The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1858-03-29
Literary Statesm en-.

The Philadelphia Press, referring TO an idei
which It says Ii entertained by some stnpit
people that the pursuits of literature rather dis
ausiify man for active professional or politica
business, takes glance at the Pslmerston ana
Derby Cabinets, and shows that some of their mosi
sctive, abls, practical men have at least dabbled
In fiterature--indsed several of them have been
productive authors.
Lord palmerstop, says the Press, who Is about
the Last politician In England who could be sus-
pectsd Of having any claim TO be considered a man
Of letters, was one OF the authors (tbe late Sir
Robert Peel being anotherJ of The New Wing
Guide, q satirical prose aud-verse melange, pub.
lished In Is1s The hit at heavy George Ponsonby,
Wing leader in the Commons, given as parody
on "Believs me, If all those sndearing young
charms" WAS certainly written by Palmerston.-
il concludes with the lines:
~And pousopby leaves debate at its set
Just as dark as 1t was when he rose.
which are free paraphrase Of Moores lines
"As the supfower turns to its god when il SETS
The same look that il gave when he rose"
psimsrston's Chancellor of the Excbequer, Sir
gsorae Cornwall lie wis, succeeded Professor Emp
ann. In lsAs, in the edtorship of the Edinburg
Review. which be retained until 1855, when he
succeeded Mr.. Gladstone as Financial Minister
xIs has published many political and historical
vorks-the lsstof which Is in two volumes, s yo.,
entitled "Inquiry into the crsdibiIity of Early Ro
man History"
o.hsr Nance are mentisned-tbe Duke CT Arex,
- has written several pamphlets upon the ~
- church the Earl OF Carlyle, Viceroy ~ ~
- roet and scholar; Earl Of DERBY, q
80, ,snk in letters and Chancellor OF the
az, ~ oxford; Mr.. Disraeli, the new Minis. :,
Finance, one Of the most yoluminous aud success
fui authors Of the time; wsipole, the new Home
Secretary, Earl of Malmesburg, Foreign Secretary,
Lord Stanley, Colonial Secretary, Lord John Man
nsss, leader Of "Young England" all scholars
and authors. Indeed it would be difficult to ind
spublic man Of any note In England who is not
also an educated man, and of some literary taste
and capacity.
We know the reverse is the case 10 this country,
and hence the idiotic idea that literary pursuits
are incompatible with statesmanlike capacity. j
10 perhaps the policy of that multitude of public
men In the United States who never possessed, or
never availed themselves of the opportunities of
education, to propagate as extensively as possible
the notion that literature is q superfuous orna-
ment to sststesman. The fox whose tall was cut on
acted wisely In urging other foxes to undergo the
same operation, though we have never heard that
any Of them we're fools enough to follow his exam
pie. Our greatest statesmen and jurists, however,
have been literary and scholarly men, such as
Jefferson, Hamilton, Franklin, Webster, Marshall,
Story aud others. A few powerful minds have
now and then arisen, destitute Of literary culture
nut they would have been none the less efficient,
II they had possessed this browning grace. Even
the defamation Of Patrick Henry, 1.-THE inspired
peasant Of Virginia" as Phillips has called him,
would have lost nothing In vitality, aud 10 the
strength Of It's hold upon posterity, II the orator
had been msu Of education as we'll as natural