The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1855-10-13
SYDNEY SMITH.

doubtless from the pen OF Dickens.
have always had great historic doubts F,
bout the reality Of sydney Smith. Tba
there may have been person Of that nam
don't deny think it likely. from Thiers
account Of 81. Jean d'Acrc, and o,bor ~
thorl''e>.thai there was. Perhaps there wer
more than one ; bat it is very evident 10 m
that the witty and wise, the manly and indie
pendent Sydney Smith, about whom We hav
dl laughed so often, aud for the supposed los
OF whom many of US have wert. was nban
'asm-or, at most. character imagined b
som" gentleman Of dramatic power. and ad
mrahIy sustained throughout every scene
How can IT he otherwise How can W.
o'lieve that man with all those qualities
The kindness that wins affection the penn
that commands respect - was left unrerou
hiz'd and unap?recIated for fifty wears of hi
ii''' by thos" who had the best opportunities
OF knowing his virtues and qualifications >
Let Us sc who these persons were Tb,
whl@> OF clGatpen hundred were a laroe am,
influential .lolnt->tork company tor the >eix
lnG OF loavc> and fishes from ,he ,or;.s
mere was no end OF their inrdncss for ;hc>,
p'>rinc and cereal rrpa>;>. For manv wear.
"r'"r' that date they had been kept from til,
public bakeries and ponds. ana had com
Ea'H"d OF t,"cXclu>ion as a orievous wyon '
They had produced the roriou< rc,olurio,
'h", sad. ar they considered them. i've.
"ni ;l'lr wives. and their sons and ,r.;r
sons wives. and their daughters and Son.-in-
law, entitled, by right of birth 10 al ,ho
700! things the country co,lj h.>,ow H.,
country bestowed all The go,d things il could.
ma at last. gorgcd aid repctr. m. Lerhrs
H"i'f''d OIL, aud the tories .,ok their lace
ih'v were positively stuffed to within an
i"ch OF apople>v with the tit of the land --
There were VIII Lords in all the coun,;cS i,
the cnloyment Of patriotic >entimcnt. and
'a,1r''''" estates both ,,.mat!c posses
>''n> ''a'." NJ from the orri}a II the .orious
Ih"re were >..wari> i>njn> and
so r''afN>h'pS. and commSs $ in the min
VA ana i'ing> IN the church. in their oft
All independent OF kings o- governments
They formed a little colony ot ,h,;.,.o,
h""arrhs in the midst of the people whom
'h'v hai sucked and ruled DiorIctians. and
>y'l'S' and Charles the FfhS. were plentiful
IN every SHIRE; and the rray. diScrowned
kings were not without t.cir courticrs who
'I'wcd them ('or salaries, of cour>c) into
private life. But years passed on-tbc;r for
n"r "iorirS began 10 lc tcrrottcn- Salon,
~ '">t hcram" tIre>omc. and the soul @;
"hi@g"rv painted for change. Pomnous =,
1>forrat>. with coronefs f,nt,st;c,ll, tw;,
resemble caps of liberty. began to talk Of
nv r'"h's OF man-mcannr bv that their
'"n right to fresh lease of power and peli
'"t the country laughed a; them. for itcou,1
'of give them credit for anvtlinc Iu, s.lG h.
less ana STUPIDITY. So the great lords be-
'ok themselves to ilttle iobbcries Of their
'wn-bouGht smaI! boronrh> and hr;hoJ
ar"e oncs-but still with no effect Tber
l'P''red ridiculous whenever ANYBODY com.
jared the liberaIitv of their sn..,h.s w;,,
ne narrowncss of their actions And =.
MS ''he' >erlng no real individual of their
''r'y abe to a>tonI>h the tories with the a1-
''''on OF wit and wisdom to the or,,in,r, ,o.
'"'a' oanI"et> OF both the parties. NV ,bcnr,
: that they imagined one. and called b;,,
>ydhey Smith. The class of mo, MA
'''riv sunk at that time in dullness and so,f
were The clergy. 50 they called Svd-
'ey Smith clergyman. They made him ,
choiar' a humori>t-eloqucnt cav. benoro
'"'' an" above all, with a mind perfectly free.
rom Tue tranmei> of sect or party. = Cbr;s
ian rh'io>or her in hov Orders. And ,ho,
new how, IN tins excellent creation 70
c''e'' ProPrIety OF conduct, perfect ortbo-
oSy OF principle. with the more briIliau, \
aptivating qualities of their hero p,,.
'e'e are iI"ertles people NAV take with e..
Nous characters which they could not ver
n'c on with flesh and blood. So tb., mn,
Ms youth, brlmtul Of energy and oo,dnes. ~
curacy on Salisbury PLAN They left HIM
nth broken-down cottage and a bundr.1
year; population not much above ,h.
aniucks IN Intelll gence; and potatocs or,
ched with little butter and salt on ,ho
avs when the butcher die no, coro into a.,
a''sh' and they were many. Yet how did
lis imaginary cnrate bear up: Like Ca. ,
'cta'us at Rome-Iike Marius at CARTHAGE
IKE great man under a coud-witb 4, ;
ty and selt-respect. The wit and scholar I
e his potatoes in hope; and promotion ,
me. lie led bear, and made him dane.
the genteelest Of tunes. and the autbors o q
TO say he became tutor to his squire's SON. v
ID conducted him to Edinburgh. A very o
'l'kely thing, should say, to have occur. Il
in reality; for Mr.. Beech could have /;
Mt to Oxford or Cambridge. and could
We had a tutor for his son who would bav. ;,
ked the plates and laughed at his na,ro,,s =,
kes' instead Of pouring back bright wi, n
his own, and who would have listened 70 h:
stories and united Vie Offices @: ,oaav ',