The Portsmouth inquirer. [volume] (Portsmouth, O. [Ohio]) 1849-1855, 1851-06-23
our New York Correspond ence.

/
/ upon thsSs two celebrated gentlenefl--IM IMys-
terious intrigue IN The Fifth Aptnlte--
Grim. Con, in High Life, 9c., 9e.
New York, June l3, 1851.
MEssRs. EDIroRs;
There is good deal of quite interesting in
telligence from the Old World, by the Amer
ica, the last steamship from Europe; but as
she arrived on Monday. and the bulk OF hel
news is, by this time, spread all over the
Union, and as although interesting it is not
very important, shall pass itby, and confine
myself in this letter, to local chit-chat.
1t is said that Dionysius, the Tyrant of Sy-
racuse, taught his own daughters to shave
him, for fear that some barber might cut his
throat, in case he trusted his neck in reach o.
professional razor. This historical moroccan
was brought vividly to mind, the other day
on witnessing the ,uneasiness of Gen. James
Watson Webb, while seated in one of the
chairs that adorn Phalon's magnificent Hair
dressing Saloon. The Generals uneasiness
was not occasioned by any, lack of faith il
the skill or honesty Of the young man who
was finishing him off," but from the fact
that N. P. Willis, his mortal foe, who hac
just been brushed for the opera, was standing
within few feet of him, chatting, in his
elegant, easy style, with couple Of distin
guished looking foreigners. This, it was
that caused Gen. Webb's uneasiness; anc
Willis, the sly dog, knew it, although, from
his manner. no one would have suspected thai
he was cognizant of the Generals presence
What the upshot of the rencounter was,
cannot say, as had to leave before the Gen
eral escaped from the hands Of the profession
which Diouysius so much feared and pre-
sumo that Mr.. Willis took good care to do
the same.
You have heard, of course, all the ipor-m
tant details of the Webb and Willis.case.-
am really grieved to see the members of the
Press of our city, guilty Of such reprehensi-
BILE conduct. know Willis; but | am not
one of his admirers-that is, he is not alto
gether to my taste, as man or writer
But | trust | am not so conceited as to be
blind to quite valuable traits in a mans char
acter-that am not organically constitu-
ted to thoroughly appreciate, or to initiate
that are not, in short to my taste; must,
therefore, say that, in the ordinary acceptation
of the word, Willis is an urbane and polish
ed gentleman, with just such an average
commixture of virtues and vices as usually
fall to the share of the sons Of Adam. am
confident, also, that Willis is ten times more
of man than Webb, morally and intellect
ually. Yes, Willis would, in my opinion,
have suffered many public and private as
saults on his character, before he would have
retaliated on his adversary by dragging into
the conflict an unoffending woman.
With all Willis's ioppery, he is more Of
an American than Webb. i have never
known a fashionable man cant less, in pri.
vate conversation, on "first circles" "pri.
vate gentlemen "good society," the "usa
ges Of well-bred people" &c. Willis, a;
may be learned from his poetry, and stray
paragraphs of his prose, is much more pro
found thinker, and has much more philo
sophie mind than would be supposed by the
cursory reader of the columns of the HON,
Journal, which contains matter written fol-
a certain market, in which there is demand
that Morris and Willis can, perhaps, bes
supply. Willis told me, one evening, about
year ago, that be was inclined and always
tempted to philosophize, and that he woulI
| like much 10 ba able to devote himself to
higher order ofliterature; but that it wouldn'
pay. "When | was mere boy, SO tospeak,
said he, 81 acquired knack, fortunately o
unfortunately, Of writing elegantly on trife'
-loicibly about nothing. People woulC
read these things, and publishers had busi.
ness respect for them. lmade good living
by writing them. while philosophical writers
around me were starving. Still, notwith-
standing the example Of their wretchedness
before me, would now and then, try my
hand at the expression of deeper thought than
was dealing with, day by day for a living;
but the invariable consequence was failure
not TO excite the attention of the more intel.
leCtual of my friends, but 10 pay my publish
er his expenses, much less either him or me
for our time and labor"
Every father and brother to whom ! have
spoken is indignant at Webb. AS for me
| cannot trust myself to speak of him. The
fact Of the matter is, that Webb has never
known that to be true gentleman, it is nee
essary to be a true christian, and, that mer
approximate the standard Of true gentility
only in proportion as they approximate thai
of christianity. know that we are all wide
of the mark Judged by the standard that
have just laid down; but it is the only true
one. My own shortcomings make me pain
fully conscious Of the fact. Retired Livery
servants. are said to talk more of gentility
than any other class of men; Charles Dick
ems endorses the general opinion, and an
fortunate enough to be able to concur will
the rest of mankind on this point, at least
| have heard some very fluent speakers Oh
gentility among that very useful and curious
ly ofnamented class Of persons above alluded
to; but / really do not remember to have ev
er seen or read of one who was so given t
the everlasting use ofservants cant, as Webb
Like them, he is always going out of his way
to use it, in a paragraph or a sentence IL
which it can be introduced. Webb has been
ever since my remembrance, eternally ring
ing the changes on such phrases as "polit
society,"" ''usages of gentlemen" "the sane
thy Of the dinner table," "man Of honor,
"persons Of breeding" "high social stand
ing" gentlemen Of leisure" ''private gen
tleman," and other euphonious phrases, Dor
rowed from D'0rsey's book on etiquette
phrases which haze real meaning, but un
appreciated by him, or he would never hav
SO outrageously violated the "sanctity Q
private life" (another ofhis cant expressions
in the case Of Mrs. Smith Coddington, a la
dy whom | personally know to be praiswor
thily striving to bring up her family respect
ably; contributing occasionally to its sup
port, the proceeds of her labors with the pen
An unfortunate event has occurred her
within the last few days. Much of the mai