The republic. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1849-1853, 1853-04-28
William NJ. Thackeray. ESQ,

This gentleman, the newspapers inform us,
recently departed from our shores for his native
home with twelve thousand dollars as his re-
compense for half years lecturing in the
cities of the United States. AS we are not
aware that Mr.. THAcKERAY has done aught to
offend us, we can only say that we are graft
fed at the good fortune that has attended him,
and hope his journey homeward may prove
prosperous, and his arrival happy.
Many of us had well-nigh forgotten the
sterling old writers with whose lines we were
familiar in the season of our youth. The cares,
the anxleties, the sorrows, and all the realities
of life had banished from our minds remem-
brance of the Intellectual pleasures that were
| ours ere BULwER, a DICKENS, OF a THAcK-
cray, had arisen to our view. But Mr..
THAcKERAY came, and kindly led us back to
the still waters and green pastures in which
we had once delighted; and, while he restored
to us the pleasing landscape in all it's pristine
freshness, he also revealed to our gaze beauties
that our inexperienced eyes had not detected in
the days long passed and gone.
This service of Mr.. THACKERAY was to us
very acceptable. We felt grateful to him for
it, and when we learned that his reward was
somewhat more than many regard as fair
contract price for an equal amount of lecturing,
it gave US pleasure, for we would have been
willing not only to recompense him for the
hours devoted to instructing and amusing US,
but even for some of the many days he had
passed in preparing himself for the perform
ance of this acceptable task.
But we perceive with regret that some of
our editorial brethren have regarded the de-
parture of Mr.. THAcKERAY as fitting occasion
for the expression of the harshest and severest
sentiments in regard to him, all based upon
the mere suspicion that he may write book
concerning us in other than strain Of soft
laudation. If, by his acts or conversations,
Mr.. THAcKERAr has given grounds for the
opinion that ne intends to ridicule or dsparage
US, the advent Of his book will be sufficiently
early epoch Of time for those to refute it or de-
nounce its author who feel (as we do not) that
such an aggravation is worth the powder usu-
ally exploded in resentment; but "for bare sus-
Picion in that kind" to visit our wrath upon
his head, and thus perhaps provoke and justify
the very act we would denounce, is as impoli-
tic as it is unjust and discreditable.
The English mind is not tolerant of our
Government, our people, nor aught that is ours.
The English people have much of which they
may be justly proud, and they have peculiar
faculty for setting the highest estimate upon
this, and depressing to the lowest notch in the
standard of value whatever pertains to the PEG
pie Of other lands, and especially of the colonies
that have ungratefully discarded British rule!
These are among the well known weaknesses
of Englishmen; and we know them as well
when Englishmen visit, as when they leave
our shores. To denounce and ridcule gen.
tleman, ere he has in word or deed offended
us, but simply because we know the tendencies
of his countTymen incline toward such course
of conduct, is as great sin against sound
policy and good feeling, as is the offence we
are SO prone to commit in every welcome we
extend, in deifying, to degrading degree, the
often ,-alnctant object of our worship!
In our excessive ss.n,sibility on these subjects,
NE betray want of selfrespect MOI oa'paOly
than in any other particular of which we nave
any conception and ' excess leads US also