The Washington union. [volume] (City of Washington [D.C.]) 1857-1859, 1858-12-28
TnE couRRIER DDS ErATs uNIs.


the Courier DIES Etais Unis should have fallen out with
the government of the United States Since the
time when the citizen Genet picked quarrel with
our government, meditated reformation Of our con-
sttuton upon the model Of that of the French re-
public aud committed some iInpertinenees towards
General Washington, we do not know anything
which has threatened so much danger to the fabric
of our institutions this dspleasure of the editorial
trinity OF the Courier. The ilustrous trinity deign
to eriticse the of this Journal, but relieve
the eondescenson by processing TO detect, with rare
powers of clairyoyance, the Presidents penmanship
and composition in what we ourselves modestly pre-
sent to the public through the columns Of our own
journal and, bringing themselves thus face to face
with the President Of the United States, they char
acterize him i'll terms of polteness and good breed
ing, such as proverbially distinguish the French
tion-spealSipg of the emptiness, impotence, and
yacillaton of a mind at once ambitious and weak,
which is still more for taking noise for strength
and expedients for principles
The Comricy's editors, having just succeeded in
blasting the career of amable young Italian lady of
high rank who had embarked upon professional ca
reer Of great brilliancy aud promise in our country
bic and generous performance, turn their atten-
ton next to the administration of Mr.. Buchanan,
Reversing, however, all the rules of generosity and
professional courtesy, instead of allowing u.s. as be
longing to their fraternity, the privilege of be-
ing the last deyoured, they make the first objects
OF fierce assault and demolition.
The world over, there are two causes which are
conceded to generate more ill-humor than all others
combined and these are, first, dyspepsia, resulting
from too great consumption of food, and, next, pro-
tracted hunger resulting from deprivation Of it. The
young and charming stranger, Piccoomin is said
through some oversight, to have withheld from the
doughty critics of the Courier their accustomed
supplies of good cheer--a circumstance which re-
suited most dsastrousy to herself is well known,
in New York and, we are sorry to add has been
re ruin of ourselves For the assaults upon lis of
he {" three hungry Frenchmeno who had attracted
lie ieers Of all New York, followed Immediately after
heir demolition Of the unhappy Countess, and seemto
ave been prompted by ill-humor the intense,
10 the pangs of their hunger must have become the
more aggravated. In reading over the excorating
criticisms Of the Courier upon recent articles of
the Union and the foreign policy Of the federal adj
ainistration, we find the conviction irresistible that
they were ante praudia They must have been writ
ten at the hungry hour of four in the afternoon with
no prospect of an invitation from the green-room of
an operate star.
Casusts have discussed with great acumen and
ingenuity the question, whether half-starved man,
Just escaped from the narrowing cries for bread of
family dying of want would have the right to rush
into bakers shop, seize a few loavcs and make
away with them to his desoate household. Without
presenting to run the arguments which have
been put forth pro and in this interesting discus
sion, we will cut the matter short by simply adj
yancing the idea, that such an act would not const
fute a case of casustry at all that man in such
state of restitution is not moral agent is bereit
OF reason is not competent to deliberate in cold
debate the right or wrong in morals of such pro-
ceeding, but that his act is the mere result
of the instinct of an imperious necessity which
society should not be scrupulous to ayenge any
more than it would the similar act Of insenti
ent animal BY parity of reasoning, it follows that
three voracious Frenchmen, when in extreme state
of hunger are not to be expected to adhere with ex
act fidelity to the truth; and we are therefore con
strained to look with indulgence upon some Of the
misstatements which the Courier has accidentally, in
an unpropitious condition Of body, fallen into in its
criticisms upon some of our recent articles. For in
stance the Courier, which we are sure is well ac-
quanted with the English language, having an
article of ours Of the nth instant spread out
before it. asserts that in it we declared that either
she seizure at sea of the schooner Susan, the
pursuit on shore of individuals landed from that
vessel would alike constitute an insult to the Amer
lean flag such insult il intmates, would give
occasion to an immediate demand by our government
of explanations and apology from the seizng prsu
ing power Here is most striking instance Of the deli
cate sympathy which exists between the gastronomc
organs and the brain. The three hungry French
men evidently see in article declarations which
cannot be found there by healthy and ordinary OPP
tics.
Ours is popular government and the action of our
public functionaries is always necessarily. more or
less responsive to the popular WILL The declaration
OF the U,,ioa on the ii tn Instant was simply
truism e was, that the capture by foreign power,
of American adventurers, going to or landing in Cen
trail America, would produce great popular excite
ment in this country would rouse other adventur-
ers to follow the first, would result in collision
between bands Of these young men and the Euro