Daily national Republican. (Washington City [D.C.]) 1870-1872, 1872-09-24

THH STRudd LIS or PETROLEUM V, NAsBY.
with illustrations by Thomas Mast. Published
by l. n, Richardson h Co, BOtton.

THR sTRuad LIS or PETROLEUM v, Massey.
win Illustrations by Thomas Mast. Published
by I. N. Richardson h Co, Boston.
Man Is the only animal who can laugh.
Naturallsts have discovered In the brute spe-
cies the human emotions. Of love, prudence,
sympathy, cunning and deyotlon-oyen 10
the verge OF sacrifice. But the neigh Of the
horse, the purT Of the cat, the wagging tail
Of the dog Is the highest mute exhibitions Of
animal qualification. They have no conccp-
ton Of the humorous. In the laugh-that
glorious elixir that arouses and teammates
the whole syslem-mau stands insulated.
Among Grcclau sayants two men are always
given In eoutrast-Hcraclitus the WeCpcr,
and DemocrItus, the Laughter Which law
was the wholcsomer Ia best assured by the
early. deceaso Of the former aud the rare
longevity of the latter A humOrist Is Ger
tainly a rdrd dUis. Literature Ia every 0g'
has had Its Instructors in history, poetry, the
arts and the sciences, but the literator who
has supplies Of wit to draw from secures his
writings In case OF unusual strength. A
wonderful mine has been sprung In this
country within the last decade. Artemus
Ward, Mark Twain, Josh Billings have each
scattered their jests and qulPs broadcast.
But TO Petroleum V. Nasty belongs the crown
Of olive. In scathlng sarcasm, keen, pointed
strokes of wit, droll, unexpected fancles,
whimsical expeditions, odd diversions Of
words and events, he stands without parAl-
lel Ia the volume before us Is collected
nearly everything our Western humorist has
written-All those letters, originally pub.
lished In the Toledo Blade, weekly paper,
and which were so generally copied as to
make the name Of Nasty familiar and popl-
lar In every household.
What work they have done! How, by
their POPULARITY have they dlspelled peeVlsh-
meas and frlgIdity from the social circle !
changed into merriment the heat Of pOlitica
argument and even corrected and relieved
minds OF prejudice and error! These letters
began with our late civil contest. They were
written not altogether TO amuse as wera
Wards or Billings, but with design TO con-
denim dlsloyalty, and influence the masses In
the cause Of truth and honor. This purpose
was followed as uudeyiatlngly as tho flow Of
the GulS stream. All the issues Of the war,
and the great questions which grew from
them, he brought to us dancing and bubbling
indeed, with the light spray Of humor, but
couceallng q deep undercurrent of intense
thought and feeling. To make quotations
from this volume would be impossible. The
fields, In the valley of Fayoun, hold only
roses. So, In these pages, the perfume of
rich, racy humor Is inhaled from every line.
The Introduction, by the Hon. Charles Sum
ner, Is delightfully."- fresh and sweet very
brief, but highly laudAtoTy and appropriate.
The genius Of Mast, the caricaturlst, is also
employed to complete the tout ensemble.
Nasty and Mast lnimitable Quad. Abraham
Llncoln's appreciation Of Nasty is so well
known as hardly TO need repetition. "For
the genius TO write these things," says he, 81
would gladly give up my office" To many
OF the papers are appended statements Of the
historical Incidents by which they were In
spired so that the memory Is much frcsbened
In the events OF the late war. The book IL
published by subscription.