New-York daily tribune., 1858-02-16

and to what end Wherein are We better Oh
to-day than if we had not disbursed dollar
When one has fully determIed for whatever
reason good or bad to 1atter to glorify man OF
the lower description Of notoretes it is not only
proper but it is highly exped;ent to bring out the
trowel, to lay on the plaster Of praise as hckly as
possible, and not to be nggardly in the article of
incense. The best service which you can render
to the object Of your sdulation is to shower upon
him the whole pepper-bOx of complimentary adjec-
tyes, to compare him TO every respectable person
in the biographical dictionaries, and so bedeck him
with garlands and wreaths and ribands, that, CIV
ing no signs of his actual tenuity, he may pass
with the unthinkng many for stalwart prize OK.
SO that eminent literary cook and bOttle-washer,
gifted George Gfan, serves up his great men. So
have scores upon scores Of mighty poets, philosO-
pbers, noyests histrions and artists been created
in this country the only fault Of their genius being
tendency to collapse upon the removal OF the
bellows. But it is not every man hor yet every
woman who cares TO submit to the above described
process. Merit is mostly modest; real genius
cares little for the gstening foil set off to the
world or for broad rumOr; while great or accom-
plished men, who relish hattery, like it in good
taste, aud do not care for hOrse-draughts thereof
Hew then will Mr.. Everett, the correct, the
Classical the fastdious Everett relish the Gilfllan
izing to which he was last week subjected by The
Journal of Civilization? How will he like this
smothering in roses this bedecking of his neat
p@rson with glass jewels, this praise for what he is
not and this failure to praise fer what he really is
this grand gorgeous, general eorifcation The
lgneous effigies was to be endured To be por-
traysd in wood may be the fate of any mau.
Whether he be very good or very bad very wise or
very silly, member of Congress or o. murderer,
the picture papers are after him, and he is doomed
to the camera aid the graver. But after his head
has been fairly taken of, it is really unjust to any
body to SLAYER and slime him all over with adulaton,
under the pretense that without such process he
could kot be swallowed by the public
We suppose that Mr. Everett is regular sub
scriber to Tie journal Of Civilization. "No gen
"tleman's library is complete without it, When
he took up the last number what must have been
his emotions at fiji ding the individual Sbout TO give
bis biography beginning as follows:
"NcheI foreigners na,ivesso far have have
ever marked tia, Of the most striking ehssc.erise' Of
eminent Americsns Is their aptitude Tor oratoIy"
This may be new and profound observation,
but We believe that we have read something like il
before. The Only thing wonderful about it is, that
while our aptitude for Oratory" has been noted
by scores of foreign travellers, aud mentioned by
scores of foreign writers, and certainly not dsre.
garded by the natives" this Civilizer should not
have been aware Of the fact. We had supposed
the American "spttude" for public speaking to be
a settled thing. Well, We suppose it is now. The
Ciyilizer has settled it.
When Mr.. Everett was appointed Professor of
Greek in Harvard College he was sent abroad to
study the language which he was TO teach. His
bcgrapher in noticing his residence in Europe says:
"Psris was exhausted in the Winter Of lsl7-'lS."
We hope that Paris has recovered from the drain
by this time; but who can wonder, after such eyi-
dence Of the power of rapid acquisition, that Mr.
Everett afterward became nonpare1 Greek Pro
fessorl at is not likely that the chair Was ever
"flled BY Professor th ,roughly fitted for the
place" This may or may not be high praise;
we rather think that il is not. We have no reason
TO believe that Mr.. Everett is or ever was great
Greek scholar. Whist he might have become had
he continued to devote himself to the language we
do not know; but he has given us no evidence Of
possessing Greek erudition; and he abandoned the
study of the tongue at an age when such men as
Bentley and Porson, and Psrr were just CON-
mencing it. Mr.. Everett is no doubt good Greek
scholar. He would not himself care to be called
great one
However, the Ciyilizer goes on with his decora-
ton. using only the brightest colors upon his
palette. The North American Review under Mr.
E.'s direction, We are told, was fit compeer of
1.-THE Edinburgh, and Everett no whit inferior to
:. sy dney Smith and jeffrey" Why not say that he
was no whit inferior to Walter Scott, Lord Byron,
or the Duke of Wellington He was undoubtedly q
good, solid reviewer; but he never had tithe Of
the philosophical acumen of Lord Jeffrey, or the
least perceptible portion of Sydney Smiths bril-
lisncy and humor Chalk is good thing, and so is
cheese; but they are not alike. " Stress has been
laid BY biosraphers," says SEp-slop, upon the
success with which he vindicated the United
" States from the criticisms Of foreign authors"
.lustice to an able man, long since in his grave
equres US 20 ssy that the best AMI sharpest o the
articles here alluded to were written by Mr.. Alex.
s8der Everett.
Wh.n be oouss to NJ. Everett MISSION 10 Eng.