Delaware State journal and statesman. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1855-1870, 1867-02-26
icummuulealed-
IRVING LITEnART socAE
wrmsoToN, February s5th.

MIR. EDfToR.--
Believing that the columns
of your useful paper are devoted to Tue en-,
couragement Of every effort, having in view
the promotion of the best interests OF society
in general, and especially Juvenile efforts
we ask space for the following; Under INC
head Of s'Local Intelligence In the Da,y
Commercial of this city, issued on the 25u,
appeared an article, headed Irving Literary
Society,"" giving an account (it SUCH II may
be called) of an entertainment given ny thls
society on the evening of the 22d, III com com,
memoration OF Washington's birthday Saiu
article being furnished, we presume, ny
reporter for that sheet, who was admitted
perhaps, through the complimentary KIND
ness OF some member of the society.
''Being mostly boys, " he says, "of course
there was considerable OF, The boy-stood
on-the Burning Deck sort of eloquenee,
but there was much less of this, and also oil
that insane impulse TO fling their hands
wildly into the air, without the slightest
apparent cause, among the speakers last
night, than we have ever seen at any similar
entertainment'-for the grammar and gen
eral construction of this highly wrought
paragraph, we can afford to excuse nm,
since he Is undoubtedly better posted IN
\ s'dead languages than he is in Give ones,
/ But for charging said speakers with being
| somewhat insane, we cannot. And II we
are boys We are not MiiiiiiS ~ 10 etai'P.J,
"slurred," even by the "leGrned reporter oil
the Commercial"
We are boys, we know without his vaua-
BILE information, and We expected that a
man would overlook our imperiections as
some encouragement for us; but it seems we
have been mistaken, and are compelled 10
observe very closely that sort OF manllness,
which displays itself in bunglng attempt
to criticise the exercises of public lyceum
IL. Af
of Washington.
We did not know that we were TO have q
, perfect master of the art of elocution anl
oratory as q critic or we might have dont
better, but should have despaired of reach
r ing his desideratum-that eloquence which
should be "all that could he desired.
' We are sorry that he had TO use the word
!. Don0t0nous, so often that he could not spel
a il twice alike One thing makes us certain
/ that he was never school-boy. lie says
"'Necesslty of Education was well done
MS an ESSAY ii was excellent If he ha
q ever used boys books he certainly eoul
- not have missed seeing the above extract
8 some of the old readers.
II In reading his account, we arc led to ca
II claim, OH consistency thou art jewel, an
!, fortunate is thy possessor! In the trst plac
Is we are told, that being mostly boys, ana
e being probably their first attempt anytlin
y out of place, but at the same time the piece
D. ,'oG more than average merit" did not escal
the scathihg ordeal The others, as he III
N not say anything derogatory of them, v
. infer to have been beneath his dignity.
" 1t is only because such q conglomeratio
IS of censure and praise, into such smi
ls space, deserves some notice, that we ha'
ed required to II. It reminds us OF the b'
w ~ comparing the adiectivc-bad, gooder, goo
- estaNoNaa r,.A ngL
n We do not claim to be perfect, like q
mt "reporter of the Commercial y II we we
le- there would be no necessity of our assoc
n ton for the purpose of mental and NOR
= Improvement,
IN We welcome criticism when honestly a.
I'M fairly given, by those who are qualified
en- Judge, but we do not relish il when serv
or up with so many spices through the colum
Of public newspaper, whose claims up
I'VE public favor, are not any too well establish'
use Notwithstanding this critique the l, Il.
mo will, we have no doubt continue TO thrl'
re, and we hope that what we have WRIT
lar (merely to show that it has not by a
the means scared the "Young America" out
en- u.s. will not prevent this tyrO in critics
,tly from giving us some more of the eyiden
ing Of his repartee, in his brilliant eifus
the through the columns of the COmaerc
egl- whenever he has the pleasure oil attend
OF any literary entertainments. We feel co
n dent that he encourages merit, and shall
eres sorry, If in his attempt to establish his re
hil- tation as competent critic, and master
able elocution and oratory, lie has most wolf
displayed his Jack of those qualities
- i, constitute them.
IS IN A MEMBER OF THE l. l.,