The American patriot., 1855-06-09
CLINTON, La, JUNE 9, 1855.

the fugitive period becomes, in its turn, the
asurper. This is the style copee, which, in
comparison to its opposite-the mellifuous
style pcriodigue ofJeremy Taylor and Milton
is as the diva fed and clipped shrubbery of
the Tuileries in comparison to the proi,,se,
encampment-sh t-shadowing banyan trees of Hin
dostan. Unhappily, the latter style is suited
only to royal intellects; the genteel jusie mat
leu may be admired in our own Whipple.
1923, &c. These marks are an
dictors Of aofes-those footlights that flicker
confusingly at the bottom of the stage of the
text perplexing the attention of the reader
How often have | exclaimed against the his
| toran-aganst you, o Gibbon, and Niebuhr
and Prescott! In the poet, whose mission is
more pleasure than instrction, they are more
objectionable yet They are symbols of pure
pehntry. cast my eyes down to the margin,
attracted by some mirage ola curious fact or
beautiful extract, from the sterile desert above
ct qa~l desepoir! They may exhibit the stra-
ia of authorities long buried in the rubbish OF
the past, from which the compiling miner has
dgged his crudite ore; but l would not be
dragged bodily through the dark labyrinths of
his mine II would not receive the coin with the
clatter Of the mint. The mechanic is content
to show me into his clean salc-room, while his
workshop is in rear, appendx-like, which
may visit or not, but into which l will not be
forced to enter. If the matter OF the notes
treat of the theme, let them be embodied in
the discourse If they do not, let the writer
: write volum supplementary. There are some
who have been ridiculed by Richter in his
SchmelzA's Journey 10 fatz-who ofa discur-
sive; digrcssive nature, will yet add their ire
levant annotations and idle commentaries, and
whoop on the tagging reader, to toll and sweat
with them-how impliticly for he, thus ac-
quirng sort of property in the meditatlons
at which he has been compelled to labour
F Jointly with the authors rarely fails to complain
of the method of an argument of facts, the eX-
preston ola sentiment, the property OF a 1ig-
ure, or the shape of period!
Ladies' and Gentlemen! he is the best writer,
and the best nan, whose pnnctuatiors is so
ADAPTED to his sense, so natural, SO simple and
F and unpretending, that, after closing the vol
umn, or LAYING down the letter, YOU do not
though an G, ,ro' would MT have escaped your
glance-have one thought about it
I And mn model s-amiable beloved Ella
whose points were the best, whose scripture
was the ncatcst, whose blots were the iewest
alike the readers and the printer's paragon
Friendly eyes following me thus for-there
is a state of the mind somewhat analogous TO-
| vet not so reprchcnsiblc as that of mere idle
which we may not express vigorously, or en-
tircly without inconsistency--which indeed
; we do not feel disposed to enunciate sobcrlN
and exactly, while the mood is upon us. 1t is
a mood no less apprecative than speculative
IT was in such n state of mind, receptive though
oueecent and benevolent because too sell
indulgent to arouse itsefto cavil and coniuto-
that ,erusod, admired and approved the lu
cumbrations of that special, and often accrb
e critic, Edgar A. Poe (now, alas no more!
and, in fact, how many things-his stories
c essays, orations, poems and novels, above all
sermons-thus escaping the scvcrer ordcals o
| the judgcment-have quietly secured sinecurc
f in my appreciation, thanks to this same sicst;
of the intellect-this twilight between sleeping
, and wa1<ing-when before the half-closcd ply
steal vision, and the spiritual eye unhoodo'
s by a lid, the realities of the world mingle will
! the unsubstantial nhantoms Of Il dream! |
was in such a state of my mind--with Gra
hams MagasiHe opened upon my table, ant
A unfoltu Poes autoaphcal criticisms sprea'
G before me--and ambcr-tipped pipe steam rest
: ing on rather smiling lip-that conceived ant
/ wrote the foregoing conclusions"
. May you not have felt over-heavy hitherto
c or flash angrily upon me now that lay dow
$ the pipe, but do not relax the smile. At worst
k and, in truth, at best, also, may that blissfil
It deml-Sieep nave spoken OF, ohiV nave Vls'te
you and yet awhile be with you. May you
h hereafter, guide your subject pens into come
l. er furrows, and over winter fields of paper
h may you see that your points are not neglect
h ed, or rise up after the wrong words, prickin
l. the trusting. un-sandaled understandings {
r those geancrs-patient readers; and may tn
of bodies you cnlighten be always the recipient
% of the blessings and good wishes of those a.
II gels and chcrubs of fame, namely, the imI
l. and devils of the printing office!
D. Tu@um6ia. 1M. Gro NJ. WHARTON,
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