Smyrna times., 1875-03-31
mise eIIUW e OUS.
For the Smyrna Times. "
A Reply.

when. in the short space of a column Of
The T'nt.'. AIN taught that our COnstitu-
ti"n = II l"a9l!" bctwcen sovereign States:
that Madison sanctioned notification that
the Virginia Resolutions of l79S Justify Sc
r'''ion: that Webster and Story combine
IN the c"nccss'Ji, that. provided the Con-
>titution i a conpart 10 which the States
are partic-. th,. STATE have a right to secede
RON the Union At pleasure: that ;lS the
great cXpounItr and canf0under. the for
i:i,'r stood on directly OPPOSING grounds in
80 and 49, and when. on leaving the his
tory Of the past for that of the present.
receive the Information that Grant is die
tator, Il traitor, and an opposer of the peo-
ples wishes: that the mind of American
trermen Shudders 1T the holiness and base
slrsS of tn" executives conduct; and, final
Is. chat Phillips is liar, an agitator, and Il
7"phiatical orator; !, overhowing with the
possession of suddenly acquired erudition,
am led 20 rXclaim i'll the expressive Ian
gIage OF g9niinie SampsOn-' proCtigiOlls' =
Mr. Editor, the article in your issue of the
}d inst, headed . Adrquatencss and Clear.
rless, is litera1.; curiosity. Heralded as
Was it appearance rs Pr~yio announce
meD1 in your locals. re%eiled in the an
ticipatiSN Of an elaborate essay, the emb0di-
ment Of wei! digpstcd thought and embel-
lished with the artistic touches of finished
scholar. As an article on Adequateness,
expected To hn1 it the model Of cOmprc-
hrn4iom: ae an article ON Clcarness. ! ex-
prcted it TO be- precis.. in expression: and
u: :the pro faction of Il Princeton student"
had hoped that the opinion which ] had
-ntertlin"tl Of that Institution would iye
slstainc 10y worthy representative. Bat
found on rradinI the article that its au
thor had di<lpponte | me. Instead of an
essay. hr ht, given IT. criticism: instcac
of comprehensive vicw of his subject, h'
has pla",l for oar digestion All ill-sortet
collection of mil-Itlte facts: and far from
satin q .,riy the meaning Intended thi
student or Emerson i guilty of an obscuri
" which would pu! - hiush the realize
ideals and viatirum Of carlyle, and caIIl,
the great Daniel Pratt to- hide in shame be
hind the mighty gcwglw which announce
his triumphAl ntrch into the 'cnllegiat
cities
Let Us examine this article, and see il
now many instances our critic has deviatr
from the right track. BY critici>ing h
fprOdu :tion let IA, in t;I,n, play tn" critic
.and6.om til lthyrin:'I % diff u!ti"S int
(which our frienl ht, IT, IL. lei II Ell lrtvu
ITO find that -trin. of tY,i;.I i:,..i lead,
the open light.
No sooner dDA4 tn, wtit.r lag down II
fundamental definition that III III il ii too
using animal. than Ia has:en, to show ,
the gaug- Of his OwL pow ~ by exposing
our view a cut finger. K 'forrin. - t.I lal
guage Of the Federal institution, h max
the surprisingly inconsistent r'nlrN tn
"the obscurity arises not from any iaut
the instrument itself. but from the deai
of the interpreter" Sd''I IN ah'II'd.
gives rise to tw1 reflections; the on /
,pecting the nature Of perspicuity; AM I.
other respecting the people for whom t
Constitution was ordained and establ9ho
What is perspicuity? and for an answer
appeal to Quintilian, who pronounces it
be figure of speech by the employment
which, men may not only understand
they will but misunderstand whether tn
will or not. Apply this to the case in qu
tion-the Constitution, and behold the fo
of the assertion that at the time of its ado
ton it was clear and precise enough. II
the language changed? Nothing of
kind. In every respect il is the same