New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1868-01-28
4 NEW sToP FOR 7RE ORGAN

4 NEW STOP FOR The ORGAN
If we-have Il penchant in the world, it is for
fine writing in the newspapers and Of all
newspaper writing which we read, we know noIfe
which so nearly approaches sublimity as that
of The National IntelHgencer. It's essays are
both noble and pretty, combining the strength
of the eagle with the brilliancy of the flamingO,
and defending the prosest political truths with
the intense vehemence of melO-drama.
But, even when we are most impressed,
we venture to critcise. 1t is well known that
the Poems of Ossan lose something by the pro-
sale form into which they are translated.
Heroic verse is the most natural vehicle of alti-
tudinOus emotion and if The Intehtgencer
could manage to transmOgrify its editorials into
thunderous decasyllabics, we fancy that 1T
would better attain its object, which, we sup
pose is to produce an awful impression upon
the country We have no doubt iirst-rate
man for the work might be engaged at
some one Of the minor theaters; and how easy his
labor would be we propose to show by metric
ally arranging portions of the last editorial IN
The Intelligencer which has fallen under our
notice We take, for instance, the late cele-
NORTH, ARE You FREEq ARISE AND SPEAKr
Pray, wouldn't its beginning have been better
as follows:
"Ye Northern Freemen know We that the clutch
Ofusurpaon is al the very throat
OF all your Judges That your traitorous serfs
(In spite Of all the President do
seektodemolish with perfdous hands
p ec Of he NoTh ' your chan are forged
The bayoncts sharpcncd and the muskets charged,
While al your property III danger 100
Youll he arrested IN the Westinghouse;
You'll be arrested on the broad highway;
You'll be arrested In your own fair fields:
You'll be arrestedwhile you're ut your work;
Youll he arrested may be in the morning;
YOu1l be arrested possibly at night;
snaEy and sEk6g the detective let, t, 9rki .. ,o
The drum that drops into your startled ear
The palsy that will thicKon your free tongue!
This is good. "MObled queen is good" as
the sage Polonius hath it. But this is nothing
to The InteHigencer'S far from complimentary
description of Members of Congress:
know few wretGhst very drunk on R RfCCs
And mad with lust may riot IN your halls
Degrade the South destroy your liberties,
Subyert your Constitution, and your name
Among the nations ever move dishonOrI'
We have paraphrased The Inteltigencer's
prose very closely, and we ask the critical judg-
ment of mankind to decide upon the success of
our experiment. In order that we may be per-
fectly fair, we give first the conclusion of The
Mfelliqencey'S fragrant article, and then our own
metrical improvement:
"Ause, frecmen IN your fiery majesty Consume with
the lightning of your powerful rebuke this deyilish com
oreduy which lays supine In the mdst OF peril and
let the down you have shaken the earth
with your mighty tread. Gather In every hamlet IN the
land from PASSPORT to Astoria and send up 20 heaven
the shout Of yonr Indignation fe windingsheet of your
freedom and its coffin made. shall it die and
DO bured"
Now we do most respectfully submit that our
version is much the stronger and more stimu
lating:
Frccmen in fiery majesty arise!
And with the lightning of Your strong rebuko
Consume this combination diaDOicdl
OF pcrfdy and greedl
Your fatal incredulity shake of,
Nor In such danger on your back remain.
Before the sunset shake with mighty tread
The earth from PASSPORT to Astoria
And to Heaven your Indignation shout
For II you don't, you're done for
Your freedoms winding sheet is wovenn
It's coffin likewise made! Say. shall 10 diet
And II 1t die, o say shall IL he buriedf T.
We beg The IntelHgencer to consider this
suggestion. In the tragic and bloody times APP
preaching, it is eminently proper that the Gov
eminent organ should keep tragedian and
should be written in a style of becoming eleva-
ton. Heretofore, we admit that it has managed
to get along safely in prose; but when the
dreadful commissions come which it has SO long
predicted, and " the palsy thickcns its yet free
tongue" we are satisfied that it will be obliged
to choose between the loftest recitative and an
asphyxy possibly mortal.
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