Year: 1871

MR. EDITOR; A copy of the Burling-
ton Free Press and Times recently came
to my notice containing an editorial de-
signed as structure on an article Of mine
entitled THE Sensational and Slang
Element in American Literature" recent
ly copied by the REGISTER from the
Pennsylvania and Real Estate Journal.


The editorial referred to is so far beneath
criticism, considered from literary point
of view, as to he unworthy of notice were
it not saturated with the spirit that per-
vades the sensational and slang element
in our literature at the present day, as
well as with that of a certain redoubtable
Dutch captain who after cutting and
slashing with his sabre the trunk Of a
huge oak till his arms and Imagination
grew weary of the prolonged exercise, ex-
claimed


"Vot great courage me got to make me
so sweaty."


That liteary like moral shams should
find honest and jealous defenders and
apologists among their dupes, is in the
nature of things to be expected.


The writer of the article in question
exhibits in his effort the unmistakablC
evidence of having been fed to safety OF
the sensational and slang nursing bottle
that affords kind ofartificial stimulating
food, that gives to the intellectual fibre {
garrulousness and incohercnce, as well Al
a blind, rash confidence and courage tina
in and of themselves as mental qualities
constituted a pitiable public spectacle
when elevated to the position Of acut
logical and fine discriminative powers.


Fer such an entant gate of the sensa
tional and slang elements in American
literature, as the article in question prove
its author to be, to assume the dictatoria
air and confident expression that belon


only to an unexceptionable taste and pro


found discriminative powers affords


spectacle that has truly ridiculous an


at the same time pitiablc aspect,


For such an individual to occupy tn


responsible position of editor, or assistar


editor of popular journal, when honesty
candor and real intellectual ability fin
in benefcent efforts their widest spher
of action, for such person in sue
r position to assume, and to be recognized
= as an authority, in matters pertaining
literature, morality, politics or religion
c to say the least, a condition of things
r. be sincerely deplored.


e As an instance of the effects OF tt
8 sensational and slang element in Amer


can literature on the popular mind,
preventing the taste corrupting the judi


ment, and dulling the faculty of pcnetri


ton and discrimination with all kinds
b. intellectual food seem stale and yapid III
l. less they are abundantly spiced wit
Is sensualty, profanity and vulgarity, II
!. ! mind of this writer affords capital e'
y ample


te Only to serve as text to illustra
ID and make more clear the blighting ar
a runous effects of the sensational an


slang element in American literature {


the public mind is the article of til


writer deserving of critical notice.
la this article the mental deiormity


its author is photographed with cle'
; and repulsive distinctness


In this article its author has elevate
: his mental deiormity to an attitude
: publicity from which even his own pc
verted taste must instnciiyely recoil.
:. If the study of morbid anatomy in Il
: physical system, if the exploration
; organs wonderfully adapted to the
; function, but which are filled with ey
;; dences of fatal disease fails to excite an
: thing more than a hesitating melancho


zeal in the mind of the scientific studen
er with what great reluctance must Il
,, metaphyscian enter the dssectr
V labratory where diseased mental attribut


are waiting the scalpel of research al
in investigation.


rs rs The diseased body will perish, will ia
{ back to the dust from whence it rose b.


alas the diseased mind in its immortalii


will make hideousness and deformity in


mortal.