The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1868-02-15

mark Twain on Congressional Poetry.
From the Chicago Republicans WASH
ington letter we quote Mark Twain's
criticism on the poetic adventure OF an
Ohio NJ. c.:
Congress is the most interesting body
have found yet. 1t does more crazy
things, and does them with a graver
earnestness, than any State Legislature
that exists, perhaps. But 1 did hope
that it would not "drop into poetry"
did hope 1t would contine its dizziness
to prose. But it WAS not to be. Hon.
Mungen, of Ohio, has set a disastrous
example. He has allowed the sentl-
ment that is in him to settle, and l
herewith offer you the sediment. 1t is
all properly cakCd and versified. Let
me give also the three or four lines
which preCede 1t in the National Intel
tigencer, (and which have rather shaken
my respect for that staid old journal, }
that regularly comes out in the most
sensational and aggressive manner,
every morning, with news II should
have printed the day before.
The I'lteLLi0cnccr remarks as follows:
The following lines are from the
pen of Hon. William Mungen, member
of Congress from Ohio, whose exquisite
taste for poetry and art has not been
blunted by his political duIies.l
TO AN ABSENT ONE.
Time files; and still Its rapid wings
Strikes on my thoughts with constant
| blows,
Touches my hearts most secret springs.
And loves fond stream toward thee hows.
Flows like Niagara's rushing tide
True rs the needle TO the pole;
| Clear as the deep blue sea, and wide
| AS were the thoughts OF Miltonssoul.
Absence from thee, my own dear wife.
Makes me but know how good thou art;
Partner OF sorrows, joys and life
Part OF myself-Ihe puTer part.
When shall that happy time arrive?
When shall those days most wished for
| To bless each other In our home.
Now isn't that bosh? Do you OBJ
serve that happy Congressional gram
matical inspiration whereby Time flies,
and still its rapid wings strikes on this
party's thoughts with constant blows,
touches the said party's hearts most
secret springs, and loves fond stream
that criminal grammar And don't
you think that If you had loves
fond stream" flowing out of you like
NiAYara's rushing tide that you would
feel little alarmed about it, and quit
Matching poetry, and proceed to let Il
contract for a breakwater, or a Golfer.
dam, or something of that sort? ]
feel some solicitude about a freshet like
that. And further, concerning the
second stanZa, Mupgen has no business
to come here and try to disseminate the
imposture that the deep blue sen IL
clear, because people who know things
and are consequently wise, know tina
the deep blue sea isn't any clearer thar
Muneenicai poetry. That is putting i
rather strong, possibly, but fraud mus
be trowned down, when 1t comes umonI
us in the seductive garb of poetry, ever
though strong figures be required to d.
1t. The needle isn't true 10 the poll
either. That is another attempted
swindle on the public. Mariners mr.,
aware that the cases wherein the needle
actually points to the pole are SO rare n
to be well worthy of remark, Thu
width of Milton's thoughts has never
been subjected to government survey
and officially established, and so tina
metaphor must not be imposed upon ,
contiding public. If the figure haC
been transposed, SO as to make thu
width" refer to the sea, and the clear.
ness TO Millions thoughts, nobody would
have objected. The copartnership no
tice in the third act is business-let /
pass-l wish only to speak ofthe poetry
If 1t suits the Congressional mind Il
mlngle poetry and business together, i
is competent for the Congressional
mind so to proceed. The solicitude al
TO when that happy time shall arrive,
might have been spared to the Congress
sional mind by reference to the record!
which determine when the Forfeit
Congress shall cease from its labors-
say the 4th OF March, 1859. Wherefore
BE IL ReSotUed, That all after the thirC
stanza. common meter, be and the sa mt
Is hereby stricken out, and these word
inserted in lieu thereof, such substitute
being considered to be in consonancr
and in keeping with the three preceding
stanZas aforesaid, and as affording im
portant information of which the ex
clUded stanZa is deficient:
This is the house that Jack built,
Congress sdjOurns the fourth OF March:
Then never more shall we parties part,
Pop goes the weaZel.'
This Is not poetical, but it has at leas
the merit of being instructive.
The Congressional mind had bette
quit soaring into poetry and go to sail
ing into political economy, perhaps.