The weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1869-18??, 1869-11-17
Genius Stoopeth to Trifles.

Our neighbor-in-law, the editor of the
Sentinel, has returned from campaigning
through the State and is again illumining the
Sentinel with the scintillations of his genius
We know this to be so. Yet we have not
seen him, neither have we been told of his
presence How then, do we know it Be
cause of sympathetic intelligence which
makes one great intellect aware of the pres
cnce of another2 Not much. Indeed, we
may say scarcely. We do say, scarcely.
How them Why, because in the editorial
columns of yesterday mornings Sentinel
there were two and quarter edito-
rails. The quarter one is so short as to
render the task of determining its author
ship very difficult. But in the other two
there the peculiar genius of our venerable
neighbor-in-aw shines pre- eminent. The
first one relates to u 'possum supper Now,
no one but our neighbor-in-law ever would
have thought of writing an editorial about
a 'possum supper To all but our neighbor-
in-law such subject would have seemed
unworthy the dignity of leading Journal
and would have been deemed too vulgar.
But to the transcendant genius of our neigh
bor-in-law nothing is too low or too vulgar
to serve him as an editorial, but of the veri-
est trash his brilliant mind picks forth po-
litical lessons, and his acknowledged legal
accumen enables him to overwhelm learn
ing with 'possum supper. We have al
ways admired the genius and talents of
our neighbor-in-law. That we have ven
Grated him we cannot affirm, but
if we rightly understand ourself, and
there is strong possibility that we do,
our feelings regarding Kim have not been
exactly those of veneration. On the con
trary they have been mostly otherwise. We
have regarded him with admiring awe,
much as the unsophisticated views the
gyrations and brilliant nonsense of the
circus clown. Hence, deeming all things
possible to him, We were not astonished
when we saw him demolish the University
with the history of the tragedy of the pos
som supper. But we knew that our neigh
bor.in-law was the man who did it. None
other could make so many charming
grammatical blunders, and put up so many
pleasing photographed errors in the same
space as was done in yesterdays Sentinel.
And then that other charming editorial
about the negro stealing the hog. What
useful political lesson does it convey Of
what value to the people of the State
must it prove! And above all how much
better is the world now that it is written
We know that all these things must be,
although such is our unhappy weakness
we cannot see how such an editorial will do
them. Yet we know it must do them, else
why would our talented neighbor in-law
write it9 In reading his last editorial one
can but wonder at his power of description
The reader at once imagines himself the
venerable 1--WE 6eliere lie is venerable)
Primus and entering the cabin can see the
:" steam ascending for the box Such is
the powerful effect of narratory" talent of
our n. i. |. that one could almost believe
that it was our nil. himself in the box
because of the graphic narration. Yes, we
know he is back. To-day will tell the story
for certain. If he is here everybody whom
the Sentinel dislikes will get blackguar,led
and abused, or at least as many as his space
will allow. Let US see.