Year: 1859




Rev. Mr.. George b. Taylor, Of tins city. 4


lengthy leader, sustained by whole reg-


ment of correspondents, shielded undvl
anonymous signatures from the full response


biity of what they say, is devoted to his
benefit. Gross injustice" "ceusorious pen
ny a,liner!' shameful !" "cynic'' persona
cnmity.' malicious disposition :" "uniustifia
Die and uncalled for !" "ungenllemanly !" &c.


&C., are the cxpletives used by this army o
correspondents and their leader, in refcrcne,
to an exceedingly mild. respectful, and per-
fectly Legitimate criticism Of vaunted anj
pretentious literary production-a produc-
ton as destitute of ability and barren ofmeri


as are the brains of our assailants Of any ca


pacity to judge of what is either praisewor


thy in literary effort or gcntlcmanly in news
/ paper controversy.


We shall first attend, in thi. article, to the


upstart correspondents who assume to call n


public journalist to task for the exercise OF


his Legitimate business. They do not pretend
lat least for the most parD to dispute the
/ Justice OF the criticism with which we noticed


the oration, but deny the right Of an editor to
pronounce upon the merits of an effort put
+ forth on the occasion of celebration of


American Independence. and by preacher


and also deny Thereby granting what We
have never been egotistical enough to claim
for ourself) the right Of man of Scholarly
attachments" to attack, rllcule and criticize
a person who may be ignorant Of the rules of
good writing or lacking in the ability to cx
press himself (By the way. the lack of abili-
ty to express ones selfis not very unfortunate
in case where man has not much to ex-
press, even if he were able.) We presume,
now, that we Are addressing readers who
have some sense and some education; indeed,
we are satisfied that we are addressing many
who have the intellect and the information to
comprehend what is the true province Of a
writer for the press; and to them we say,
with the full consciousness that they will en-
dorso the assertion, that Fourth Of July
Grafton is proper subject of criticism, and
the fact that man is preacher is no shield
against disapproyal, condemnation or critical
dissection of what he may choose TO speak or
write. Indeed, the very revcrse is the case.
The Fourth of July is the greatest Of all great
days in America. and if there ever could be
an occasion for truly noble effort, it should
be put forth on that day. The talents Of our
met distinguished orators have been called
into rcquisition to do justice to that gem Ike
day in our National history. Tho idea that
empty peurility, nonscnsical bombast, high


hlutn froth and declamatory fury and
that not even redcemable by the leaven of q
little. very little, knowledge Of the proper
construction of that language in which the
Declaration Of Independence was itself pro-
mulged, are to be tolerated by an intelligent
assemblage Of American citizens, simply be-
cause it is only on occasion of tie celebration
Of the Fourth Of Jitiy. is the most ridiculous
ever heard of among civilized |
people. As to the notion that preacher is |
not to be criticized, simply because he is
preacher. what can we say to the benighted |
and deplorably ignorant individual who
would really entertain such an opinion |
Though you should bray such fool in a NOR
tar, yet would not his folly depart from him.
Sensible men have always supposed that
when man assumed to be an instructor and
teacher of the people, and especially from the
sacred desk, where not only the temporal
concerns of humanity but the eternal inter
ests of the immortal soul are to be treated,
he should be a person at least capable Of cx
pressing what he really did happen to know,
or feel or think. An inaccuracy Of expression.
failure to embody the true idea intended, n
loose random style of imparting instruction
might bc productive of gross error in regard
to matters of high conccrnment to the listen
err and deeply prcjudieal to the cause of
truth and pf right. Neither fool nor an
ig,'ord1'ns is a fit occupant Of the sacred
desk, and. while we have not applied either
of these titles to Mr. TAYLOR, we must say
that, sitting down the defense which has been
made Of bis Fourth of July effort, his friends
seem to place much OF his supposed iInmuni-
ty from attack upon the ground that he is
both. Were We in his place, We should cx-
claim, ''Save me, save me from my friends =


Recurring to the question of the right of a
public writer to criticize the efforts of Fourth
Of July Orators as we'll as of preachers, We
shall simply refer these whining correspon.
dents Of the Express to the fact, that Fourth
Of July orations have been frequently criti-
cized by the daily press in MI the principal
cities of the United States Even as great an
orator as Rufus ChoOtc has not been exempt
/ from Just and mcritcd criticism Of some of his
anniversary orations. And as to preachers


nothing has been more common than to re-


view and sometimes severely criticize the
very sermons, let alone other efforts, of such
renowned diyines as Henry Ward Bcecher
Mr.. Chapin and men Of like high intellectual
abilities. If Meg are not exempt why should
Mr. Taylor seek shelter under the cloal, ofhi
professional calling? The fact is, that a mar
WHO supposcs that the business Of a newspa
per editor is indiseriminately to praise every
body who asks or expects the passing tribute
ofa puff !" always to approve and never tC
condemn to run around the streets inquiring


this mans or that mans opinions, lest he
should accidentally say something that some
shallow bigot or brainless driveler would fail