Knoxville weekly chronicle. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1870-1875, 1872-02-21
WHO WAS " yUNIUs : "

peared in q London newspaper n series OF
articles, which have since been known to
the literary world as "Junius' Letters"
The writer was anonymous, and to this
day, mystery has hung over their author
ship. At that time writers were not num-
erous, especially upon political subjects.
These letters being in the main devoted to
a discussion of the rights of man as II
whole, in contradistinction TO the preroga-
tive of the few, they naturally attracted
much notice.
At that time, few prominent charac-
tiers in the American colonies began to
conceive the idea of separate nationality.
The three millions or more people that
had, by the natural law of increase and
additions from various European coun-
tries, become practically distinct nation,
began to assume an Importance, not only
in the estimation of the mother govern
ment, but of themselves.
While many began to conceive the idea
of a government independent of England,
they also determined on form or system,
not monarchy under which they had been
reared, but one in which the rights of all
should be acknowledged and appreciated
The above thoughts were suggested on
perusing an article in the Chicago journal
of the 10th inst, under the caption Of
"Junius" discovered.
1t seems that an anonymous volume has
lately been printed in Washington, under
the title "Junius Unmasked, or Thomas
Paine, the Author of the letters of Junius'
The writer endeavors to prove this asser-
ton by contrasting passages from Paine's
Common Sense aud 1.-THE Crisis"
The position taken appears to be that not
only was Paine thewriter of the letters"
but that Benjamin Franklin sug-
gested to Paine the idea therein embodied.
1t appears that the chief reason for the
public interest in the " Letters of Junius,"
| is expressed in the following terms by Pro-
fessor Craik, in his " History of English
| Literature ":
What, in the first Instance at least, more
| than his rhetoric, made the unknown Junius
| the object of universal interest and of very
| general terror was undoubtedly the quantity of
secret intelligence he showed himself to be pos
sessod of, combined with the unscrupulous
boldness with which he was evidently prepared
to use it. AS has been observed, ministers
| found in these letters proofs of some enemy,
some spy being amongst them 1t was imme-
! diatey perceived in the highest circles OF po-
| lltlcal society tnat tne WrlteT WAS
one of the members Of the Government, or
person who, by some means or other had found
| access to the secrets of the Government AND
this suspicion, generally difiusod, would add
tenfold interest to the mystery of the authorship
| of the letters, even where the feeling which It
had excited was one of mere curiosity, as 1t
| would be, of course with the mass OF the pub
lic."
The great boldness here manifested Paine
was deemed capable of The information
Franklin could command, for, during
period of time extending from 1894 to 1775,
he was colonial agent near the court of st.
James. He had filled this position, too,
from 1867 to 1862.
There were some very singular facts.
connected with the early history of our
National Government. At the presen
day, no one can duly appreciate the pro-
cess, so to speak, of events which finally
eliminated in our Republican form Of
government. Precedent, there was none;
and we can only suppose that the whole
idea was a result of thought on the part of
few men who believed that the right to-
govern was vested in the subjects them
selves, or in other words, the people.
When we consider the present magnitude
of our national domain, and the wonder
full problem in process of solution, viz: that
of self-government, we can only admire
the craftsmanship of our "Fathers."
l With all the fancied ability of more
modern politicians at different stages of
our history, but little advancement has
been made, or improvement for the better
has been suggested upon the original franz
ing of our national organic law.
The principle is elementary in its nature,
and consequently no new feature can be
added. Like light, gravitation, and the
principle of afiinities, nothing can be add
ed to or detracted. AS, when we find
disturbances in nature, the exciting causes
are ascertained TO be some extraneous in
reference, so in our governmental system,
subjects for criticism arise from faults on
the part of the administration, rather than
the organization itself.
If, then, the hypothesis is tenable, that
DIR. Franklin dictated the sentiment and
facts embodied in those remarkable letters,
we are still more indebted to him for what
we are as a nation. Three millions have
become forty in less than century. On
these shores, broad valleys, and high
mountains, is now found people not only
4 and an hut no.