Virginia free press. (Charlestown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1832-1916, 1877-11-17
For "7He Free Press. "
The Classics.
Messrs. Editors

NeSSrS. Edit0rS:
regret to see that the interesting contro-
versy between Mes,rs. Thomson and Davies,
on the subject of the treatment Of hector's
remains, has ended abruptly Your readers
were deeply Interested in it, and none more So
than myself Many copies of the Had, buried
in the dust of old garrets, nave been rescued
| from unmerited oblivion, aud it is to be hoped
/ that the discussion will be renewed and ex-
/ tended to the classics generally.
/ Besides the extraordinary poetic merit OF
| the Bard of Chics, there is another recommen-
dation which is overlooked in the awe inspired
/ by his genius. His poems inculcate the high
est morality and at the risk of mourning Mr.
/ Thomsnu's wrath, | will proclaim my belief
| that his heroes are allegOreS. or, as 1t were.
/ the iucaruations Of the various passions aud
4 impulses Of humanity Anger is personfied
10 Achilles. pride in Agamemnon, cunning IN
Ulysses, fiery valor in Diumede, honest pur-
pose with obtuseness Of intellect in Ajax, and
chivalry, in all its admirable traits, in the
most interesting of all the Characteristic
noble Hector. There is an obvious moral in
the career Of every one of them and. by the
way. the NEST astonishing thing about Homer
is the consistency with which every character
is sustained to the end.
And now, MesSrS Editors, | will confess
that desire the "ruction" renewed and with
that view here goes the following:
was greatly struck, some time ago, with
an expression heard from an old Negro who
was in angry alteration with another Blrkev.
You wonld steal cent OF dead man S
eve" sail the rate son Of Ham was pass
iug at the time, and this remark. though not
altogether new 10 me- for some reason. set me
to rejecting. In the first place the crime i'm.
puted was Of the most appalling character,
and | wondered If humanity was indeed ca
pable Of this exlggera,ion Of meannesS. Then
asked myself why il was usual TO close the
ewes of the dead with coin rather than any
thing else equally suited to the purpose -
This train Of reflection carried me rapidly
through the many intervening ages to the
hoary antiquity of Pagan Mythology, and
r membered that our remote ancestors used t.
mt an oboluS into the mouth of a deceased
friend 10 pay his ferry charges TO Charon, "hr
had the profitable monopoly # the transport
a,ion Of the dead from this planet to the realms
, of Pluto. viii some scholar tell us then il
there be any connection between the ancient
custom and that Of the present day ? Fit be
decided thar there is, il may be well, too, fol
some antiquary, financier, political economist
or some one yerSel 10 the matter Of money
10 let the people know the exact value in ex
change, of an ohnlus In my schno-hoN
DAYS used to he most scauialized at a seen,
I in one Of Lucjan's Dialogues between Charon
= and an old Cynic named MenippuS. if my
, memory serves me. Iucian was the Votair,
of his are. and it may be that the quarrel VA
: exaggerated Ia his account; but It Is to b'
, feared that there was some ground for his Sar
= cnsm. To prevent any such unpleaSantues
with so important parsonage a CharOn, !
I would he well think to have his rights aut
privileges clearly defined 1t is due To th
- nations Of the earth that they should be So
g cured against monOpolistS and decency re
qnires that there should be no uns"cmly dis
i pu,es at the very portals of Tartarus or Ely
stun The claim OF toll at the entrance of th
Baltic has been long considered great griev
r auce. and not many years ago there were deel
muiterings about IT, How much more i'm
Z portant is il that Cbaron 5 fees be regulated
. Comparatively few Of the human family sal
. through the intricate channels leading to H.
, Baltic. but we must all take passage with "Th
: B,atsman Pale " and if Charon he violating
his charter ~ overchargng those who are ig
norant Of the exact value IT an obolus, al
; though the loss to individuals may be small
in the aggregate the matter assumes more thai
4 national importance. Here is chance, Gen
tlemen. | am the little Cur that begins tn
fgh', and will he sure 10 sink III when th
III Bull Dogs get at it.
No man in Jefferson County, and no readn
man in West Virginia or the neighhnrin
= States needs be told that John 4 Thomson
a gentleman and scholar in the broades
= sense Of the terms No man who knows hr
" or has heard Of him doubts that he Is tn
prince Of good fellows, and the writer woul
certaialv be the last 20 entertain the doubt 80
Your correspondent, moreover, desires hi
opinion e. be put on record that on the whole
John A Thomson is. without exception, III
mrst interesting man he has encountered in
wide and varied experience Charles DIvic
/, the couutryman Of Burk, Sheridan, Clrra
and Gratian. not 10 mention Quirk or th
Senior Of e." THE FREE Press" and there is n
endowment for which any If these great moj
p, were or are remarkable that Mr. Davies does M
possess in an eminent degree. lie is certaiul
y, a very promising yonnG man, and the write
looks with national pride to what Mr. Dtvic
T. has al:eldy achieved, rs well as Il
highest anticipate n Of what is to come -
There is the very highest authority FIR stain
that in certain argument before our lelrne
Circuit Judge. Mr. Davies displayed he yer
perfection Of forensic wit These encomiun
If are delivered merely to show that in propo'
o. inc this theme for discussion and mcutionin
- the names Of those gentlemen, the writer
y actultel by genuine interest in classical su(
I. ierts. and by an equally sincere respect for II
abilities Of MessrS Thomson and Davies. an
Mt by wish to couple their names with L
ippant nanities that 50 often characterize
QUIRK
Harper Ferry, Nov 18th, 1871
= Keep re'iahle friend always at hand