The weekly Minnesotian. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1852-1858, 1856-02-16
For the Mlnnesotian.

For the Minnesotian.
MEssRs. EDITORS A writer in your is
sue of Tuesday last, under the very evident
impression, (good moral scavenger,) that he
was helping to remove a mud pile, has evil
IDENTIFY foundered in the mire till so bedaub-
ed has he become, that, could he "see him
self as others see him." he he would for
swear the occupation of a scavenger for the
balance of his natural life. 1t is difficult to
determine which is most to admire-the
scavenger, the logic, or the principles, which,
though indirectly, are nevertheless most GER
tainly revealed in this lucubration.
1t is difficult to tell whether the infiction
is the production of Northern doughface,
or sprig of Southern Chivalry. A Nor
thern Doughface it would seem, would have
displayed more guile; there would have been
a willy approach to his subject-a covert
mode of attack. Judas was a doughface,
and acted very covertly even at the very
acme Of his treachery; but here the style
is simple-yery simple prodigiously simple
as the old Dominic might have said. Then
Southern chivalry would have showed more
initiation and an dnbounded supply Of spread
eagles would most certainly have been serv-
ed at the literary banquet. The simplicity
of the writer's style, however, is not of that
character which implies clearness-not by
any means-the inspiration of the mud pile
had doubtless too much to do with the effort
for that, and the reason the writer has not
been able to throw dust In the peoples eyes
must have been that the fog in his own brain
was sufficient to allay any dust that his in
tellectual struggles might produce.
In the outset, your correspondent should
have drawn more graphic picture Of the
Rev. gentleman, as he "stuck to his subject"
AS in that case public sympathy might
have been awakened in his behalf and the
elderly to touch on various important SUBJ
jects" might have been considerably en-
larged.
Seriously speaking, why should the writer
seek to intimate that Uncle Toms Cabin is
identified with, or has ministered to taste
for that literature which is currupting the
age If he has observed on the subject, he
knows we'll that the class of people that have
read and admired the work are just the class
least addicted to that kind of reading.
1t is remarkable that the writer should
not be aware that amidst all the dreadful
evils resulting from this work, one good has
arisen as consequence of it. Why, down
South not only the Pulpit, but the secular
Press, the Bar, and even the Bar-Room are
down on works of fiction now, and numbers
of people who were never before aware of
the evils of work of fiction are wonderfully
convinced by Uncle Toms Cabin A viz
tuous Indignation, which could never be
aroused by tales of horror, and midnight
debauchery, by panderings to RIGHTEOUSNESS,
and all the accumulated hell of French ro-
mance-has expended itself on the phrest-
the most popular with benevolent hurnani-
ty-the most cosmopolitan work of fiction
that was ever given to the world Many a
Northern doughface who could once devour
the miserable fictions of Buntline, or the
remarkable facts of Barnum, is now fully
convinced that works of fiction have highly
immoral tendency and should be discoun-
tenanced, particularly in Christian families
Oh Humbug, thy name is Legion.
Your correspondent is presumed to be a
Western man. The writer of this also
claims to be such, and is at the same time
sick of the endless cant which prevails in
reference to the misapprehensions of Eastern
people. 1t is by no means the case that
every Western man is man of taste, simply
because he is a Western man or that East
ern men are bound to admit it. A Rev.
gentleman, who has lately made himself
conspicuous by his beligervnt hyperboles, on
one occasion, when lhaving superciliously
referred again and again to Kentucky he
had been unusually domineering in his own
denomination, was told that he seemed to
mistake Kentucky for the whole West! II
is extremely probable. however, that the
West is not the whole United States, though
Kentucky herself comes with her second
hand F. F. V ship to exc out the material
1t is difficult sufficiently to admire the
excellent taste with which the writer dis
eliminates between poor croakers and croak
ers with money. 1t is certainly very wrong
that men should grumble who are without
means to pay for the privilege! "Put money
in thy purse" then the privilege of grumb
J ling shall be granted thee without colloquy
lbut, let thy taste be outraged th.