Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1860-05-21
MISCELLANEOUS READING.

HUMBoLT's PRIVATE CORRESPONDENCE
Frederick the Great, King OF Prussia, great
as a general and q statesman, undertook also
to be great in literature, and patronised
Eoltaire. The man of letters fattered the
King to his face, but lampooned him behind
his back. Taking home some OF Frederlcks
manuscripts to criticise and correct, ne re-
marked to friend that he was taking home
some of His Maesty's dirty linen to ,cash.-
The expression reaching the monarch's ears,
the daring wit received personal chastise-
ment, and was sent out of the kingdom-at
least, SO the story goes. Alexander Won
Humboldt lived nearly twenty years before
either of these men passed from the earth,
and he became philosopher, with no slight
tnge of the sentiments of Voltaire; while
William, the late acting King of Prussia.
also thought to be literary monarch by
drawing literary men around him. Won
Humboldt kept his civility while he lived.
but it seems left correspondence behind
him when he died, in which he amply reven-
ges himself by the freedom of his remarks,
especially upon kings and the mighty gener-
|'ally For ninety years he wore mask.
The most inexplicable thing thus far, ap-
parently, of Humboldt's whole career, has
but Just come to light He, the politest and
kindest hearted apparently of men, especial
ly to kings and princes, writes the most
spitetul things about them, and leaves direc-
tions to publish it all after his death. His
correspondence with his friend, Vernhagen
yon Ense, gives in the most unreseryed
manner, not only his own opinion in regard
to religion and to every one BE came in con-
tact with, but even beyond this, the opinions
of such personages as the King of Prussis
and others, in regard to his Ministers.
and Courtiers, and Princes, and in regard
to foreign monarchs and men of all grades.
These letters, with all sorts of explanatory
notes, are thrown at once upon the world In
the life time of the men who are most ridicul-
ed and even slandered. Those supposed to
be Iumbodt's warmest personal friends, the
King at whose table he almost daily sat,
are treated in this correspondence with
degree not only of contempt but of erposure.
such as he never ventured upon during his
life. 1t seems difficult to believe that he
would have done SO unworthy m act, as yo-
UNFAIRLY to cause to be published the most
shameful details oftheir private lives after
his death, from cowardice.
Itis true, that after all parties and their
friends are dead and forgotten, the truth OF
history is often best served by full publica-
ton of the private lives and characters ofthe
most important public men. Had Hum
boldt ordered seal to be put on this cores
pondcnce for fifty or a hundred years and
then published, the case would have been
far different. But nothing could justify him
in letting the world know that his friend, the
King of Prussia, always spoke of his Privy
Counsellor, Won Raumer, as 'Jdckass,"
while 10th of the parties were yet living
Nor was it right upon any principle ofpub-
lie or private morals. to give vent to his own
opinions of men and characters, in the way
that has here been done.
He had of course a perfect right to find
fault with and denounce the public acts and
character of Louis Napoleon, as he has here
done. But it would be difficult to acquit
him of acting meanly if he concealed his
opinion during life to express it after his
own death. Of Chevalier Bunsen he speaks
with the utmost contempt, as sort OF hypo-
| critic, really because he did not understand
the man or his principles; and, in fact. his
| judgements are so much the reverse of those
of other men, and SO bitter against all those
most honored, and in regard to the very
pOluls ou "ulCu euSy oi0 cosSS1AAS0, s"S
only to be accounted for on the supposition
that he (as he hints) loved to be ''severe
against the mighty" Yet this severity was
apparently behind their backs, and certainly
is only vented after his decease. None were
so courteous to princes, and none more cour-
ted by them of the whole race Of ph'loos,o-
pliers, than this same Baron Won Humboldt.
That he always was sincere friend to liber-
ty and to liberal opinions in politics, none
that knew him will doubt and so, too. was he
always great in all questions of natural sci
| ence. But in other matters, his brother Will
liam will ever hold far higher and more
permanent rank. He would never have run
any risk of such letters being published, so
as to torment living friends. Nor can there
be any doubt but that Alexander Won hum
boldt must have materially changed since he
published the life and remains of his brother,
or he must have forgotten much that these
letters contained, or else he was at ninety
and upwards in his dotage.