Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1853-03-16
Correspondence of the Spectator.

.usssrs Editors We'll, the Brigadier has dom
ned the purple, and he sceptre has changed hands
lof four years at least. Great Is the JOY amongst
the unWashed and unterrifed. II is recorded in
molly Wit, That where the carcass is. there shall
we ilnd the eagles. Never hath mortal eye be-
held a more striking verfcation Of the sacred ad-
age, than Is presented at this present writing. in
the streets, bar rooms, barbershops. groggerles
and faro banks of the metropolis Of the Republic.
Inc hungry pack who have been on short allow
ance ior. four years, and whose experience has not
yet taught them that, ''You can't pay rents and
retail politics, have been uneashed and seeming
the prey from aiar, with voraclous appeties, In
illl cry after 1t. And mongrel breed they are !!
From all accounts such gang has not yelped at
the heeis OF any man since the organization OF that
corps OF worthy patriots which composed Captain
Sir John. falstaff's command in the rebel campof
Prince Hal, near Shrewsbury and whose .notable
points, IN the languageof their leader as recorded
BY the bard Of Avon, bear sucE. a striking simil-
ltude IN more respects thar one, to the Brigader
camp followers, that may be pardoned for quo
ing or JONAS own words as most happily de-
scrip"j'e OF the nomadic funkies, now congregated
aroua| the great dispenser of spoils and plumber.
II che Brigadier be man of Sir Johns exquisite
sense of the seemly and the delicately honorable,
in the character If himself and his dependents,
well may he excain, with the pure and lllustrl-
Gus man, "if be not ashamed ofny soldiers am
a souced gurnet. have misused the kings press
damnably n and now my whole
charge consists of ancients curpoIsis lleutenants,
gentlemen Of companies, slaves as ragged as Laz-
arus in the painted. cloth. where the gluttun's
| dogs licked his sores and such as indeed were
never soldiers, but discarded unjust serving men,
younger sons Of younger brothers, revolted tape.
sters. and ostlers trade-fallen; the cankers of
calm world and long peace ten times more dis
honorable ragged than an old faced ancient; and
such have To fill up the rooms of them that have
boughte out their services, that you would think
that had hundred and fifty tattered prodgals
lately come from swine keeping, from eating chat
and husks. A mad fellow met me on the way and
told me had unluaded all the gibbets and pressed
the dead hodies No eye hath seen such scare
crows. I'll not march through Coventry with
them, that's fiat. Nay, and the Williams march
wide betwiXt the legs, as if they had gives on
for indeed had must of them out of prison.
There's but shirt and half in all my company
and the half shirt is two napkins tackled together
and thrown over the shoulders like herald's coat
without sleeves and the shirt tosay the truth. sto-
len from my hust at St. Adams or The red messed
inn keeper at Dainty But that's all one; they'll
| find linen enough On every hedge"
make no application Of Sir Johns language, but
leave it TO enlightened readers TO discover It's sig
nificance.
| We have barely had quorum for three or four
DAYS, must of the faithful having gone to Wash
ington. II is stated that Gen. Pierce brought five
flour barrels full Of petitions for office with him
| from Concord One Of those barrels was at least
half filled from Virginia ] think there has scarce
ly been a day since Christmas, that we have not
| had from one to six recommendations for oflce
circulated for the signatures Of the faithful in cur
body. Recently they have grown SO bold as act
ually to ask Wings TO sign these endorsements of
character and qualification. was called on by
one Of the bitterest copper headed Locofocos here,
one day this week, and urged with some warmth
to sion letter addressed TO our member Of Con
gress, asking him to use his influence 10 put an
other copper head mo the office Of Marshal Of the
Eastern District Of Virginia, which is now filled
with gentleman Of high character and capacity,
but Wing And my positive refusal to comply
with this aniable request was deemed strange
conduct But little business Of general interest
has been transacted this week, Washington at
fractions proving to1 strong for gentlemen Of Mir
Mcawber's philysophc turn Of mind, WIN think
that Mecca Of their pilgrimage.
We have enjoyed rare treat in the lectures OF
Mr. Thackeray On three nights Of this week. !
| heard him on Swih the first night and last night
arain on dick Steele and the times OF Queen
Anne Of course have not the space TO give
you an idea of The character OF these lectures
The first was perfectly savage SHINING Of Tn
great Deans character, literary and moral. Such
witherinr sa casm and merciless satire | have
never heard nor read before. This lecture impress
sed me with the idea that it was too cruelty Sc
we're 70 be JUST and that the tact that the lecturer
was an E.nglishman and his subject an Irishman
rnirht account for the b0ldness with which the
knife was used From his appearance, | take it
that Thackeray, is as fair an impersonaliCn of
John Bull as one often meets with, and that ma
tional antipatfy is an practicable sentiment Of his
heart, Some lrstman has said of this lecture OF
Swift. that it reminded him of the howings Of a
Jackall oyer the dead body ola Lion.
The lecture last night was in strong contrast
with the first '.Poor Dick Steele" and Joe Ad-
olson We're warmly pressed to the heart by this
great delineator OF their lives and times. Their
virtues were extoled their noble generous natures
panegyrzed, and their faults passed over with the
tender fofbearance Of an afiectionate brother.
Mr.. Thackeray is q man Of striking appearance.
lie is DTOUdUlS Din lOCt DIN III HGl5lL-SUuI
letic and straight in his build, erect and proud in
his carriage His features are not handsome, ex-
cept the forehead which is high and massive
His nose is an abominable little pug, turned up at
the end, broad and depressed between the eyes,
and what is remarkable in pug nose it is very
sharp al the point, which is directed upward al an
angle of about 60 degrees with the horizon-and
besides it isonly about halfaslonga gentlenans
nose should be, to be at all respectable. His un-
der Jaw protrudes slightly. His face is adorned
with small whiskers high up on the cheeks and
his head covered with as rich suit of silver
o,ey hair as man ever boasted. take it that he
IS abbut sixty years of age; and has evidently an
appetite for the good things Of this world which
he has never failed TO crafty But for that muse,
his face bears most striking and unusual likeness
to that of our fiiend, the United States Attorney
for Western Virginia. The eyes, forehead.
cheeks. chin and mouth are almost identicaly the
same. but there the likeness ceases for such nose
mn other man was ever duone1 to follow through
the world His voice is deep-toned and sonurpus,
and his ,.nuncaton distinguished by that peculiar
puttur TO- ling of the letter r, observable in most
Enplishn,en. He possesses none of the graces Of
the orator in lis manner and style ofspeaking.
and presuns con ID not speak at all, extempora
neuusly. Both l., IS LECTURES were admirably read
in conversational s7ne. Once or twice he inter-
Violated sentence or Two, DOT in the manuscript,
in rather an awkward AID hsstatIng manner
His hands bothered him as much as young and
bashfnl beau's generally do in the presence Of his
sweetheart, when he has nothing 10 10 out nurse
them and try to talk 10 her; and L. get I'D OF lhe
difficulty he usually had both thumbs ci'mmea
into his vest pockets, or to vary the atltnde SUI
fed one hand to the bottom of the poke. in LIS
dress coat tail. But have dwelt on these TRIES
longer than intended. My aim was to convey
some slight idea Of the appearance of the greatest
md &c