The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1852-06-28
VULGAR AND BLACKBOARD.

VULGAR AND BLACKBOARD.
In one Of Lord Byron's critical letters there
occurs q long dissertation upon these two
words, often used as synonymes, even by very
intelligent persons, though really OF very d'''
ferent, and often, of opposite meanings. Inc
case put by Lord Byron is exactly in poin'' ne
ing that of Dean Swift. Surely there was no.
thing vulgar about that great genius. ana yer
he vas the prince Of blackgusrds. Volta"e IS
another example. He was a thorough oiack-
g,o,d. though a great wit, but had not the
sl;sh,.s, odor of vulgarty about him. GEORGE
Nv. IA long as he was Prince OF wales, might
have contested the presidency of backyard
c,.b with any man Of his day; yet he can
h.,a,v he called blackguard man. The vul-
gar man cannot play the gentleman. for his in
s,;nc,s are against it. His nature win not ad-
NIT of il. The BLACKBOARD, on the contrary,
can play the gentleman to perfection, as ne may
he known from the examples Of the specimens
whose names we have mentioned. The two
characters are very often combined, and Tor that
reason they have, in process OF time, come al
at last to be COMPOUNDED. Lord Byron hin'
self. was a very pretty specimen OF black
guard, and Sheridan was another.
OF the two characters, tine blackguard 49, IN
general, the worst man; the vulgar man the
most disagreeable. The errors OF the hrs' are
of the heart the short comngs OF the iaeter
proceed from defective education. The first
is apt 10 be scurrilous in language, and bitter
in feeling. The last is course in expression
for want Of refinement, and prone to wound the
feelings of the others, because his own sensi'
bilities are blunt. The backyard has no
heart; the vulgar man has no breeding. Inc
s;ns of the first are deliberate offences against
society: the errors Of the latter are uninten-
tionaI breaches of the laws Of polteness. The
former is always at his ease in society; the
latter is always jealous OF sights. and never
knows his true position. The former is care
less about what is called the fashion; the latter
would die if he committed so great solecIsn
ss IN 90 10 church a moment before the car
r;,pe of Mr.. A. or Mr.. B. drove up to the door.
The former has great deal of self-confldence,
and goes anywhere he thinks proper, without
inouiring who is to be there. The latter would
die with shame were il to be proved on him
that he had been to place of amusement where
there were no fashionables, even though Jenny
Lind and Alboni were combined to make IT
agreeable.
There is no where so much vulgarity as in
the fashionable world; there are no people
when they are vulgar, so decidedly vulgar
as those that are called fashionable. Excess
siye fashion is mark Of low breeding, as is
a fussy disposition, or more than usual de-
gree Of affectation. Sir Walter Scott has given
a specimen of the pretentions, of the UNDER
bred man in the character of Peter Shafton.-
The man of ostentatious manners, is almost
sure to be an underbred man. Simplicity 10
the truest mark of refnement, unless it be a re-
gard for the feelings Of others.
"OsE DIME TO THE MEMORY OF WASHING
ToN."-The Plaquemines, (La.) Southern SEN
tinel, in abiding to the project of raising the
money necessary for the completion OF the mo-
nument now being erected at Washington city
to the memory of the Father of his Country,
says:
The first money collected by having
"Washington Monument box" at the polls,
with the simple though heart stirring appeal
beneath, one dime to the memory OF wash
ington," was, at the municipal election in this
place, where nineteen dollars were thus collect
ed. although there were but eighty votes
polled Many who had no right to vote in the
election, declared their right to deposit their
dime.
Citizens of Virginia "go and do likewise"
Show to the world that the mother of states
men-the State that gave Washinton TO his
country-has not been :" weighed in the bal.
ance and found wanting" Show to the Com
mittee that you are willing, as you know that
you are able, to aid them in their noble under
taking. We admire the project, and would re-
commend that it be adopted at the next cleo
ton, and continued, if necessary, until the com
mittee shall have funds enough to complete the
monument.
\ 1 We learn from the Alexandra Gazette
Osceola, Mr.. WATSON. formerly resident of
Richmond, received severe injury on Tuesday
last, from the falling of the piston head, from
which he died on Thursday night. 1t is said
that he leaves a wife and several children.
EXCITING SCENE IN CoURT.-During the
concluding portion of the remarks of Attorney
General Clifford in the case of man named
Davis, on trial at Boston for the murder of his
sister, BY poisoning her, the following scene
occurred +"
The prisoner suddenly sprung from his seat
with blanched cheek aud eyes flashing mad