Mountain Democrat., 1857-12-05
.Covrewoadencs O1 the Democrat.


"kll adVersity finds ease in complaining
La lis . soIace 70 relate il. t.'-BVrt0N's .1RUt0
;sv Of Melancholy.
CDrrORs DEMOCRAT: Tho conclusion oI
Inv last letter put in aplca for the present
nc as well as announced the subject oI
:, Doubtless there are numbers to whom
h ia not necessary to itcratc that It is q
misfortune to be an Irishman; who take
Car granted and believe it as true a. the
TospcI, yet I take 1t, their belief springs
from no very clear or defined reasons, but
rather frOn some vague and undetermined
IDEAS, which lead them to think there is
some unfortunate degradation attached to
the mere fact Of being an Irishman at all.
This is not my platform: FOr-if it be
not q sOlccism to say sO-it is not the
mere fact of being an Irishman that has
upset the equilibrium Of my mind, but il
Is the attendant circumstances thereon.
Were It nOI for them, ] would wish no
brighter birthplace, l would boast no
liner Blood: Nowhere has nature been
more bountiful to her children than in
Erin's Isle. Quick and dashing intcllccts,
warm and generous hearts,-all the ele
incntS and sentiments that elevate and
cxalt humanity-lovc, honor, courage and
hospitality, and oil the tastes and genial
feelings that lend charm to existence,
she has flung upon her children with no
unsparing hand, but unfortunately they,
for whom nature has done so much, for.
tune has played the very devil with.
But lest there be any gOOd.naturcd sccp-
tics who think, after all it is not such a
calamity to be an Irishman, l write to
satisfy them; to show that do not wall
visionary gricfs or weep imaginary sor-
rows. Ia 1t nothing to be scOffed and
scorncd, hated and feared, treated as the
pariah, the Outcast Of society," Is il
nothing to be looked upon as having moth
ing in common with the intelligent world,
barely hanging on to q civilization ol
which We are supposed to be as ignorant
ofits merits; as untittcdfor its enjoyments:
Is it no calamity to be exposed to the
rough and unfeeling jests of the careless
and coarse.mindcd-to be the burlesqucd
Of the stage and the mimicked Of the
bar.room!-curscd by the politicians and
prayed for by the parsons !-tO have ones
name, face, land. language and disposition
eternally unsparingly ridiculedy Is it any
Joke to have to father ell the obtusc witty
sayings and dull bulls that serve to illunl-
mate the obscure corners Of the public
journals ?-to be continually dished up in
this wise to appease the American vOraci.
~ for the ridiculous? Whoever saw an
lrishman sketchCd in Pictorial but as
the subject Of caricature? Never intro
duccd naturally into fiction, but always
in . distorted manner. An IrishmAn there
il always . hero between wit and a fool,
his prOpensities all fight, his accomplish.
ments all-6rO0We
Another thing annoys me, the tcnden-
cy many people have, whose forte lies not
in speaking pure English themselves, to
affect to speak with brOguc like an Irish
man, and thick coat Of it they put OH.
With some this passes for wit. Now
like anything well dOnc--goOd acting,
good painting; but | dislike anything
over done. hate daub. On the whole
I think these comic gentlemen never re.
hectcd that the mimic Of actions was but
4 monkey, and that Of cords but parrot,
or they would not make such tropical
creatures Of themselves.
Twice have been rejected because Ol
my nationality. have yet to be success
ful because Of the same. have aimed tC
bc respectable but have been rebufFcd.
have been cut by what is courtcously
called good society. But tho unkindcst
cut Of all" have been discarded, abso-
lutely Tilted by my Cressid-Nll because
was not something other than wild
Irishman.
Even tho gentlemen Of the press, when
they report Of Cclt being Orer-glOriOuS,
1. will dash it off with paragraph headed
PA drunken Irishman"! Whoever found
one headed "A drunken American" OF
=" A drunken EnglishmGH"t The veriest
antiquarian never did. But have said
enough.
Is not the foregoing catalogue Of an
nOyanccs sufficient to make the life even
Of much less sensitive person than am
miSerablcf have striven to be content
and accommodate myself to my lot, but
have tailed. might find some little sat
isiaction had the power Of retaliation OIL
rctort but at present my only comfort
lies in the fact that, perhaps increasing
age will bring an Increase Of indifference.
! have been wondering to whom l shall
dedicate this letter. To those who have
been born to the bright inheritances Of
an easy heart and cOntented mind, who
have never danced to the disagrecble tunes
Of misfortune and discomfort, who have
been Graded in luxury and nurscd in the
lap Of Opulencc, do not write. To yc,
o Americans, who are surleited with lib
Crty, prosperity and Opulence, whose
power Is measured by the stars and whose
stripes" ere the terror oftyrants, write
not Power and success faint the heart
Of man. Long years Of both have con
tributed to make yc . little harsh and uR,
feeling. l acknowledge ye brave, indc-
pendent and wise. Willingly accord ye
the praise Ofhaving battled and struggled
nanfGlly for everything ye enjoy. But
surely 70 will not think the less Of my ad.
miratiOn, or that envy blindeth my judg.
ment when l say that To the weak and un.
fortunate ye are too Apt to say, 60 and
do likewise. But to the diseOnsOlate
look for sympathy-tN the humble fOr
succOr. All I ask from the one is to shed
tear Ofpity-andfrCm the other, to wipe
It away.
Aud 90 endeth slight record of the
Miscries Of A WILD FRESHMAN.