Baton Rouge tri-weekly gazette & comet. [volume] (Baton Rouge, La.) 1865-18??, 1866-01-18
SENSATIONAL BOMBAsT.

age anu nAppy Is tue uiah VI "olii"h
who, defying its besetting influences,
can maintain that normal equanimity
and serenity of mind which enables
its possessor to pursue the even tenor
Of life's way.
Poets, orators, writers, politi-
cians-all seem more or less inocu-
lated with passion for sensation.
No matter how transcendentally abb
surd, or positively repulsive to
morals, good taste or sense of pro-
priety the idea or dogma to be
enunciated may be, so it bears the
impress of something awfully stun
ming or outre to tickle the fancies of
the "groundlings" and elicit the
plaudits of the "claquers," the author
is fattered and he braces himself
anew for another effort which shall
Guido the last. Thus, one sensa-
tional humbug affords a cue to
others, until society is deluged with
mass of nauseous or poisonous rub
bish which insidiously saps from it
those great refining principles Of
moral and religious philosophy and
wisdom which alone can afford gen
uine contentment and enjoyment.
1t is a sad evidence Of the prosti-
tuition of genius and talent as well as
degeneracy of popular taste, particu-
larly in the large northern cities, to
behold in so many of their leading
men who cater to the religious, moral
and political feelings of the people,
that constant straining after effect
that unseemly sacrifice Of dignity and
perversion Of just principles-all
for the sake of some vain, sordid,
selfish purpose, too patent and trans
parent to be hid from common OBJ
servation; and yet, those men are
upheld and glorified by their several
lotteries in the light of sages, divines
and philosophers The thought is
humiliating. Is it to be wondered
at that those noisier and more nota-
bic panderers to unworthy passions
and prejudices find SO many servile
imitators among the multitudes of
sciolists who frequent their meeting
places and circles and worship at
their shrines J? Is it to be wondered
at that the specious coinage Of Henry
Ward Beecher's brain should capt.
vate the lesser lights which essay to
shine in his wake and purchase from
them such fulsome fustian as that re-
corded below :?
Some of Henry Ward Beecher's
Pensioners are susceptible, and carry
their admiration of the Rev. Beecher
to an excess. Of this number would
seem to be Miss Augusta Moore, an
enthusiastic young woman who has
occasionally appeared in print, and
who has now succeeded 10 getting the
Harpers to publish book Of hers call
ed Notes from Plymouth Pulpit. In
this book Miss Moore, abiding to the
idol of her heart, (where is Mrs.
Beecher ? talks of his "glowing eyes,"
/" soul,lit face,' and "royal brow"
She declares that "his body is as elias
tic as a rubber ball,' (where did she
find out that and has diverse as
poets like the Mountains voice like |
ga trumpet" ''fairy harp-strings," or
ga chime of BELLS" and expression
like the angels, faces we have seen in
Dreams" his forehead "like a sun
touched mountain and "his aspect
altogether noble, beautiful, serene"
This skim-milk young authoress
is evidently aiming at creating a
sensation, and to make it all the
more intensifying she has chosen as
her model hero one whose principal
stock in trade are humbug and
sensation manipulated by brilliant
though perverted intellect.
Bah! such stuff is too sickening
for further thought, Mr.. Beecher,
himself, if he has any self-respect,
must pray to be delivered from all
such friends and admirers as this