Maryland free press., 1866-05-03
-T-ett------
AMERICAN HUMORISTs,


TIE name of David Crockett is inscparaby con-
iiccrtd with choice fun: aud although he was
entirely guiltcss pt Il mass Vt ppnselise which
has been uttriLWtel to Inn, his writings are re-
plcte with strong, broad, unconpromising hll-
NOR, Of which he may be considered, i'll fact,
the parent. The everlasting popularity of his
anecdotes and stories, rchushcd inierpolatcd,
appropriated by others, but always preserving
the orig ina kernel Of absurdty, show how COM
plctely American they are, and how completely
the Amelieaa niHd is in aymlathy Win that
quality Of humor.
II wound not bc precisely exact, perhaps, TO
say that Crockctts mantle fell upon ''Jolin
Phoenix" " the de J,iUme of the late Captain
George II. Derby; out the latter comic eflusons
are no less American than those OF the redoubta-
ble hero of the Almo and contain much of the
same ludcrous breadth of imagination. Cap
tain Derby, however, depended far more ON the
employment Of ipgenioilsly chosen words aud
clahoratcly constructed phrases than his prcde-
ccssor; though in the matter of elegance OF
inclcgance, there i$not II great deal 10 choose
between them.
The .Letlcrs of Doesticks," by Mortimer
Thompson, first published in Western journal
sotuc wears ago, and extensively copied, is an
other characteristic series Of American eNaggcra-
lions. Mr.. Thomson seems 10 have looked at
the labors, the ambitions, the amuscmenls, and
the social relations Of his irllow-bcings through
IA pane of defective winduw-smSs, and tp have
reproduced them by vivacipps description. 1t
is greatly to be regretted that he fell into the
common error oihuning down n brilliant fist
success, aud published volume after volume OF
ha.ty aud ill-dgeslcd matter, which soon over
shadowed and swallowed up the pleasant repu-
tation he had easily and dcscrvcdly won.
The flnl Of writing too much Is Il most serious
one With lhe clever portion gf the Young jonrni
aliSts ai ta=dav, They write columns where
ihny w "A
that talent depends upon measurement. In all
branches of humorous writing this error is fatal.
IlumOr is always an overflow, and unless the
man is kept briIntul the whole time, by ample
reading. 10y. reflection, by vivacious society,
and by wide observation, he cap hayc na over
flow. The moment that he locks himself into
his room 10 write funny things frcm morning.
Till night he TO be funny at all and starts
downward upon the melancholy path ofdeca-
dcnce known only to those who outlive their
reputation,
The most thoregshly American humorst
Browne, whose soutriqmd, ''Artemus Ward,'
enjoys reputation on both sides Of the Attain
tic. lie has been fortunate cnouge tp use Ger.
tain awkward talent for public speaking to place
himself far beyo the necessity of writing for
his daily bread. Isis difficult 10 rad his occa-
sioml letters: published hither and 'hiher,
without wishing he had lcgun his career as n
~ ti.,,riI ,na.y,l;ar;,,, oc n,,hncro ,L,.
ne,, H.. T,, IA f,,;o'' En,n
. ;',.' ,f,; .o ~ oa ,s,, ,,1 !,
,s,s 'Ia h 81 s;t.i;, T, mnod aua
Thackeray certaAly left nothing further TO be
u"ns a.a III .''"' WY" ;'' ;,, H.. i';n ';.
-n:'' n:'''"s "w ,,', oo n,or,,;s.,. ,o us
% ""' "'a ,i., E f'r o,.ry I,, ,'n, d.,
s;'.;n,nI 10 'o , ~ ra w ;nnr,d M Tho cam" nrocess
,I'n' f'on, ,h;s Im;,h ,hc s;m,le Ira,'ory If
I; ,.r,;,,',s !" ;rr"s;s,nIl, Thn character If
u ,S IA m.,S-,s;o. hnnn,,, f.om whom thc le,
, ,. o'n "'a ''''so1 tn am,a,,ts IL d,ni,,hiv do
,i,o',a, .,I ,, ,,,.r loss ,;.bt of him n"r
c"nfas,s his identity with that Of MIR. browne.
" " 't''hi'N! " 49, IL III. -.