Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1869-10-18
COMMUNICATED.
1--WE natures walks, shoot foi'y as Il Jliss,
And catch the manners living as they rise"

When the victorious lcgions Of Rome mad
n,anted the s. p. O. T. banners in the remote
corners of the world, and the yoke OF en- ltal-
ION civ va; patiently borne by conquered coun-
tries, success paved the way for corruption,
and national prosperity cxtinguislcd soe!'l
virtue. The sturdy Roman O! earlier days dis
appears in the luxurious Sybarile,a Dec'ns Is re-
piacod by Fufdius Cleopatra receives the
| homage of Lucretil, and instead OF Glncinnatus
we Gnd Z LuculIus. We need not not n Ia 1hai
annie opportunity was afforded the bard OF
Apulia to WELD the keen blade Of satire, or
that later exhibitions of imperial vice should
have excited Juvenal to fierce inyecIYe, ana
witherjng denunciation. Whether or not we
NAV emulate ancient Rome in extended cor
Quests or breadth of empire, it matters. not;
Int if demorazed state Of society indicates
noI;t;cal glory, We may with confidence venture
the comparison OF the crimes OF a deeper
dive" it is not my intention to speak. let some
future Horace find ia them theme tor start
ling criticism; lighter sins my SUBJECT the
foics rather than the vices OF the day.
One OF the conspicuous tolhes OF the times Is
IN insane itching for notoriey, and an ABSURD
qualification Of this spirit by cur journals. "A
Tournament is proposed the plan succeeds
Mr. Verbose Fustian is solicited &c charge the
knights: elated at an opportunity to show his
skill in using the weapon OF a ceeorated Jew
yclept Sampson he gracously accepts. string
ING together the usual phrases, LoVcy tdaiu
nn s expectant Sir Knight, on your STEADY,
aim" 'hearts excited by beauteous eyes,,
| like knghts of old, Tor love and beauty couch
your lance" &C., the speaker takes his seat,
wondering only at his audacity In facing an au-
dience with such tritc common places, the
property of oil who condesoend 10 use them.-
The next morning We read that at the recent
, brilliant assemblage Of beauty and wit the ia!
, ented Mr.. Verbose FuStan, young lawyer OF
Oulopas, fascinated the hearers with graceful
and elegant speech" Said Mr. Fustlan, ln-
toxicated with the compliment, and the ap-
rearance of his printed name rants vociterou'
| IL on al occasions, toraakcs Blackstone, 1 <,
: and IIttleton tor 1.-THE United STATE "sHn,'"Id
Speaker" and regards Llnsci, an cmOryo
Demosthenes. The tair seX whether Aoic'S or
roltas ostcntatousiy appear az the queen
ike Miss EsteIIe Splcnior," the "fascina ting
Miss Eulae Fay" the charming and accom-
plishcd Miss Ecanora Erudite, &c, and leave
3. the ball room to dream OF wedding Roths
child. Now We do not object to young gen
tlcmen speaking nonsense, provided It is not to
us: but that such speeches should gain Tor
" them a reputation for talent is much to be Dc
plored, and rcprehcnsbe is the practice that
t effects such result. To apply .lhc epthei'
fascinating, " gifted talented, where or
. dinary," weak, "sensoless. are equally ap-
propriatc, is to detract from their power II not
to render them mcaninGles3. Previous TO the
! late war. our young men, fred by ambitious
dreams. pictured to themselves future radiant
n with spendor. The highcst Offices were to be
| their gucrdon, and their fellow iacn were TO
Il be happy by the acceptance OF thcc homage
:. The unfortunate effect OF such trimming and ed,
: ucqtion was painfully visible. when sectional
hate eliminated in open h0stiIitics. The ma
= terial power OF the labori0us North made sad
4 havoc with The unsubslant2l rCDRtttiOR and
= uo,oriety OF the South. Many bitter lessons
! | our doioa. has taught IT, Recognizing inc
+ earnest necessity for ac.lyc self oxeTu!l, our
: vOuug men seized the plough handle, with the
=: same zeal that they g7asped The weapons OIL war;
!. and resolutcly benz their energies TO rebuild
= their shattered fortunes. 10 their glory DC 1t
said that many born 10 aluouce, with manly
t loritude aud patient Labor cara the bread OF
d toll, realizing the poet wish,
C "Angustcn a1.ice paapcr;ea. pat."
J, But when Mr. Agrico'a Rusticus sees his neigh
Il boris name romporsy paraded in the daily
paper, preceded b. iaUistory adjectives, and
hears the comments OF the iair sex, is it not
natural that n feeling Of disgust for his obscure
u vocation should arise? lie is conscious OF q
mind OF csiibre equal TO Nr. Fu,tian :. Why
d then strive and toll unknown and unappIccla-
ted, when he may send bis rarlo IL print to
a every part Of the State? Al to q young man
0 there is magic in printed name! lie wi! re
c ceivo the ovation offered to rising genius. W by
y then follow the plough? Soon ran; weeds, I'M
a titled soil, llnaciatcd cattle, empty baras, an
c unemployed yagrant attest tie folly and absur-
: dity OF hopes excited by the iniudicious praise
: Of mediocrty. If this be deemed fancy
/ sketch, unsupported by reality, the author oil
| Festus informs Us Of fiction that has higher
end than fact.
But this folly is attended with other lament
: able results. We have language rich, yigor.
. Gus, copious Ga the SOLID subs,ratum OF
Anglo Saxon, We have cngrat.ed the beauty
i and sottness of more flexible tongue. An idea
. may be embodied in terse and vigorous Saxon,
y or invested with the etti)rescent Garb OF more
@ county speech Composite it combines the
! peculiar charms OF various languages, without
/ copying their defects, and however difficult OF
. comprehension to foreigner, must By Us be
regarded as noble vehicle OF thought. In IT.,
Milton, in lofty strains sought to vlndlcate the
| ways OF God to men; in it Byron thundered
and Moore carrollcd; in it in poetic phrenz2
Shelley ravcd, Wordsworth waroled his soit
songs; and last OF all, in it Shakespeare gave to
| us the wonders OF his creative brain. Is Ian
h euage ha.owed by such names to be prostiuted
| to the sensecss purpose of putting empty
headed vanity? Is the English tonguc to be
C shorn of It's strength, emlsouIatel by this per
II version Of its powers by those whose prerogl-
f tive it is to be the custodiaDs OF its purity ?
To the press in measure this charge Is com
mit;ed la it, keeping it lies. Across the
water we are riliculed for excessive use OF SUI
> perlativcs. The Engsh laugh, yet lancet the
= injury to OuT common tongue. We shol!d h'i
u complain the criticism Is just.
| To our young men this is the age OF BRAIN
. and muscle n PROSTATE country calls her
sons to resolute purpose and patient work.
Lay aside this puerilc burning for notOriety, and
8 earn the difference between aoioyic'y and fnne
:, We read in mythology of a Midas touch which
transformed to god. The wand of Labor will
effect this onchan;mcnt, and with it alone can
We gather the golden sands o! Pacto us.
e After all the fanciu dreams
OF golden fountains and golden stream,
. The sweat of patient labor seems,
The true PactoNU. water