Wabash express. [volume] (Terre-Haute, Vigo Co[unty], Ind.) 1841-186?, 1856-08-27

Hon. Johv q. Davis, the Poet Laureate.
'fis straus, s,e that some men live almost a
lifetime. s.,i are never so fortunate as To dis
cover the held for which their genius peculiar
ly fits them. They pass through life like the
Alelemist hunting f,r that which will trans
mute all things into gold. but never strike
upon the true secret. They loil aud founder
about the world. like fish upon dry land.
longing for that element more congenial to
their nature. aud in which their genius can
fnd something TO feast upon.
This seems TO have been the unfor,u nate
condition Of the Democratic candidate for
Congress. the Hon. John G. Davis. lie had
been Clerk of Parke county for a number Of
years. and displayed no particular intel
lectual brilliancy. he had represented the
Eth Congressional District in Congress, and
although he was celebrated for his plain. un-
pretending mannsrs and strong practical seass. .
vet no one dreamed that the smouldering fires
of great genius lay in embryo in him. But,
on the 18th day OF January. 1854 that fire
burst forth in all its transcendent beauty. and
he. with his own hand gave shape and i'm
mortality to the following unequallcd verse:
The old fogies here. with Bright and Lane
Yes. General Joseph Lane.
Are working might aud main.
To secure the nomination Of Gen. Cass again.
Shades of Barns. Byron aud Tom Moore
look down from your celestial abodes. and
weep for the laurels now fading from YOU
browe
All countries have produced their great ge
muses. Greece had her Homer !; Rome he
j Virgil. and England her Milton-but it wa,
reserved for the great West TO eclipse all pre-
ceeding ages. and give to the world . Poet
whose "hallowed lips were touched will
Are in the "snobtrusive" person Of John G
Davis. His genius. like a Minerva arme'
eop-s pie. sprung into life full grown. and col
lecting all the energies of his sublime nature
he threw of in enc ecstatic dash Of his immor
tai pen, the above unequalled stanra.
We now hope the constituents Of the Hon
orable gentleman will in the future sufficient
ly appreciate him. as not to burden him viii
the dull prosy recitals OF Congressional life .bu
will permit him to retire to the shades ofprivat
luxury, where he may court all the muses. a
once, aud again startle the world with anothe
poetic eHusion from his tccming brain.
We once though lat we had some appreciation
Of good poetry-we read Shakespeare an
thought he wrote pretty we'll: We glanced owe
the pages Of Bryant aud Hallect, and felt
thrill OF pleasure in the perusal; but we ao'
have to confess, that the full, glorious an
complete appreciation OF human genius. nevc
so perfectly mastered US. as when we FIRST reae
THE old fogies here. with Bright and Larc.
Yes, General Joseph Lane.
Are working might and main.
To secure the nomination ci Gen. Cass again.
Alexander OF Macedonia once said th'
Achilles was the most fortunate OF men. Il
be had Homer for hts biographer. Near tw
) thousand years have rolled away since the'
, sad We now fad sAree persons. .hessrs. Br'gh
,, Lane and Gen. Csss equally as fortunate I
the Trojan hero. for they have their nam'
|, forever embalmcd aud immorialirsd IN u
glowing numbers of John G.. Davis. Fort
nate! ave, thrice fortunate trio.
Let u look forward TO the time when II
Honor. the Poet Laureate Of Indiana, will IA
ever ''drsp' politics. and for the future tut
his "snbiome" thoughts TO the writing Of pur
: unad dulieratcd poetry
!, "Conecit in weakest bodies, ssronge
!. works.