Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1860-03-24
'Critiqiie'' Criticised.


task, he evidently assumed that his abilities
were equal to the work before him, and
that in the fields of criticism he should lind
himself at home. Having reviewed and
finished the production, he felt that his la
Dor was well done--a fame was earned
and why not assume the modest nom de
plume, '.Critique"?
We are not, going to censure 4"Cfitique'
for making a false estimate Of bis own abil-
tiles, and attempting to use the zen when
nature designed that he should gain a i've
lihood by the use of other and heavier inn
plements: thousands have made the same
mistake before him; but lest the public
should be deceived, and think that all he
said is true, we deem it proper to expose
some Of his blunders.
The most prominent features of his arti-
Gle are incorrectness and bad English. He
commences with the following unqualified
assertion: The closing exercises OF the
Lancaster Institute took. place on Tuesday
and Wednesday evenings" Now we beg
to inform the public generally, and Mr..
..Critique" in particular, that the Lancaster
Institute is not closed nor is it at all prob
able that it viii be for the next five years.
He says, "7He exercises on Tuesday
evening consisted principally Of declama-
tons, Rotations, songs and colloquy."
This is a mistake, as those who We're there
know large part Of the exercises on that
evening consisted Of essays read BY the
young ladies, and we presume they will not
fail to appreciate the compliment paid by
"Critique' in not noticing them.
In attempting to critieise the boys dec
lamations he shows himself more ignorant
Of the first principals Of elocution than any
school-bdy should be; IN fact, he does not
know the difference in meaning between
the words defamation and Rotations as
applied to school exercises. This is shown
by the following assertion: 1.-The recita-
tons, those which did not assume a de-
clamatory character, elected much admira-
ton" 1t is well known that there were
only two recitations during the evening
one BY Mary Cover and the other BY Abbie
Hedges; and whether lrnot either Of them
assumed decIamatory character we
leave for the audience to decide.
The declarations were mostly by lads
under twelve years Of age and as a matter
of course their gestures were to some ex-
tent cultivated. What teacher would be
foolish enough to expect or even permit
boys Of that age to gesture sinvoluntarilyo
aCritique" saws that speakers should not
hold up one hand and then the other and
look at them" Very true, but if he had
studied more and talked less, he would not
be ignorant Of the fact that the speakers
attention should always be turned in the
direction Of his gesture. To convince "Cri-
tique" we propose that he try the following
experiment: Let him prepare the most
sober defamation lie can find and assemble
group Of children ten years Of age for his
audience. Let him face the West with the
children before him, commence his address
and gesture ssinvoIuntarily," first North
and then South without turning his head.
If the children do not laugh at his awk-
wardness before he is half through, we will
grant that his theory of gesturing is correct.
~.Some Of the boys may make good
speakers, not all Of them This sentence
IS the climax Of rhetorical wisdom. With
what prophetic eye does "Critique" read
the future of those boys! The veil that
Poets talk Of, which is supposed to hide
the thereafter is drawn aside, and he fla
vored mortaD is permitted to look within.
The boys heve grown to be men; he sees
them all struggling to be orators. Some
fail and he returns to tell the mournful
tale. Sagacious man! We had supposed
that all boys were Just alike, and one
might make an orator as well as another.
Let us now examine few specimens of
"Critiaue'sp English. 1.-THE songs were
earnestly received. In them the latent tai
ent Of the mind too young for original dis
play is rendered more easily visible to the
spectator" How it is that songs render
latent talent gisi5le we connot comprehend.
Please explain. Little Eddy Eaton sung
a song alone which in the simplicity of it,
execution and the singers natural bearing
was feelingly praised" Transpose the last
clause Of the sentence and it reads, (which
was praised IL the simplicity Of its execu-
ton &c" Here is another: each scene
waS inter0ensd by music DC. Webster
says, the word intervene is an intransitiye
Verb from inter and oenio, signifying to
come or be between. Let us substitute the
literal meaning of the word and read the
sentence. Each scene was come between
by music BY what process of legerde-
main does "Cntique' make one thing come
oetareen another?
10 close his grammatical and rhetorical
effort he says, III speaking of Miss Dens-
more: 10 say the least her success equals
the public admiration which is considerably
charmed" We have heard Of caar1n4dI
birds and squirrels, and occasiona!ig Of
charmed young men but never before If a
charmed admiration.
Empty puas andsfattery we despise, but
when man attempts to criticise, let him
first be sure that be can appreciate beauties
and detect resl faults, and then present a
fair and truthful statement to the public
"CRITrQuE's" CRITrc.