Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1858-02-16
MISCELLANEOUS.


Who would be omebodyf-Nobody am l..
Charles Mackay.
MIsoRLLANEOUs.
From De. Bows Press.
MR. THACKERAY'S VlRGINIANS.
We are indebted to lady friend and neighbor, fol
some structures upon the lately published works Of Mr.
Thsckery, "The virginians" We have not read the
work and are, therefore, not competent to pass az
opinion upon it ourselves. Mr.. Thaokeray, 1t will be
feen. 10 hsndled without gloves:
We have been led to the preparation of few notes
by a peru,a of the last number Of Mr.. Thackeray's
new Bowel, "The VirRniars." where, without the
holdness TO offer a direct insult to the memory oil
Washington, he Indirectly insults 1t BY ascrbng to
him line Of conduct and manner Of speech unwor'
thy of any Virginian, and impossible in man like
Washington. Mr.. Thackery has had four Georges"
Of his own, whose regal ermne did not protect them
against his fierce assaults The divinity that doth
hedge in king, vas NO barrier between his onelauRht
and their msissties. self elected Mnos, he passes
Judgment on their shades and assigns to each his sep
srste place in hisorys perdton. We looked on, and
noted What was to I'd one Of these Georges was
fool. another scnundrsl, and another cypherI II
SIR Tnackersy enjoys the tack ofstripping of tbs man
tie of majesty, and Of showing the mesnness of the
forns hides; il 10 to his tstste TO deprive English
history Of all its SAVIOR, by the substitution of mean
and personal motives for generous and patriotic ones,
turning il thereby into kind OF Princess Paatine
memoirs, We will not complain. But there 10 a limit
to our forbearsnce. Mr. Thacaeray cannot touch
character without de!ipg it, he must not therefore.
ley his unhaowed hands on our George Having
faith 10 the dignity and excellence of human cha
racter. he cannot properly approach this theme.
Let us show the justice Of our protest by slight
examination of the manner in which the name ct
Washington 10 introduced into bis narrative OF "Ihe
Virginisns" He begins by taking what seems to NJ
him-"Mr. Washington" BY this reduction to q
common denomipatOr. he desires 10 prove him only AL
ordinary fraction of humanity to be added to or sub
sracted from at pleasure. Here We may be unreason
able, but the heart has s Instincts and here 10 some
thing sacred In name we'll as in thing, With which
the good will not triHe. Besides, Washington stapds
nowhere In history as I" Mr.. Washington" At the
very time Of which Mr. Thackersy treas the Provin-
DIAL Governor had conferred upon HIN commission,
carrying with it title. 1t may be very fne to call
Marlborough, John Churchill or Mr. Churchill, and
Mr. Thackeray il Welcome to that pripiled2ei but
Washington never was Mr.. Washington. He was
aduantgeneral with the rank of major al the age OF
nineteen.
Notwithstanding the nice knowledge Of minute his.
tory that Mr. Thackeray effects, he is often led Into
ridiculous mistakes and ba even been convicted of
The grosa blunder Of ascribiog certain verses to pn
cess which foubd to be in the printed edition OF
the works Of contemporary poeess. But for him 20
pretend to be "up" in oar history, s too great farce
He mistakes not less 10 our historical annals. 10
repre- sent Washington hanger on OF rich widow,
and as one suspected Of matrimonial intentions 10
ssrds such a woman a. he CHOOSES 10 paint Lady rs
mond, 10 further insult To cause him to perpeirhte
such letter, the one picked up by Mrs. Mountain,
a; a time when he hardly knew Mrs. Gusts, be-
tray. the grossest ignorance Of the biography OF
Washington.
It was 10 the year 1883 that Washington paid his
addresses TO Mrs. Cusis. In the year l7SS, three
years previous Brsddock killed. and yet this let.
Ter picked up by Mrs. Mountain at the time Of Brad
docks Ore, introduction into Virginia The woman
addressed by him was beautiful, accomplished, well
connected, good. wealthy, aud younger than himself
end yet, her greatest honor is in having become the
wife Of Colonel Washington, whom Thsckeray paints
40 being full Of all courtesy to the naughty, narrow.
minded purse proud, domireerng, i'll tempered jade,
that be paints 90 the child Of the rather sweet lady
who married hls Colonel Esmond. So rapid had been
the American degeneration at that time. The whole
story of finding the letter is 30 sngularly opposed to
all Of our knowledge OF the busiuessike character
and methodical habits Of Washington, that We must
call 1t simply ludicrous Busiuess like as he wss
known, there was never anything about him to justify
The name OF Told young man" which 10 sneeringly
given to him by Mrs. Mountain.
Besides, II Mr.. Thackeray had studied the history
of the man whom he undertakes to describe, he
would have known that proper self esteem charac.
terized him On all occasions. II s therefore quite
out of place TO present him speaking of himself 10
the humble apologetic manner. that he does at Lsdy
E.monds, after bis return from his brave and ardu.
ous exploration and camps'sn 10 Western Virginia
lie certainly never thought Of himself on that ocoa-
sion AZ "beaten man., aud, consequently, It Is out
of keeping with his character to evidence such all a.
fiction Of humility.
Nor 10 this oil. The browning Insult to the memory
OF Washington, is tina; Of placing him in position
10 be enuobed by boy, ana Of describing him ss
tamely submitting to systematic insult, quite impos
bis to be supposed in OF such personal dignity,
quick sense OF honor, nice Training among the most
dlxniasd society Of the State, and warm and even
passionate feelings. Bosrsphers assert that no one
ever took liberty with him.
But let 10 here, once for all, protest against the
dangerous half truths OF historic fiction. insinua
ingly mischievous than the worst lies. Even Wate-
Scott. honest he was. has done wonderful harm TO
The English mind by this iase and partisan coloripg
OF events and personages introduced into his nov
Ga. and il takes much study and many words, Oh
the part Of the genuine historian, to disa6use rs Of
these errors and TO undo the mischief the romancer
But Thackeray isno romancer only sayrist: be has
not the Wilderness OF soul and roundness of ideas OF
novelist but only the ntenss perception and narrow
Ken of q carcaturiat Such man may paint Beckey
Sharps and exemplary drlvelsrs in all their variety
He 10 welcome, aso TO enter into the details of Eng
sh history, II the English people do not care, and
show up their monarchs altogether set Of perfd
Gus, selfish coxcombs the last Stuart, true to his
racs prefsrrng Irritation 10 crown; their nobility
srecrsant Grew, swearing fidelity to one monarch and
Intriguing with ano'ber their great captains. tyranp
cal. knavish ard imbeo le, while all below them In
rank s subserviency. We will not dispute his right
TO prove these poaitiocs though in own privare
opinion. M Thackeray has, and oan have, no symps
thy with the trus mind and heart of the penple OF
which has grown OIL this side Of the ocean. Let him
then keep his hands of the sacred ark Of history
whsrs he is sure to be smi;ten With blindness.
He will not help the English to understand us, nor
will he be able to chow our great Revolution AS
sprnging up in the small jealousies OF provincial
camp.
Our own Historians. who neither few nor mean,
can say all that necessary for this generation; but
above oil, nothing cen be more deplorable than to
fAli into the hands of writer like fhackerey, who
has sense OF the responsibilities of authorship.
and who replied when in this country, to one, who
Was in bic presence, depreca,n9 the mischievous
liable oriental expression 'bosh7' "lf could
write book" be is said to have added ",hat would
cell like that, would consent -' but v Q forbesr
the utierance Of the deg, aiding ssntimsnt.
WHAT NIB. HARRIS, OF ILLINOIS, THOUGHT
EIGHT YEARS AGO.
The Washington "Union" puts Mr. Thomas L.
Harris, Of Illinois, In rather uuenviable predice.