Year: 1867

above mediOcrlty, says:


al myself know


whole flock OF lambs anv number OF TeunysOns-


In short II a man has the luck TO have any sons.


lie may feel pretty certain that one out of IVAN


VIII be some very great person over again


We confess that we sllarc this national weak
ness if weakness it be, and We own TO having
spent good deal of time lntcly in trying to
fix upon the great European whom Mr.. Johnson
most resembles Nature seldom makes only
one thing of kind, and just as she repeats
King Solomon in Mr. Tupper, and Peeping
Tom in Mr. Stewards friend McCiacken, so we
have all along felt that Andy Johnson must be
q copy of somebody who has already lived and
died And although person OF such variety
of powers, of such deep sagaclty, and such
wide experience must be like a great many
illustrous people in different walks, we think
that in his greatest moments there is no man
he is so much like he is like Jack
Bunsby. As the character and career
of that immortal parsonage have been por-
trayed in lively manner by tie pen OF Mr.
Charles Dickens, we do not need to dllate
upon them at this time, nor is ii necessary to
do more than remind the reader that BunsbyS
great forte was in the handling of logic. and
that for nothing is he more famous than for
the clcarncss with which he could state prop
osition But Mr. johnson, in recent great
speech, proved himself more than a match for
Bunsby, not only in the clearness with which
he stated the wonderfully original propositions
on which his majestic effort was built up. but
in the beautiful simplicity with which the whole
complicated argument is evolved. We have
seldom seen the parts of English speech thrown
about with such charming negligence as they
are in this performance The opening sentence
is rare example of syntax in undress, and
shows how great master of rhetoric may
throw parsing to the dogs, and not only have
none of it himself, but refuse To let any one
else have any Of it. In the second sentence he
shows rs great an antipathy for that very use
fnl and respectable member of grammatical
society. the auxiliary "shall,' as if it were one
of the laws of Congress, and betrays as much
partiaity for "will." IA if it were hopclessly
unrcconstructod Rebel. This pleasing exhibit
ton of ignorance l., however, well enough
supported further along by very pretty COM
binatlon of the present and past lenses used in
speaking of the same event, and by that IA
yoritc idiom Of the unlcttcrcd classes the use
of "hyr for Gle" When we compare the
noble license of this Incompatible effort with





guage of Mr. Lincons speech at Gettysburg, n
speech which might have been written by
Shakespeare or Milton, or by the translator
of Judah's speech 10 his brother Joseph, or by
any one of the few great masters of mere
English, we see how worthy A. j. is TO be
compared TO Jack Bunsby. Jack was never,
that we know of, so put to it for ideas, but
hc could hardly have given more muddled
account Of those he had. II is, however. in
The culOgium he passes on Silence that a. j.
most reminds us of the manner OF j. B. The
three first sentences of his speech are taken up
with the declaration of his determination to
hold his tongue. In the first, he
says that he Las not come To make lengthy
remarks. At least, this seems to be the
giSt of the sentence, which, though it has no
logical beginning nor end, has yet a good deal
of middle. In the second he says as plainly
as his mudded wits will permit, that he will
say nothing whatever. In the third finding to
his great disappointment that nobody objects
to his holding his tongue, he declares again
that he will not attempt to give uttcrance,
&c, &c. Apparently put into q very bad state
Of mind by the unlooked-for imperturbable
acquicscence of his victims in his determine
tion to stay shut up, he snaps out a fourth sem
tencc-"I shall attempt no such thing" OBJ
serving smiles Of satisfaction bcaming on the
countcnances of the immense auditory who had
been all along in misery lest he should attempt
it, he determines in the very spirit of Quilp to
blight their fondest hopes, and observes with II
demoniac chucklo in the fourth sentence
that, though he only came to shut his
mouth and open his eyes, since he sees
they wish him to be silent, "ho must
"be permitted TO speak" He then burst ont
into that magnificent eulogy on Silence which
would be sufficient in itself TO make all his
other speeches forgotten, if anybody had ever
wasted time in remembering them. "When we
"oolS on yoU battle-fcld,' not his, mark. but
ours (Truc for you, y. J.D, "and think of the
"brave men on both sdes.n Don't you wish, A.
j., you had dared 10 say what you thought
"thc brave men on one side, the Southem,)
"who fell in the fierce struggle of battle and
"who sleep silent in the grave-you who steep
Gin silence and peace after the earnest conflict
"had ccascd-would to God we of the living
"could initiate their example as they lay sleep
"ing in peace in their tombS, and live together
"in friendship and pcacew


Well, A. j., never mind us, old boy! Just
Mt present we are keeping rs quiet as need be.
'Ts you that need to be advised to silence,
and we commend the ingredients of your
poisoned chalce to your own lips. The very
best thing you can do is to hold your
tongue and not speak another word in public
till you get back to Tennessee, which we
heartily wish could be tomorrow. AS for us,
we have not the slightest intention of making
dead men of ourselves because you are one,
but we hope to show you before long that we
are very much nliyc indcrl SILENCE il nm nd