The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1859-02-17


but hundreds and hundreds of other hives. per-
haps wiser, purer, or happier, than yours-to
be woven IN with the warp and wool Of boy
hoods strong, firm, web-to CLEAN and flash
through the finer, subtler texture of girlhood
tins IS your " exceeding great reward
Rs5 MosT RIDICULoUs-The printer mad.
us say last week, l." Wherein the Authors Sound
OF Counsel We wrote, SIS Profuse in Coun-
SELL"
Southern Correspondence of the Era.
CHARLESTON-ITS EDUCATIONAL IN.
STITUTIONS AND LITERATURE.
The following letter will lose none Of its IN.
terest by its age.
CHARLESTON, Jane II, 1858.
MY DEAR -: Remote, unfriended. mel.
ancholy,' and, with Micawber. | NAV add
slow" ! resume my notes, touching nv per-
a@6aiations, beginning with the winding WAYS
OF Charleston. Near the lower end of the civ
IN site not quite so happily chosen as that of
'ne Vapnol IN Nashville, but vet possessing
strong claims upon this peculiar people. se
1t is on the road to, and not far removed from
the jail aid wOrkhouse, stands the Medical Col,
lege, whittier must have been led by pro
teSslonal instinct. Its Professors are well and
iavorably known throughout the country. The
distinguished Doctor - was the lecturer this
morning, and his felicitous treatment of n tech.
meal and purely professional topic could NOT
have been otherwise than instructive and nroft
able. e7en To layman. The philosophy Of
medicine and the philosophy of common sanss
were most happily blended IA the matter of the
lecture Doctor ID. IS not only an eminen.
practitioner, but deep aud original thinker.
and any clty must possess great medicinal viz
tues whom favored with his projections
In not very favorable contrast with .n;s ;ne,;
tuition is another, Of which the city ho,sts. Of "a
more ambitious and pretending character.
nder the gulse and government Of a College.
II Is really, am told, uOI far removed from ),
bighly respectable grammar school. Ii l..
nowe'er authorized by the State. if not Quail.
ned, - eoaler honors, titles. aud de.rrras auc
as these, by whomsoever imposed. derive their
consequence from certain alphabetical or cabal.
iStlc ablreN iations, rather than from any intel
lectual power or extraordinary attainment
which they we've originally designed TO be -
llhcSs, the college becomes With. the
q T. trustees creation OF soma i-L, 49,. !
purposes ~ S,laaracers seenl \ hax Tl9eff Is &C
cordingy conducted on the principles Of d.
Mutual Admiration Society. This will appear
by bret reference to two or three recent md
Interesting facts in its history. Not long sine.
the President resigned, and as there could moi
bo very 3anguine hopes of securing the highest
scholastic eminencc for tho vacant chair, the
trustees very adrOitly selected a most estimate
genteman-then d financial officer Oftke city
upon whoa. they conferred the degree of Ill. D..
snl having thus transformed him from a keep
CT OF ledgers into grave and reverend Doctor
al Laws, they cOnsummate the achievement by
making him forthwith President of the Col
lege." Ii is but IGSt TO say that his Qualihca-
tions for a puch higher place cannot be ques-
toned, Notwithstanding the efforts Of his friends
thas to throw suspicion upon them. But tIiese
tacetious gentlemen did not stop here, The
happy success attending the preparation Of one
practical Joke, furnished a satisfactory preteXt
for another and, as the lah0Ycr Is worthy o.
his hire, after so liberal d.spensation of honors
abroad, they conc,..,ied :hey might make a
similar distribution at home With that rare
and ii..inltable modesty which is so rre-emi
nently the Chinese characteristics they next
proceeded, With gravity becoming 50 solemn
transaction, aud with a serene seIfsatisiac-
ton, 10 make the senior member OF their own
body also an Ii. ID. Would il aot be well to
suggest to these iovial gentlemen, that an ar
rangement might be entered into with some
other college equally obscure, under the
form of a new "reciprocity treaty" whereby all
exchange of their respective honors might be
effected, according 10 a tariff of prices which
should DE mutually agreeable? The public |
ava sure would not then have worse opinion
Of their modesty, and the cause of education
would not be more cruelty satrized by It's
guardians. Thore might be less fun for the
outsiders but the forms Of decorum and some
"yespect for the opinions of mankind" would
be observed, and the dignity Of the Doctors not
at all diminished.
You win naturally expect me 10 say some
thing of the press but the task is most MI
gracious to one who has proper estimate Of
the high position and important functions
which Of right pertain to the profession. /
regret that have mislaid an article which |
found copied into one of the Charleston Dai-
lies, from the pen of the Irish refugee Of Knox
vile, in which there was comparison institu-
ted between the editors of New York and those
created A." under" the genial and refining inhu-
euces Of the peculiar institution" Of course,
the latter were infinitely elevated by the des;rer
of the Alabama plantation, and their coG-tesy
tact and varied abilities, Landed sufficiently to-
secure a general circulation for the article
and q general endorsement for the Knoxville
Southern Citizen. L must confess that have
not yet discovered that superiority in tone and
style, that freedom from personality and knight
IN chlVaLY oil bearing, Wnlcn nau secured the
unmixed admiration OF the enthusiastic Hiber-
/ man. There are three or four daily papers
here, but, at the peril of differing from the Irish
oracle, am constrained TO affirm that they are
neither characterized hy ability, spirit, nor en-
terprise. The genius of duluess presides ny
right of conquest over the sanctum, and the man
tie oi dgowslness seems to spread It's ample and
| enervating folds over editors aud readers. |
happened here on my first visit about the
| period of the last election for Mayor of New
| York, and although the whole country wa
! awaitipr the resul, of that contest between
rowdyisll and respeetability with unparalleled
interest, the daily Journals Of this lively town
1 did not manifest vitality enough, or think it !
matter Of sufficient consequence 10 their patrons
to report the result until the day IT was received
here by the New York papers. Nothing star
ties them from their potential slumbers, but {
fall in the price of rice or cotton and Of course
little save that which acts as an electric ap
plcaton to the pecuniary sensorum-some
times known as the pocket nerves worthy @
communication by telegraph. The Courier IL
the oldest Of the Lethean triad, and has there
fore the inaisputable right to pre-eminertS
iiatulent senaity, which it habitpsNT4 So
morselesslv exercises. The w
been the recognised leader Of g.
hOrts, but has lost som ocKroN,s
! a