New Orleans daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1851-1866, 1866-10-22
Anniversary Notes.

The letters of Junus are certainly among the
most remarkable productions in English literature.
Their pungent caustcity has only too often been
equalled; their wonderful effect never! Their
elegance of construction has been frequently
rivalled, if not surpassed; their correctness OF
information seldom indeed, if eyer The success
with which the secret of their authorship has
been yelled may, perhaps, have been aimed at,
but almost certainly it has been attained in no
other case,
We are led to the subject by the reminder that
to-day is the anniversary of the death of Sir Philip
Francis who is at present most generally believed
to have been if not Junius himself at least the
on whom the responsibility for the authorship of
the letters may safely be said to rest. Francis is
universally admitted to have possessed education
and parts fully equal to all that is to be found in
the letters of Junius dependent on these quaica.
tions attributes. The sources of information at
his command were such as would supply all the
knowledge he displays of court life and courters,
of the prvaces alike of noble seclusion and of the
exclusiyism of the commons. His bitterness
against Lord Hastings is only too sadly expounded
by a reference to the fact of his having had
serious difference with the prosecuted governor
general while in some subordinate position with
him. His handwriting is identified with that of
the manuscripts of the letters. 1t is well estab-
lished that he never denied the authorship of the
letters. When he died he left copy of Mr.. Tay-
lor's work identifying him as Junus, carefully
packed, sealed, and addressed to his wife.
As Macaulay says, if this is not sufficient to
prove Sir Philip Francis as the author of the let.
tiers of Junus, the worth of circumstantal evil
dence must be forever nullity. There is not a
link wanting.
Sir Philip may, indeed, have had confdant in
the connection of the letters. That would not re-
lieve him from the responsibility, or deprive him
of aught of the credit for them. 1t is even pro
bable that he had confdant, besides his faithful
printer Woodfali. Still he alone, if any one man
was, was Junius.
| The original publisher of the letters was scarcely
a less remarkable man than Junius himself, and
his family are worthy of note with him. One
hundred years ago this year, Henry Woodfall was
master of the stationer's company, a member of
| the common council, and printer in the famous
Paternoster Row, London. He died in
1863. His eldest son, Henry Samson
| Woodfall, became the proprietor and printer
| of the Public Advertiser, after serving an
apprentic 2ship to his father Samson's name APP
pearing as in charge of the paper on the 18th of
| November 17G0 a younger brother, William
| WOOdfall, was also q printer and celebrated par
| lamentary reporter, associated also in the print
| ing and editing Of the Public Advertiser who,
| becoming attached to the stage made very good
| figure, married very amiable woman, and then
returned to edit the London Packet, from which
he afterwards passed to the Morning Chronicle.
| In 1883 he left the Chronicle to edit the Diary.
| His daughter Sophia Woodfall afterwards Mrs.
| McGibbon, was distinguished on the stage and in
| literature; known as the author Of " Frederick
Montrayers or the Adopted Som" '.Rosa or the
Child Of the Abbey" and as a performer at Co.
vent Garden, and the principal heroine at the
theaters royal, Liverpool and Manchester. She
was highly respected also in private life. George
Woodfall and George Henry Woodfall are also
celebrated as members of the same family. the
same professions, the same tastes, and the same
spirit.
1t is with Henry Samson Woodfall that we
have, however, to do to-day. He it was,
who, on the 18th of June, ITO, was tried
before Lord Mansfield and special jury for pub
fishing the letters of Junius, and who assumed the
whole responsibility for them. On his trial it was
that the famous dictum of that Judge was given
about the liberty of the press: THE liberty Of
the press consists in more than this liberty to
print now without license what could formerly be
printed only with one" This, however, was moi
the only case in which our Woodfall sustained the
claims for the liberty Of the press. On the oath Of
November, l779 he was sentenced to pay fine OF
six shllngs and eight pence, and to be confined il
Newgate twelve months for publishing hand
bill expressive of joy at the acquittal of Admra
Keppel, on charges of having allowed the French
feet off Ushant, in l778, to escape from him during
the night.
Henry Samson Woodfall was born on the 2ls
of June, 1879, o. S. Before he had attained hi;
fifth year, Pope was so pleased with his fuen
reading of page of Homer in Greek, that the
poet presented him with crown. 1t is well noted
that in his conduct of the Public Advertiser he
was strictly impartial, as is proved by the fac
that he as readily admitted to its columns letter:
in reply to those of Junus, as he did those of tha
famous writer himself. He was, in short, high
minded and honorable. He declined the seat il
the common council left vacant by the death, o
his father; and lived from beginning to end life
not indeed without its trials and vicisstudes, bu
still suchas left him abundant sources of happiness
: Throughout it he was highly honored and re
spected
He is, of course, supposed to have been in full
possession of the name of the real author of tn
lCbtelS vi JULIUS II Is W HIS ElSu lulOT Lud[, De
lieving it sacred trust, he never betrayed it, l
it has been discovered in that of Sir Phii
Francis, he has 5but slightly, and perhaps unwit
tngly, contributed to the chain of evidence to tina
effect, by leaving addressed to his wife, that cele
f brated copy of "Junius Identified"
: ---S-s-as--
g The RUSSIAN TEA TRApE.-A correspondent @
e the New York Times writes from Russia
! The overland tea trade which centers in Mini
!, still very great. At side of the sepaSte cit
N which is formed by the fair scattered over grea
!, space which looks more like suburban cattl
!, yard empted of its beasts than anything else 20
! may see great rows of packages in raw cowhide
y with the hair inside, sheltered from the weathe
"a and sky only by few layers of mating. In tn
10 mud of dust between these rows, stumbling owe
blocks and boards and waste material, the mel
=, chants of the East and West meet each other an
,e transact business in tea, amounting to severe
% million dollars worth in month If you want
- see sample of any package, the merchant run
"a an iron anger through the skin, of which the ha
10 inside Immediately closes the aperture agail
&c fetching out a specimen from every side to col
., vince you that there is no chaff there. Brick tie
y, is dreadfully coarse stuff, pressed into brio
~ form, which is bought by the Kirghis and Ka
il mucks of the Steppes; yellow tea is yellowsh
- the leaf, and yellow as drank, with characteri