The daily union., 1854-10-15
y,on the Louisiana couner.
THE SCHOOL FOR POLITICS.

by
NV Al some time be to Louisiana what they were to
-. ans Rome France and Britain. II is true that he
- ,olows them Aaud passiJas equis; but we are con
d bv e rejection that the first steps OF the infant
m totering and uncertain, the first efforts OF an a'
bor are frequently indication of his yet latent po"e
Ne cannot therefore, absolutely deny that MI uayaile
NAV If he continue to cultivate The drama hnaIy her
,be encomium which the New York Herald perhaps 700
bssty bestowed-that of being the worthy nVai Of MON
ere He az least deserves the praise wheh Is uue 70
lloeant effort however feeble and unsuccessful he
@ ;,,en nlay which he is willing 10 send forth 10 he
Ia and which he has found publisher ready TO en-
aorse by placing his on It's uue-page 'here oe
any rashness in the sepand certainly MI payaie uoes
moi seem TO think there sthe temeTiy oil the puDshe
may sanction and the boldness OF The author Inc
Ia Il therefore printed and published II may not be
sausl 10 the COMEDY OF Errors or THE Rivals or
be4sehool for Scandal but il is still play That great
s, Glands indispuabe We have the evidence before us
~ have seen IL in the shape of scenes and acts and drG
Il. y,oag all imbodied in, and made manifest by, The
srest of type impressed upon the whest and best ol
ncr The publisher has done bis part unexceponably
4 only remains be if the author has performed his
task equally well.
We have called the School for Politics play, with,
hsns eupabe heedessnes of the designation given by
h iter Mr. Gayarre with characteristic modesty has
,,a his production dramatic novel" That 1t is
oyl drama we are willing 10 admit-the novelty OF ats
stye NAV be the most salient if not the greatest OF It's
nerts-but dramatic novel is soecism IN literature
which not even the high authority OF Mr. oayarre himself
can induce us 10 sanction Bat this rs an objection which
cannot affect the merits Of the work itself An author is
privileged TO ehristen his banng in any way he chooses
and charity would prevent US from denying Mr rayare
the right
II would be reasonable suppose that the author of the
Romance of the History of Louisiana having exhausted
his fancy on that work would have very little to spare for
50 drv and practical subject the School for Politics
If any one doubts the reasonablenes of the inference be
has only 10 read the play We must do the writer the JUS
,e 10 saw that no one could have succeeded perfectly
in adapting his style the title Of his work and IN
ectuay avoiding those graces of composition and deli
cate touches of imagination which many persons stu
mid enough TO expect in any drama whatever may be its
subject In this perhaps, Mr. Gayarre has achieved his
greatest triumph
In the construction of his play and the development of
his plot the author following the example of many illus
rous ramasts has not strictly adhered TO the unes Oh
time aa place Indeed could scarcely be supposed that
The development of complex and comprehensive system
CONSTRUCTION that comprised in the school for Politics
could be perfected within the time and space allowed by
the rules of Aristotle But if he has, with conmendabe
boldness-we might say commendabe prudence--dis-
cared those classical rules which might be supposed to
possess peculiar charms for gentleman OF his elegant and
cultivated tastes he has introduced kind OF unity whose
novelty may perhaps sanction the classification OF the work
10 which we may too carelessy, have obectedwc
the unity Of persons To this he has adhered with wonder
fa precision Although there are, nominally dozen
characters his book udcious critic would be able 10
reduce them 10 three four 1t would be
10 suppose that Wagtail Loyedae Trimsail, Turncoat
Cannon and the Governor different characters They
are the same person. only with different and gifted
with certain ubquy, which is to aid the Imagination of
the reader in his attempt to reconcile the paradox Horace
tells us
Humane eapiu cervicem pictor equnam
Jungere 81 veit, etc.
NJ Gayarre remembering the warning, has tried to
avoid the error of putting human head horses neck
by Joining the head to every human body he encoun
ers The eypeden is excellent one, though we think
that preceding authors have adopted with equal success
Almost every character in the book presents the
phenomena AIl-almost all--aTe equally bad. We have
examined it carefully to find any virtue in any of the
tors bu without 1t surprises that having such
experience of the political world having found corrnp
ton and hypocrisy all pervading and omnipresen having
observed among public the smallest Indication
of honor of virtue of integrity Mr. Gayarre should have
made many perseyerng and longeoniinued efforts to
establish himself in front seat in such school for poll
nics
In the short and modest preface with which he has intro
dueed his book the public he informs that in the
sucon of the plot and the delneaon Of his characters
he meant no personal ausion With characteristic
derness he wishes TO spare the feelings of persons who
might suppose they recognised themselves among the dya-
Hidt persona Of this unique production The disclaimer,
though charitable is superfuous Whatever may have
been Mr. Gayares design venture that per-
would dream Of identifying any living being with
either of the acknowledgements characters which fig
In the book 1t is just probable that the author in
tended nothing more than TO PROFOUND riddle TO the
public the solution of which would perplex and confuse
the most accurate investigators If So after reading it at
ntyey we should be compelled TO answer DaCas sum
Biipus even though Mr. Gayarre stood by like lit
erary sphinx ready 10 devour on the spot
But after ALL although in writing this work the author
would persuade that he nothing yet must in
at OF bele7ing that he really meant something In one
part We think discover that little as he meant he
meant at least much himself It in passage
where Randolph is combating the arguments with which d
few politicians trying 10 induce him TO run for COVER
nor He says;
But gentlemen, ioresee more difficulties than you are
aware Of Crawford is spoken of governor and
that know Of has the one-hundredh part Of his claims
lie has been for TWENTY-FIVE years consistent party
mas rendered great services has filled with much credit
ana universal satisfaction very important and arduous or
Acs, which brought him no pecunary profits, Although
IN very moderate circumstances, indeed fortune he
naS never yielded 70 any temptation In my opinion he
mas as much talent any in the United SatesIe is
intending independence of iron energy polished gem
ueman, distinguished scholar Statesman whose intep-
Fty no man could venture to attack"
Who can fail to recognise in that description the por-
trait OF the distinguished scholar who has produced the
Romance of the History of Louisan.or that statesman
whose abilities have been aested by his valuable services
as secretary OF the State of Louisiana aud by m weeks
enure OF seat IL the United States sena,eof tba, con-
ssent politician who during the long period when his
party honoEed him with confidence ,nsnifst.I Inv he