The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1851-02-13
GRAHAM's MAGAZINE. March, 1861.


An Incompatible number of this splendid Pc
riodical. 1t contains LA pages of original mat
ter, and musters a corps of fifty contributors 1t
is without plates except such illustrative wood
cuts as are furnished US in Harper's Monthly
Reprint. 1t completes with this rival and others of
the same stamp, for the favor and support of the
public, not on their own ground, but on ground
more national and honorable. Though Graham,
the prince of magazine proprietors does not entire
ly exclude foreign writers from his columns he
mostly employs native authors, whom he remune-
rates with unexampled liberality. In the work
which he has so heartily undertaken, he is i'm
PEELED by noble ambition to make a magazine
not alone of distinctly national, but of highly
literary character. The country should see that
an enterprise SO much to its honor, and 30 ably
and generously conducted, has the success it 80
richly deserves.
Among the many fine articles in this number,
we particularly liked the poems of Bayard Tay-
lor, +. B. Read, and Mrs. Whitman. OF the
prose articles, in literary point Of view, the
Essay on Stupid Conservatism and Malignant
Reform is probably entitled to the precedence.
This has no signature, but can be easily traced
home by the marked antithetical style of dis
tinguished Boston reviewer. We wish it were
not his for it is written in sharp, cynical spirit
which wrongs his true nature 1t is a half an
cry, half mischievous, discharge of poisoned
epithets, both at spathetic Conservatism and its
bold and fiery antagonist, Reform. There is
subtle though perhaps unconscious injustice in
this for the keen and well-directed arrows of sar-
casm and invective cannot harm or disturb the
old giant, lazy and fat, with good sleeping and
eating, clad in the double mail of pride and stu
pidity, and protected by the shield Of old preju-
dice, while they pierce the limbs and rankle IN
the flesh of the rash stripping, who
"wears no mail snd hides behind shield"
There is all the difference in the degree OF
magnanimity and bravery shown in attacking
Reform and Conservatism that there would 90
in opposing youth struggling up hill, and STOUT
man going down Reform climbs the hard, un-
broken path, painting with haste, sometimes sag
gering with WEAKNESS, now blinded with iaiso
visions Of the bright summit which is yet Afar on
and now msddeped by the impediments thrown IN
his way, end the hooking, rebuking voices Wh'0a
call about him; while Conservatism, buriy ana
self-possessed, bears slowly but steadily do"n
down upon you, with all the dead weight OF ages
The writer evidently thinks that he is dealing
out even handed justice; but TO us It Is PA'"
enough that the dose he administers to tho ov"
servative, though little hard to take IS VIZ
some medicine; while the cup he has m'.'" 'N
the poor Reformer, is Of pure gall anu ,'.'s
He has two ferules, with which ne aa%'n,''e''
chastisement-on of pine, the other Of n'0,o,y
If the RefOrmer gets the hardest blows, and the
most of them let him hope that they are OUT gwen
= .h., .r;r;t Of ,ublime impartiaity which caused
~. ola Scotch schoolmaster to punish his own
-. ,.dd;.sp more frequently and severely
than he punished their mates
Il i, utterly impossible for mind OF any force
- o.curv neutral ground between the two opPos-
IN. principles Of the age. 1t must take sides
-;,h one or thaethsr, either in feeling, or in'oi
n,,.,v action. Even our author is not so "bland-
" Indifferent 80 philosophically impartial as ne
thinks himself for every word Of his harsh con-
demuation of the hot-brained enthusiasm Inv
extremes and eItravsgances Of Reform, goes
strengthen the position and justify the anne
iusnity Of Conservatism. =,
We must be pardcnsd for saying thar 'hs ''