Western Reserve chronicle. [volume] (Warren, Ohio) 1855-1921, 1858-05-26
Outsider and z.

49,
Outsider and e
Acorresponden over the signature Off.
does not seem favorablv Impressed viii
the labors of Outsider in bis efforts Il
immortalize the members Of the Warner
Bar; nor with US for allowing his articles
a place in our columns. q. says many
sharp things, and true.
Each one OF these sketches as il ha:
-~fpcared, has afforded no little amuse.
ment, not OniyteLAaIawyers themselves.
(al#ays excepting the Individual whose
picture was then en- exhibition but to
their acquaintance, both here and
abroad. That they will be interesting
TO every one Of our readers, we have no
expectation. nor would anything that
We might publish. whatever it might be.
We differ in some points decidedly, from
Z. We venture The assertion that no
series Of articles which has appeared in
our paper, has been more generally read
than these same. Even Z. himself must
have read them, and very attentively too,
or he could not have quoted from them
so accurately. The truth is, that no sub
jects can be more interesting than sketch
IS of living men, and if those men are
acquaintance. intimate, or partial, then
so much the more are we interested in
having their peculiarities described, and
in knowing what opinion others enter
tain respecting them.
1t is true that descriptions of the per-
sOnal appearance of private individuals,
is not generally a proper subject for
newspaper articles, but lawyers are ex
ceptions to the general rule. If the sub
jects Of these sketches had not been law
.yers, we would not have published them
at all, but they are proverbially thick
skinned. They are not afraid of a little
notoriety, knowing 1t will gain clients for
them. The members of this bar can
take a sharp cut from a brother lawyer,
or a newspaper, or bear a little fattery,
and laugh at both tie praise and censure.
For these reasons, having allowed our
paper to be The canvass upon which the
portraits of a part Ct The members Of the
bar have been sketched, we shall give
Outsider the opportunity to finish the Sc
RIGS in his " way, only taking care
that nothing shall be said which could
wound the feelings Of any Individual
Outsider may praise his friends as much
rs be likes, anG if he gives some ofthem
al over dose. it is his affair, not ours; we
shall only stipulate that he do not give
vent to his dislikes. and do injustice.
For the Chronicle.
z. to Outsider.
.Aessrs. Editors:-Obituaries are very
common and solemn affairs, and often
too long. It is, however, a good moral
and christian trait, allied TO forgiveness
itself, to bear patiently, illusions 10 good
qualities in the dead. (aIl else suppress
sed,) wen when they had not been very
obvious while they were living. It
sometimes happens that it is apparent
that pride in relatives, in Selling the
s'lueky occasion" to make and trumpet
fame for the departed, for The honor Of
the survivors. exceeds their grief; and
then overstrained adulation of The dennis
ed, will, in despite of ourselves, turn
sympathy into disgust. This is a sub
ct as delicate. as solemn, and 1 would
pass as lightly over il, as over the graves
Of those who have returned to dust.
As a reader OF the Chronicle, 1 feel
still less inclined 10 acquiesce in a rapid
ly growing practice of perpetrating upon
the public mind. something like Obitua-
ries Of individuals before they are dead.
Surely the King of Terrors furnishes sub
jects fast enough for all practical pur-
poses. This practice, l think is in ex-
ceeding bad taste, 10 say nothing OF the
style. Men Of merit can we'll afford 10
wait fer both their obituaries and bio
graphies to be written after their exit
Men of modesty, / opine, would prefer
that. The opposite of both, should hard
ly be gratiEed in being paraded in dou-
bic file in your columns: described with
all the particularly of runaways, week
after week, to the annoyance of your
readers, who can have no interest, gen.
orally, in the published dimensions or
compilations. hair or wigs, habits or ca
p~scities Of the persons described-cer-
tainIy no more than in a description Of
our cattle. or sheep; or length of name
or tail of our colts.
Whether "Outsider" had a mind
To i~latter, TO be paid in kind,
Or thought it his especial mission
On earth, 20 mend mortal's condition;
And that all would be agreed
he should begin where was most need,
or. in the endurance Of his imagination,
and over1owings of his benevolence, he
designed to produce a moral change on
the persons described, characterized or
caricatured, (be that as it may,) [ would
IN ost respectfully suggest TO him whetn-
er the writing and publishing appropriate
epitaphs for their consideration and re-
aection, would not, at less expense of
I- Loon az