, 1860-03-13

llu1F ap&4oEA4Ae1 Uo~A ~ ~
tho "brave days Of o. 'no nsn' ''se''' anu
appeal has boes 'd' A.nons o.ne's all
.rd t,,o A. made to the Citizen Soldiery,
r,rr --cieut and Honorable Artillery Com
=: j., Of Boston have led OF with contribu-
tion Of $1,000. Other responses have been
made both from public and private sources In
dieative Of tho interest the project has very
widely elected. :Hou. Charles Hudson, Of
Lexington, las been made the Corresponding
Secretary Of the Association, and Charles 0,
NhitmoSe, Of Boston, Treasurer When
completed as contemplated, the Statue will be
one Of Tho most notable works OF art and his
torical interest, On tho fields halowed by Re.
volutiouary associations.
OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES AND
mODEKN.
4 weekly newspaper on our table, "neutral
in politics and religion bewails the degeDera.
| cy Of the age and the Righteousness Of the
press manifested in the use Of opprobrious ep-
ilhets in controversial discussion. It deplores
the rancor Of spirit displayed in political strife,
and regrets that the pulpit should hare been
degraded from its high station by the frequent
| employment Of personalities. It sighs for the
good old times VIXEN men addressed each 9th
er in The dialect Of dores, and disputed in bu-
colics.
1t is common error to suppose that the
controversies Of the present day are carried On
with fierceness and violence unknown to
past centuries, or at least to some golden age,
to which no particular date is affixed But the
truth is, eontroversialists have been, in all
ages, tan irritable race" and 80 far az there
has been change in this respect it has been
for the better, From the earliest times, to the
latest, personal abuse and iuvective have dis
figured nearly all the literature Of theology
and politics; and both Christian writer's and
Pagan have given the rein to every bnd pas
sion whenever an intellectual antagonist has
crossed their path. The accidental mistakes
and even the personal defects Of m opponent
illusions to which would now only excite dis
gust-were once held up to ridicule, while his
name was twisted and distorted, that it might
become the vehicle Of q ghastly pun. Those
who are skeptical on this point hare only to
look into the pondcrous folios which the giants
Of old hurled at each other, when co1tending
on the battle-felds Of thought.
To 50 back before the era Of printing-De-
mosthenes, laundering against Philip and his
hired advocates, thought no excess Of virtu-
poration too violent, no term Of abuse too biz
for the mouth Of his anger. De Quincy, in one
Of his acute papers, has spoken Of the leyity
with which Cicero, like every other uubic
speaker Of his time, hurled the blackest and
most atrocious libels at his enemies. Not
are huy true7 tut-scM utey teu1 was tho
question. Tho great Roman orator never
scrupled to ascribe the foulest 1usts aud most
abo1ninahle propenaities to an Antagonist
holding that lawyer is not accountable for
any amount Of selfcontradction, and that the
disgrace Of lying accusation lies not in the
lie ITSELF but in the lack Of probability as
the Spartan who concealed his theft by letting
the fo1 breakfast OF lis vitals. was applauded,
while he who thieved clumsily was punished.
At later period VIC have Gregory Nazianzen
pitted against the Emperor Julian, hurting the
most acrid anatlemas and bestowing upon him
epithcts which
"--a heEgas. IN ii. drunk,
Nollu Lot bcato~ upon his calet."
OF the bitter wa1ers that flowed from the
-Ariau and Pelagian controversies, the Predes
tinarian and kindred discussions, and IN the
dnys Of tie Eiccne council, nc need not speak
Everybody knows with What fury Martin
Luther; tie hero Of Wittenberg and Worms,
waged war upon his theological adversaries-
how he showcred down upon them IN inccs-
SAINT flood Of darts pointed with cutting wrath
/ and feathered with scorn. His familiar name
for Erasmus was, "that exasperated viper"
"that rainglorious animal" &c; and Of the
Catholic diTines, be says-"The Papists arc
all asses, and will always remain asses. Put
them in whatever sauce you choose, boiled,
roasted, baked, fried, skinned, beat hashed,
they are always the same asses" Again:
"What pleasing sight it would be tosee the
Pope and the Cardinals hanging on one gallows
in exact order like the seals which dangle
from the bulls Of the Pope!" But even Luther
must yield the palm for scuri1ity to John Cal
vim. Though often preaching against calumny,
the Geneva thcologian was sure to forget, at
least, the spirit Of his doctrine, when ris-a~r1s
with theologicalfoo. His advcrsaries are al
ways knaves, lunatics, drunkards, assassins
and sometimes bulls, asses, cats and dogs In
an encounter with one Paul Farncso, ho calls
him ian old dotard to his face, and tells him
that "Italy ueyer produced such monster bo-
fore" as lis son, though in avarice, rapacity,
and cruelty, the son was eclipscd by the ia
ther.
But Of all the controversialists Of ancient or
modern times, it would be difficult to name
ono who, with The same intellectual might has
descended to such low abuse NJ Milton
One who is conyersant with tho old bard
through his exquisite poetry alone-whoso
thoughts Of him are identified with the gor-
geous imngefy Of Paradise Lost, and who
thinks Of him rs wandering where the Muses.
haunt clear spring, or sunny grove, smit with
the love Of sacred song-as the blind old man,
equal in fate and rcnown with blind Thamyris
and blind Maoonides-feeding on thoughts that
voluntary move harmonious numbers, as the
waketul bird sings darkling, and in shadiest
covert hid, times her nocturnal note-can
hardly credit the fact that he is the same per-
son who, in his prose writing, so out-Herods
Herod in blackcning aud silIying his oppo-
nents- Not content with riddling Salmasius
with the "leadcn rain and iron hail" Of his
logic with tossing his giant adversary round
the ring on the horns Of his merc1ess dilem-
mas he writes him down M ass in capital
letters, page alter page.
When told that his adversary boasted that
he had caused the loss Of his (slilton's) eyer,
he answered with ferocity, "And shall cost
him his lilel" which, curiously enough,
proved true prophecy. His patron having
taken the side of MiAgn, salmasius retired
into obscurity, and died, it is supposed, Of ve1-
alton and grief Disracli says that Milton even
went so G.r as to- correspond with persons in
Holland, to obtain scandalous anecdotes con-
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