The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1876-01-13

writings. He was concise and clear In mar.
rative, and his language refined and pleasant.
His letters from the Santa Fe expedtlon were
delightful reading. That expedition was
gotten up in New Orleans, aud swelled by
numbers as it moved on through Texas
to the Southwest Pass. 1t numbered
some Of the most entcrprising, irrepressiole,
and gallant spirits Of the then wonderful
lard Of the Mississippi and Rio Grande Va.'
legs. rs gay aud buoyant spirits at setting
out, its ;riumphs and reyerses, Its Fps and
downs. and the sights and scenes OF the ex
pcJition, were all traced with kENDALL's
luminous pen. His letters added greatly 70
the Picayuae's fame. That expedition, set
ting out with high hopes, the sanguine ex'
pectations Of brave hearts who went torth
TO achieve co1quest-anded with distress,
with suffering, death, and disaster. Cap
turcd by the Mexican Government, the sur
yivors suffered heavy privations, from which
the American Government secured their ina
release,
This was about ~ or '43 1t was specl
men of toe adventurous spirit and heroism
Of the age; and preceded only little the an
nexati1n OF Texas and the Mexican war.
KEyDALL's letters on that war were generally
popular, and the Picayuae, in conjunction
with the Charleston Courier, Baltimore sun,
philadelphia Ledger, and New York Herold'
KEEP. in successful operation an express LOT
carving the ar.news that gained those pa
pcrs immense eclat. 1t was an express con-
Quoted by the then pieces Of railway between
tbe North and the South connected by
"poay Express
| The Picoyu,e was indeed feature OF
soil. born or. rather, Mississippi newspaper
litara,,irr. hat combined a wonderful amount
of both enterprise and genial talent. The
win recalls attention to lis amusing ana orl'
gina police reports, which have been 80
widely initiated. Its brief and pleasant
local stories have been hardly equaled since
those DAYS. One, we remember, was entl-
tied .slD Togn with Il Pocketful OF Rocks. !"
The late HrGH II. PLEAsANTs faucied 1t
greatly. He retained it so wildly in his
memory that he once rewrote it tor The ms
pat2h, giving it an Introduction in his pecu-
liar sty lie, and creditiug it 10 the Ptcoyune.
But we should not forget "PHAzMA."
He was gifted with true poetic genius. lie
wrote far better poetry than much that Is
printed ow.a-days, and praised, too. We re-
member his exquisiteIy written Legend oil
",
poem about the loss Of q little BUTToN,'
who fell from one Of the floating palaces OF
The Mississippi on her upward voyage to 81.
Louis. Little Burton was fair-haired boy,
who was the child of very popular members
of the stage, aud was, for bis singular
beauty and remarkable brilliancy of intellect
for his aye, pctted and beloved by all. We
"a her wonder that the remains of the gentle
"PHAzMA" are not gathered into volume.
H.. had 4 brother who more closely confined
bimselr to the stage. lie was poet Of less
sentimental and rather more comical turn
tnan his brother, but nevertheless good
one. lie contributed 10 the Picoytne freely.
These brothers must so along with that pa
DER IN the memory OF those old men who
were their contemporaries.
We do not keep quite up with our contem-
porarv Of the Wing in its history. A. G.
BULLITT, prominent lawyer and editor OF
the Yves, originally of Kentucky-Was a
q alous partisan writer, and fiourished IN the
Picqyune when it had discontinued some
what its association with the muses. and the
grace, and was less given to festive pranks un-
der the gtise of the comic mask. The paper
then became rather staid-olten severc-and
los; Il great deal Of its charm. BULLlTT was
the Colonel WEBB of the Mississippi. He
was man of more force and more soldtty
than WEBB, yet with not little OF WEBB S
SNOWY if not obtrusiye nature.
With serious and energetic politics the
PicaWtne became new paper. Great pros
perify aud increased Inflow of revenue CO.
agula,ed its genial and jolly humanity; and
while il rather chilled its sympathies With
the "real people, it came nearer to The
Stock Exchange, and sta!ked mere proudly
amongst the fraternity of the cotton trade
and sugar line.
We suppose the first stage Of its existence
was too bright to last, and it IS pity II
should be so. It is now, as most papers De-
come to be in time, but poor representative
of its youth-a melancholy illustration of the
truth that time brings back no joys like those