Washington sentinel., 1854-07-20
.DIURnAL AND D1uTERNAL.,

SAINT temper 1t is really in this spirit (for the
thermometer is too high for more earnest and
serious moody that we present to our readers
a few comments on an article in the Washing
ton Union of yesterday, with this caption
"The Administration Of Franklin Pierce" 1t
is evident the essay from which we give the
following extracts, is from the pen of some
sophomore, forithas nothing ofthe profound and
| unornamented style of the senior, nor aught of
| the prurient fancy or dramatic taste Of the re-
puted junior editor. We should not presume
| to read them lecture, for their age and great
experience must have brought them, if not
perfection, certainly much of excellence in
writing. In this lucubration we think we recog-
Mise the same exuberant and youthful volunteer
| whom we guessed to be the author of the cee-
| brated article to which we alluded some time
! ago, and which well nigh convulsed the whole
| nation by means of the following warlike cap
ton: off advance, follow me; if fall,
avcnge me; if retreat, kill me-" These were
the words Of La Rochejacquelain, and to whom
in terms ofthe most fulsome Hattery that ardent
and youthful Junius likened the President
We felt it but neighborly at the time to read
our cotemporaries playful lecture upon the
vanity of extravagant adulation and while we
would not be so presumptuous or insincere as
to assume the protectorate Of the Executive
and his administration, soberly and in good
| faith, we desired to give them hint upon the
| style of their amiable eulogies.
We had hoped that our seed had been sown
| in good ground, for in the matter to which we
! refer, our neighbors had somewhat improved.
Yesterday morning, however, with commenda-
bic amiability, they threw open their editorial
columns to this curious youthful prodigy, and we
are treated to the most grandiloquept essay
upon the character of the President and the
general course Of the administration.
We are aware that we may not receive credit
for the assertion, but we nevertheless say, that,
in some Of the points Of wisdom that are
claimed, we entirely concur. But we do pro-
test against this sickening adulation Of the
President, and upon his own account, if on no
other.
This volunteer edtor-for such in compli-
ment to our contemporary we suppose him to
be-will improve as he goes on, if the older and
more experienced of the corps will prune him
slightly He evidently has some imagination,
and his collegiate requirements seem to be
quite at his fingers end. Rome and the tradi
tions of her prowess, he delights in, and his
line from Horace seems to give us assurance
OF his classical diligence; but with all respect
we would ask the young gentleman, whose
style he seeks to initiate in the following para
graph? We are quite puzzled to know. 1t
can't be Carlyle, for it lacks the depth Of phi
losophy and the perplexing involution that char
acterize the writings Of that distinguished au-
thor-an eccentricity that has sometimes been
called affectation. II, however, has one very
striking likeness to him; and that is, that no
human being can understand it; and as he
has not quite the reputation yet Of the emf
nent author to whom We have referred, we
must beg our readers to interpret what is more
difficult for us, even with all our classical rus
tiness than translation Of his Latin. Here
it is:
"Yet, in oil manner Of publications, diurnal
and diuturndl, scattered multiudtnous as d,-
tumnal lcarcs orcr our happy land, in all
species of uttcrancc, from The most insane rap
ings of ignorance and malice TO the most seduc
lire accents Of eloquence, the people are urged
to be persuaded that they may be better goU-
erned'" NHa
Now, really, was there ever such superb nom
sense? "Diurnal and diuturnal, scattered mul-
titudinous as autumnal leaves" species Of
utterance"--"irsane rawlings" &c. AT 6rst so
startled were we by the "diuturnal I'VE stood
with fortitude the "diurnal that we reckoned
our youthful contemporary was taking an astro.
nomical view Of the President; though the obse-
patton we could not comprehend. Wewill grant
qualification Iuay be diurnal but we
would respectfully suggest that daily is much
palmer to plain people. But what diuter-
nal meant, we were driven to our lexicon to
ascertain. From the definition, we concluded
the word was only employed to give striking
sound to the ear, for il scarcely differs at all
from its kinsmap. Wo do not profess to be cru
dite; and we are sorry to say we we're quite tru-
ant TO our early lingual studies; but there's one
language we think we tolerably well under
stand--that is, the good old Anglo-Saxon.
But let US look little further down. The
Union continues--"Le us examine. The vital
ity Of the principle in the individual citizen has
been vindicated in the face Of the world in the
person Of Koszta; and the inviolability Of the
liberty Of an American citizen is now for the
first time national dogma, as real az to the
Roman citizen in the proudest days of his ro.
public, when her eagle awed the world with the
shadow Of its wings"
II It possible that this is the first time that