The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1857-10-22
An address on Patriotism.

-. ma, the columns Of our paper win not
.dm,. 81 their reception after the hour named.
An address on Patrfotfsms
When. some time ago, we noticed an address on
Patriotism. delivered before various New bngiahu
colleges and Institutions OF learning, oy MI "eo'
w.. Cur,i.. we were not certain that II was the
name Curtis. better known as "Howadgi ana
~h;om editor Of the defunet Pntnam's Magazine
4 s,ashIng review Of the Address by correspon-
,ent Of the Washington Union, informs us that the
orator is the same whose repeated assaults upon
the South in Putnam sent that magazine at last 70
Dayy Jones locker where IL is now quietly sleep
Inc amonr the couch shells and mermaids Prom
sketch of the literary career OF Curtis, u appears
.ba, he first attained notorety by book OF travel
eal,a8 ,suowadgi in Syria" Then be wrote some
n;auant sketches of New York society, hrst pun
lishea In e.putnam" under the title OF the "Foti-
phar Papers Afterwards, he published book
called s.IAo,os Eating" summer Book, consider
I'd oeneraIly powerful literary narcotic, aud az
fsrwaris. @Prue and L. which is thought pretty
good. and gave promise of clever things in that
line.
We do not think it altogether candid, nor even
necessary, TO underrate mans literary capacity
because he may happen TO he contemplate moral
w. We are therefore FREQ TO confess our concur
renee of opinion with the brilliant critic in the
Union that the early efforts of Mr.. Curtis gave ge
nerous promise of an honorable career in the world
of letters. When we have said this We have said
all. Putnams Magazine, in it's malignant and Ii
bellous attacks upon Southern men and ins;itu-
TONS showed little regard for truth, or even de-
cency the New York Tribune. 1t might be ex-
pected that periodical, especially ore of such
considerable pretensions as Putnam would falsity
and caiumniste with more dignity and plausibilty
than a newspaper, but the instincts of Howadgi
dlsdained the letters of courtesy aud decorum. He
scoIded the South like a drab, and in mendacity
surpassed Greeley and Munchausen. The scattered
contributions in Putnam he afterwards boiled down
in that College address ON Patriotism which has
been lately the subject of so much newspaper com
ment. From that address we need not make ex.
tracts. The reader can gain perfect idea of its
sentiments from the fact that it makes Patriotism
consist in resistance TO the laws of the land aud of
its decency and the deceDcy of the author, from
the assertion which he makes that ''there is no
such thing love in the South--there is only
lust" We feel persuaded that lifelong acquant-
with Curtis would not enable 10 know
more Of the man than that single stroke of unmin-
gled brutality. No man could ever have uttered
these words who capable Of the slightest re-
spect for the principles of morality OF the cour-
tesies of civilized life.
We have before referred to the audacious asser-
tion in the same address, that Commerce has made
towards of the Northern people. This is favorite
taunt of orators of the Curtis school; but if the
sophomores of the colleges to whom it was re-
hearsed had credulity enough to swallow it, they
ought to be sent back to the village schools and
taught the history of their own country. We do
not know whether Mr.. Curtis believes it or not
he would have said it all the same if no didn't
believe word of it, but it is certainly not true of
the Northern people, any other people, not even
Of the demented generation whose only commerce
is in the exchange of such literary commodities as
are furnished by Putnam and the New York Tri-
bune. No doubt that sort of commerce ought to
make people afrad,-who have a conscience The
assertion of Curtis is wholesale scandal and STAR.
der upon his own countrymen. There are no Drawer
men in the world than the people of the North
the commercial section of the United States, as
they have proved over and over again in every wal
in which the country has ever been engaged BY
calling them towards, Curtis, Parker and other
agitators, hope to goad them on to a demonstration
of their courage by drawing the sword upon the
southern States They want civil war, they want
to see Southern blood flow and the good and true
Hen of the North and South clutchiDg each other
by the throat in mortal combat. Such result
could have only one redeeming feature,-we should
never more hear of I" Howadgi."
All that gives Importance to the reasonable dis
course of Curtis Patriotism the fact that it was
addressed to young men at various Northern col
leges, who. in the RIGHTEOUSNESS and ignorance 0,
youth,may give credence to the audacous faIsehoods
and imbbe the malignant prejudces of this unprin-
cipled man. 1t ismelancholy indeed that in any col
lege of America young men should be taught that
rebellion against the laws is Patriotism that treason
to Constitution which ourselves have made is
as great virtue as resistance to European desuO
When any considerable number of Northern inst-
tutions of learning permit such sentiments to be
inculcated, We may well regard with apprehension
the Future of the Republic. We have strong hopes.
however that the plain practical good sense of the
Northern people will prove too powerful for the
serpent arts of Seward the rhetorical f1ourishes
OF "llowadgi" He tells that wise and good
men are shaking their heads over coming events:
we know who his wise and good men are-wise
men who would sacrifice the Union to one idea
good men who desire to see the land crimsoned
with fratrcidsl blood. Let them "shake their
heads" as an English wit replied to a similar me-
mace" there 8 nothing in them" The Republic.
We hope, will survive all the wise and good men.
OF whose knowledge and virtue Howadyi" is an
exponent and example.