Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1852-12-01

the uncaled for couresea, impertinent compliments,
undesired niroducons, and nsoent familiarities Of
the 1Iydraheaded Democracy. His attention must
of course be equally shared by Wings, Democrats,
Freesoilers, Barnburners, Old Iiunkers, Young Amer
lea, Old Fogies, ct al, than whom, more frightfu
plialanx never disturbed the dreams Of FARFAnELLos
himself, and from whose clutches he may escape with
no less buets than did fIoRAcEs Lordy elcctioecrer
from the frequent tlrrus:s Of his hired observer.
The Senate, we presume, will present no feature Of
interest beyond that of the past Session, until Mr.
TooMps takes his seat Senator. Then look ont for
squalls! Alas for Seward and SUMNER! They will
be literally dayed alive or besprinkled with "Attic
Salt and sharp nvectve, such as Archilochus never
dreamed of even while fury armed him with the swift
arnbicr. But too far in advance Of time, nor
con we tell what may happen between the present
and the frst of March 1853.
In the House of Representatives, however, Mr..
Benton will take his seat simultaneously with tho
commencement of the Session. Mr.. B. imag gincs him.
self (as will be gathered from his own anguage the
role survivor OF his Distinguished countrymcn, and
presunies that like Atlas Of Old the whole world rests
upon his shoulder. Whether this DO true or not, he
will undoubtedly nrrogae himself the lead in the
House, and will think It not only expected, but also
incumbent upon him to furnish the great programme,
as it were, for his fellow Representatives. lie is un.
questiunably man Of great ability, and il he should
succeed in getting about oncha Of the House against
him, we will have deal Of rare sport.
In the English Parliament it is customary to cough
down those Members, who are inclined TO consume
unnecessarily m unprotably the time Of TINT body.
This. although m unusual and apparently impolite
practice has nevertheless, when considered, great
many advantages and, although We would not have
our con,ryman adopt it, still we think something
OF the kind would have saluiary effect.
Such restraint as the Edinbnrg Review, in the
days Of JErrRr and LAMBE, exercised over the then
prevailing hahi, of eacoethes scriJendi might now bo
applied to that of cacocthes loqucndi in country,
with marked effect. Some such critic is necessary in
order op of that nscless number Of dcbaers whose
abilities are ovcrrated whose faults overlooked,
and whose matter and argument, il any, are received
without scrupe or consideration Something BY which
weakness may be piled laughed at and forgotten,
carruousncss exposed and ovcrrnled, and perverted
abilities reprehendcd and rightly directed.
Such restraint could certainly exercise no evil in
Aucnce or be productive Of bad ef1ectu. Indeed we
never knew of but instance where criticism proved
injurious or fatal and that was in the case of poor
KEATS who is said to have died Of grief and mortf'
cation received from savage attack upon him by the
English critics With ,l, single exception the cans-
tic dose has always acted well, indeed few men were
ever composed Of elements delicate and tender as
was KEATS and therefore few, in fact none, within
our knowledge, have suffered like him. The robust
and athletic Scorr with bis steady nerve build spirit,
frank bearing and genial kndncss never could have
been injured by critical review. The passionate
and wayward BYRON quickly rose superior to his cri.
tics, and welded their own weapons no gallantly
against them have entirely unhorred them.
The wierd and sensuons SHELLY undoubtedly felt the
sting for moment more however OFT behalfof KEATS
than HIMSELF for alludng the criticism of EsDYMIoH,
he says of the critic "You, one of the mcanest,
have wantony deaccd one of the nobes specimens OF
the workmanship of God. Nor shall it be your excuse
that murderer you are, you have spoken daggers,
but used nonc" Pobr Ton MOORE felt perhaps more
than all of them, indeed he was composed of more
penetrablc stuff as the fact Of his having challenged
JEFrRY will sufficiently prove, and afterwards Lord
BYRON for aludins to " Little cadess pistol His
intellect however, raised him pre-cmnent above eve
rytlng, and has left him nn nndying name.
This apparent disression is only to subsantia'c one
proposition that real ability cannot be kept down,
while imbccili,y and mediocrity, together with
that large class with just enough Of learning to mis-
quote light be by the severity and sarcasm Of their
reviewers, deferred from flooding the public with their
crude and undgested stuff No really entitled to
rank among the Pnnrase of Parnassus, was ever kill
ed by the "paper bullets Of the BRAIN" for although
many of them saw their most cherished and sparkling
gems melt beneath the acdy of criticism, like Cleo
ratras pearls dissolved vinegar still, tony suggested
the abour Of correction and served spur their
jadcd and tagging Pegasus.
Indeed we can safely assert that modern critic
wonld be of great service in our country. If such
check was placed upon the debaters in Congress our
speakers would be improved in every point OF view.
It would no longer be arena where those, who had
exhausted their little store of learning might gladiator
like instruct each other in the science of pugiliscs
Gulleys and Gregsons would be out Of the question:
nor would half the Session he employed in the discus.
sion of foreign and irrevelenl questions
In fact VIC ore of the opinion that nothing short OF
actual cau,rrcy can cure that horrible rabies for speak
ng with which our present age is inflicted.
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