, 1872-06-27
4nget Sound 9ispateh.
KIT CARSON.

The following admirably written and
eminently Just criticism was contributed
to an Eastern paper by Gen. E. Fitzger-
aid Beale, late Surveyor General of Cal
ifornia
"KIT CARsoN's RIDE. Under this
title comes to us in Ha,per's Weelly, a
very long poem by Mr.. Joaquin Miller,
which We are told was first published in
England. As we'll as we can. make it
out, it seems to be an ugly cross of
Browning on Swinburne, but without
the merits of either.
1t is rarely that the license allowed to
poets has been more thoroughly abused
than in the lines which are contained in
the article that heads this notice. As a
rule in poetry, when fact is departed
from, it has always been to exaggerate
the virtues of departed hero, but never
to misrepresent him by rendering his
picture ridiculous much less indecent
and as we recall the modest, earnest. re-
fined simplicity of CARSON, and COM
pare it with the frenzied and licentions
ruffian presented in the poem and pict.
ure referred to, we cannot but regret
that the scalp of joaquin had not been
counted among the coups - of that re-
doubted knight of the prairies and
mountains How far the descendants
of that upright and noble man might
be justified in sueing the author for de-
famation of character in city court.
we do not know, but are sure that before
a jury Of "mountain men," away off in
the Rockies where Kits fame is yet
cherished by many hardy pioneer. We
might safely count on exemplary dam
ages" What an abuse of all common
sense is such stuff-as though drunk
en- man had read "How the news was
carried to GEent," and then slept off
the fumes of debauch dreaming of
"Chastelard." And this is a represen-
tative poet That virtuous gentl wom-
an, Dame Quickly, says of the famous
Pistol =
"He captain Hang him rogue He lives
upon mouldy stewed prunes and dried cakes.-
A captain ! These Williams will make the word
- captain = as odious the word '' occupy
which was an excellent good word before it was
Ill sorted. Therefore (taDtaIps hal Dea lpnE IN
it,"
CARSON was man cleanly of mind,
body and speech. and by no manner of
means Il Border ruffian He had no
gift of swearing. The only oath I ever
heard him use, was that OF William the
Conqueror, which had once read lin
out of a stray volume of g Tristram
Shandy." On this occasion, he drew a
long slnSle-barrelled pistol, told Consta-
ble's make, which Fremont had given
me. snd to Kit, for We had no '.gold
mounted Colts true companions for
years, i'll those simple-minded days,
and with slow, deadly speech, which
carried the sense of imminent mischief
i'll it, said to one who was in the act of
IA cowardly wrong upon a sick man
Sergeant, drop that knife, OF '.by
the splendor of God" IL blow your
heart out"
He had not the advantages of educa-
ton, but was wise rs the beaver, and of
great dignity and simplicity of charac-
ter, and not gwen to the least vulgarity
of thought or expression, nor would he
tolerate it in those about him.
1t is not enough that this " metre bal
lad-clonger - has talked of man OF
whom he evidently could have known
nothing, but he has made this King Of
the mountains as absurd as the ring
master of circus, with his catenas
red and spangled with gold." and his
''red silk serapes " and "gold mounted
pistol ;" and he has caricatured in the
person of his hero, wonderfully re-
markable class of men, who have passed
away before the advance of civilization,
and left only dim shadow OF their re-
nown behind them. 1t is not enough
that he puts into the mouth of a calm,
dignifed, sweet nature, such words of
bosh as would make love-sick idiotic
ape quite ashamed of himself, but he
ISLANDERS character as chivaIrous as
that Of a knight of romance, by making
him escape on his lady loves horse from
a danger in which she is left to perish
We lameut the good old days, as we
remember with grim satisfaction what
prompt and efficient action the noble
old Roman mob took on an occasion,
and we feel sad as we think if this poe M
had been written a couple of centuries
ago, it nigh: have been criticised with
severity we should deplore as philan-
thropist. but would contemplate with
clamer resignation from literary stand
point.
Third Citizen-Your name, Sir truly?
Cinna.-Truly, my name is CHINA.
First Chizen-Tear him to pieces, he's con-
spirator.
Cina.-I am CHINA, the poet am CHINA,
the poet.
Fourth Citizen-Tear him for his bad verses,
tear him for his bad verses.
Dear old Kit Not such as this poet
painted you, do recall the man 1 loved
Looking back through the misty years,