which they appear.
1t is great age Let it be called the Zachari.
an Age.
Toll CoHoUERING PRIDE.-John Adams, the
second President of the United States used to
relate the following anecdote:
grammar but it was dull, and hated it. My
father was anxious TO send ME to college, and
therefore, | studied the grammar till | could
stand it no longer and going to my father, | told
him did not like to study, aud asked for some
other employment Twas opposing his wishes,
and he was quick in his answer. "Wel John,
if Latin grammar does not suit You, try ditching,
perhaps that will; my meadow yonder wants a
ditch, and you muy put by Latin and try that"
This seemed a delightful change, and to the
meadow went, but soon found ditching harder
than Latin, and the first forenoon was the lon.
gest that ever experienced
"lhat day ate the bread oflabor, and glad
was when night came on. That night made
some comparison between Latin grammar and
'ditching, but said not II word about it; dug next
forenoon, and wanted to return to Latin at din.
ner but it was humiliating, and could not do
it. At night, toll conquered pride and though
it was one of the severest trials ever had in my
life, | told my father that if he chose would
60 back to Latin grammar. He was glad of it
and i'll have since gained any distinction, it has
been owing TO the two days labor in that
abominable ditch"
There were 2ls0 foreigners naturalized as
American citizens, in New York, in lS49, and
1854 more filed the necessary papers to enable
them to become citizens five years hence !