The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1852-09-23

DEGRADATION OF LITERARY TALENT were
sreved 10 Iotice, recently, EOme instances Of the
degradation o. literary accomplishments and rePa
.aiion to mean party and personal ends The
politicians Of both the great parties have ia.terly
sized hold Of two Of our best writer's, and dragged
hem down TO the literary level of rsnters in Tam
uany Hall, or spouters Of politics on the Fave
Points. Mr.. Hsadley, whose life of General Scott
s well spoken Of, and who 10 the author of some
good books, is nos engaged in writing ca.chpsnny
fe Of the same general, for the purpose of helping
up his election, employ ed, suppose, by some Of
no abolition whig committed And then. again,
tbei democrats are, in their turn, playing tho
game and using similar instruments. Their literary
employee and bographist is Nr Hawthorne, . very
elegant prose writer, and possessed Of fine genius
which, however, is now prossituted to the ignoble
job of writing an electioneering :" ife Of General
Pierce" As to the amount Of talent which either
of these works evinces, we need hardly say any
thing further than that they only intended TO
serve the present contingency, so they are only
adapted for such purpose, and are apt to attain to
just about the same period Of existence rs any Of
the political campaign papers.
These are two meiancho instances Of the degra-
dation Of respectable literary talent in these latter
days. to the dirty business CT political subservicnsy
We suppose the next movement Of these self abne-
eating iltfaate,rs will be to initiate the smsllbee
politicians and editors throughout the country, wac
are busy proving, 10 their satisfaction, aud.
they suppose, to The satisfaction Of tho public that
Genera Scott and Pierce aro two Of the grsatest
nincompoops, rogues, towards, gamblers,
ard arindlers, that ever disgraced this eonatry.
Asa specimen Of this very uadignifed employ
nent Of literary ability to paltIy political coatro
veTsy, We may particularly point to the life Of Con.
Scott which We have been for come days past pub.
fishing In columns. IL has been furnished by
some OF tho democratic committees, and 10 just OF
piece, in refpeot to the character Of the composition
with that published the other side b. the wing
committees The one is al depre ,iation, the other
MI eulcgy, though both may probably be eore,t as
TO facts. All men-Genersl Scott and General Pierce
included-have their weak points and their strong
POINTS, their correct points and their imbecie points,
and it is an undoubted fact, that aas ever
ii, ed pure but his character be tortured into
vlany OF &c vile but it might be made TO shine outin
all the eiugence Of holiness by writers looking att
with different views, sentiments, aud intssssts Tia
newspapers Of both paste at this time, are sunk
into tho lowest state Of degradation from the
ner In which they have endeavored to mAlign the
opposite candidates. We do not re member any Pre-
sidental contest In WHICH there was exhibited loss
principle less fairness lets integrity by the partisan
journals both sides, than the present one. Not
principle nor measure Of any national Importance
hiss been discussed developed but in lieu there
Of partzan journals and political spcutors, both
sides, have resortcd 10 personsl vituperation and
abuse. We bad expected ths-we were prepared
for such general game Of dsgraoeful controversy;
but were certainly not prepared TO Of the
literary spirits Of the country descend from their
petition Of intellectual dignity and dscency to
mipgle in such Business, and TO add new feature
to the already sufficiently degraded coalition Of the
political contest
Now, all these dsmnipg features in the Presidon-
tia controversy arc utterly without use or porposc
when tho tee candidates we're nominated by their
respective conventions In Baltimore, tho state Of
parties throughout the country indicated broadly
and strongly that the chances in favor Of Cen
eral Pierce and against Gen. Scott. The position Of
parties since that time has not been reversed but IL
we are judge BY the recent elections in the several
States where they have been held, suoh as North
Csrolins, Iowa. Missouri, Maine, and even Vermont,
the odds are strengthening in favor Of Pierce. In
all these elections tho broad fact 10 revealed to tho
public that the democrats, In all their sectional
i6csons were never 30 much united, since the time
Of General jackson, ms they during the present
yeaz, The raue, REPUTATION, and popularity u Gen.