New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1861-05-31

Miss LeatherwOod, however, docs not permit
the divine allatus to surprise her into any in
cautious language. Having occasion to use the
word "freeman'-which in so revolutionary
copy of verses could hardly be avoided-our she
Alcaus justly explains: 1--WE do not mean the
"colored. When we cay the freoborn man, But
" those whom God created, To rule this South.
"ern land" Very well put A proper distuc.
ton Many Southern poets in breeches, when
they talk of "freemen," forget to mike the nice
but necessary distinction between 90 niggers" and
Natures noblemen." But you cannot catch
our Leatherwood Elizabeth Jane g q saga.
cous creature! And quite q statcswoman, to be
sure! She explicitly declares ut is our fixed
intention, To keep free-soilers home, Nor let
4" their vain pretention, Deprive us of freedoms
- boone" Then comes the duty of the Southern
"spout them"-and invest the proceeds in the
purchase Of uniforms, guns, swords, corn-cakes,
plug tobacco. knd whisky for "our noble broth
"er." On goes the lyric! Crescit eundo-
Lcatherweod does. The tripod near the conclu.
sion Of this Sybilline song becomes very hot in.
deed: "Ho' all ye dear young ladies. OF Middle
Tennessee, Encourage your dear brothers. To fight
" for Liberty" "Ho must not here be mistaken
for Hocl"-though cousiderns the impending
scarcity Of corn Ne think that would have been
the better word. Thus ends the war-song Of
Miss Elizabeth Jane Leatherwood The notes of
her Tyre ceased in Pnsy Grove and Mr.. Rip.
DAVIS followed her in q prose speech which must
- Of
went upon duty with . mlsket upon its shoulder
and q slice Of cold bacon in its pocket; Mss
Lcatherwood passed like Q setting star to her
bower and virgin four-poster, or with tho other
4" dear young ladies of Middle Tennessee" pro-
ceeded " "ho."
We would respectfully suggest to III. L. JEFF
fcrson Davis that after be has finished Z" effect
A" usting q loan." he should proceed TO curb, re-
suain mitigate. and even silence the Bsrds Of
the Conioderacy. We do not mean our dear
Leatherwood, who is tho best OF tho class, but
the others. whose poetry is principally cross
between Lucy Long and Doctor Watts. Good
" WHISKY" said . Western Judge 10 charging q
Jury, "is favorable. as tho Court knows from
personal experience to health and longevity;
plaintiff cannot recover" Good poetry. say
We, is favorable to revolutions and even rebel.
lions; but these Southern songs, at least such of
them as have greeted our admiring eye, can only
make tho Confederacy ludicrous. Where's
Simms' Why slunbers his lofty lyrei Where's
Paul Hayne who used to come all tho way to
wicked Boston for o publisher Where's-but
b;nk Of l. IL.
Lord Macaulay went to the ballad treasures Of
England with great success for the illustration
of manners and Of popular feeling What q
figure tho Confederacy will cut when future bis.
torians unearth tho LcatherwOod ballads Meo
will say: These verses are vsinglorous, vulgar
illterate. coarse, revengefu, worthy Of second.
class, unworthy Of frst-class savages. This will
not be tho verdict of any man, but of Criticism
itself, from the judgment of which there can DO
no appeal And for criticism there will be ample
material. We have in our possession toerable
range Of collection Of these Southern "poems,"
carefully culled and unmistakably identified; and
when it passes from our hands it shall 20 where
it will 10 preserved, and where. one hundred
years hence it will bo read by antiquarians, his.
torians, and philosophers. The little Leatherwood
goes into the sheaf to-day. Others will follow.
Whether we conquer or are conquered We mean
that posterty shall know, at least, who wrote
tho best poetry. The Bancroft Of the twentieth
century shall smile upon Leatherwood through
bis spectsces, and the Clarendon of this rebellion
shall grin at the slaveholding bards. Nothing
but the capture % ct armi' of our escritoire can
prevent this. Wherefore, Jefferson, we advise
you to officially snub your strident strummers