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EDITOR'S DEPARTMENT.
——-- —~ , .-.->'ir
ATHENS: SATURDAY, FEB. 10, 1849.
A Golden Article.
The yellow fever has reached the Old World, and
•we hear of tremendous excitement in London—of
ihe formation of companies—the chartering of ves
sels—and all the indications of adventure which
have for weeks past formed the chief features of our
Northern cities. Punch makes himself merry over
:he new El Dorado —and opens his batteries of wit
upon the theme. Our limits will not allow us to
,piote him to any extent, but we must find room for
: n extract or two. Under the title of “ llow very
absurd,” the funny old gentleman remarks : “ Sev
t nil persons hearing that the gold in California is
found in quartz, expect to find a number of ready
made tankards to satisfy their thirst for gold imme
diately upon their arrival. Others, who have heard
that the precious metal exists in carats, are taking
mit a quantity of carrot-seed in their personal lug
gage, in order to be prepared with what they term
their “plant” for working their enterprise. But
we strongly suspect that the frequent result of a
Latin vocative, namely, caret, will be the result of
the calculations of these enthusiasts.” Punch gives
us “A Few Days in the Diggings,” with a most
capital illustration in outline, which is enough to
make an anchorite laugh, lie tells us that the soil
in California is so rich, that steel pens, if put into
the ground over-night, are found to be gold ones on
the following morning!
We have no doubt that Punch will reap a golden
harvest out of the California fields, whoever else fails
to do so. In a private letter which we saw recently,
written at Panama by a friend of ours, en route for
the “ Gold Diggings,” the writer says that lie
has already been offered almost incredible wag
es by a gentleman, for fifteen years engaged in
tlie gold mines of Georgia and the Carolinas, (and
who is personally known to us,) and who has with
Idm a furnace for smelting and refining gold, and
converting it into bars and ingots. The writer hesi
tated to name the sum offered him as wages, lest it
should be deemed incredible; but from another let
ter, in which the same parties are spoken of, we learn
ihat they were one hundred dollars per day.
We will not vouch for the genuineness of the fol
lowing, which purports to he an extract from a po
etical address of a “ gold-washer” to the million ea
ger souls who long to swell the ‘ Sacramentol host.’
It may operate as a damper, perhaps, upon some fe
ver-heated imagination. At all events, we print it:
“ Oh come to California,
All ye who haven’t got
To lay your weary heads upon
A comfortable spot:
All ye who can’t for dinner get
A dish of cold potatoes,
Or, at some city Restaurant
The glorious place of waiters
All ye who’ve not another shirt
To wear while one is washing
Or who through mud and melting snow
In ragged boots go sloshing:
Come ye to California —
It’s just the place lo 6uit you
For here you ’ll find the comforts
That you’ve been always used to!
But if you’ve got a Sunday suit
And go-to-meeting hat,
And if you’ve got two pairs of boots,
Two shirts and one cravat;
And if you get enough to eat,
E’en though the fare be humble,
And you, at your scant salaries
Are half disposed to grumble:
Take my advice, and dont, I pray,
My sad example follow,
Nor all the fairy tales you hear
With greedy credence swallow :
For though there’s gold a plenty here—
As sure as I’m a sinner—
All you can dig from early dawn
Wont buy a first-rate dinner :
And a purse of gold-dust half as long
As legislative speeches,’
Wont buy in this auriferous land
A decent pair of breeches!”
Wj omit the remain ie-r for want of room !
3XIli-/II £is j'J a, II ins IB AB ¥ ®Si & & ‘ff'ff &.
©ur ffiossty Column.
We met with a paragraph recently, in one of our
country exchanges, in which the Editor, after no
ticing the immense popularity of Charles Dickens’
last Christmas Story, as illustrated in the almost un
precedented sale of it, both in England and this
country, proceeded to remark, that for his part he
never much admired the works of Dickens, alleging,
as if in justification of his opinion, that they possess- j
ed only the merit of originality ! Only the merit
of originality. Positively, we smiled at the idea,
and if there had been any one by to have joined us, 1
we think wo should have laughed aloud! Why,
what greater merit than that of originality can a ,
writer possess! We had supposed that the creative
power was the highest manifestation of genius. But
Mr. Dickens originates, and his works possess scarce
ly any merit! Hear that, oh ye admirers of Oliver
Twist—yc who have alternately wept and laughed
over the life-like delineations of Boz—ye who have
loved those exquisite conceptions, known as Little
Nell and Florence Dombey —ye who have almost
surpassed
“ laughter—holding both his sides,”
over the witticisms of the immortal “ Sammivel” —
hear that, and blush for your weakness in admiring
so original an author as Charles Dickens Wash
ington Irving has little merit beyond that of exqui
site beauty. Macauley has small merit beyond that,
of matchless vigor of style. Addison possessed only
the merit of unrivalled elegance of diction! But
“dc gustibus non disputandum cst.” TVe admire
Dickens for his originality —his humanity—his sym
pathy with the suffering—his appreciation of the
beautiful, not less than his quick perception of the
ludicrous. May he live long to write, and we to
read, his delightful stories We invite the
especial attention of our readers to the “ New York
Letter” of our able and faithful correspondent,
“ Flit.” It contains a detailed and somewhat elab
orate history of the “ National Academy of Design,”
and a more valuable, and, we think, interesting let
ter, has not been embraced in the series. The
growing interest in the Fine Arts, which the splen
did success of the American Art Union so clearly
attests, is one of the signs of the times, and we can
not question that a comprehensive and authentic ac
count of the most important Art Institution in this
country, will abundantly gratify our readers. If
our correspondent will carry’ out his suggestion of
giving us sketches of the Bar, the Pulpit, and the
Medical Faculty of New York, we arc sure that the
leaders of the Gazette will be highly gratified. . .
. . We have received a letter from Rev. W. D.
Cowdrey, of Cave Spring, referring to a passage in
the “ Letters from Cherokee,” No. 3, published in
our Journal of the 6th ultimo, in which our esteem
ed correspondent says—“ There is a fine opportuni
ty afforded, too, for the proprietor of a Female
School. The excellent man who has heretofore
conducted this department, it is understood, only
desires a select school, and would be pleased to see
another established,” &c. Mr. C. wishes us to cor
rect an impression which he thinks is fairly deduciblo
from this passage, viz : that he is indifferent to the
increase of his school, and further, that if young la
dies are sent to him he might be careless of their
progress. Such an impression, he insists, docs him
great injustice, since his uniform declaration on the
subject has been, that when the people at Cave
Spring consider it to be their interest to have ano
ther female school, he will have no quarrel ivith
them. Meanwhile, he is ready, as ever, to serve
the interests of his neighborhood. The remark of
our correspondent was, we are confident, without the
design of injustice to Mr. C.; and we cheerfully
make the explanation in our columns The
ensuing Wednesday will be a day somewhat memo
rable as the anniversary of Saint Valentine, con
cerning whom, our readers will find an article in
this week’s journal, from the pen of a Charleston
correspondent. To what he says, it is needless, per
haps, for us to add anything. Tens of thousands of
valentines —from the simple billet-doux, with the
quotation from some well-known love song, to the
gorgeously painted and emblazoned missive, glitter
ing with gold and curious devices—will perform their
errands of love, and friendship, and fun, on the four
teenth of this month Will it surprise some of our
readers, to learn that it is no uncommon thing for
valentines to bo bought at a cost often, twenty, and
even twenty-five dollars'? Some are so richly
wrought, so splendidly colored, that they are really
gems of art — bijouterie, it is true —but costly, never
theless. We have seen some exquisite fancies in the
shape of Valentines ; but, after all, the most beau
tiful are those which bear the simple message of
love from one heart to another, or, it may be, breathe
out under an impenetrable guise, the concealed af
fection, which the lips dare not utter. llow many
a young maiden’s heart will palpitate with mingled
interest and curiosity, to know what Valentines they
will receive on the fourteenth—and who will ex
claim with the old song :
“ Where can the postman be, I say?
‘lie ought to fly on such a day !
Os all days in the year, you know,
Its monstrous rude to be so slow.
The fellow’s so exceeding stupid—
ilark! there he is ! —oh, the dear C-itfid.”
Hoping that every one of our readers will receive as j
many as they desire of these “charming Valen-j
tines,” we dismiss the subject—not, however, with
out adding, that those who incline to send us one,
may bo assured that we would rather receive names
and dollars, than rhymes and Cupids.
C!)c Slntcricait senoMcal
The Aurora Borealis. Boston: Edited by J. F.
Kelly.
The first number of this paper is before us. It is
a very large quarto, handsomely printed, barring a
“ cord” of typographical errors. It is a bold, dash
ing affair, exhibiting a great deal of independence —
a * pretty smart’ sprinkling of vanity —‘considera-
ble’ impudence, and quite too much irreverence in
certain matters to suit our taste, which, by tho way,
is not at all mawkish. We should accord praise to
the Editor for his plain speaking, if it did not take
the form of profanity. This is a serious charge, we
know, but the editorial article entitled, “Giving
the old fellow his due,” will substantiate it. If
tho j e are the real sentiments of “ Faulconbridge,”
he is welcome to entertain them ; but if be has a re.
gard for his readers’ feelings, let him be cautious in
giving them utterance. Wo censure with no unkind
spirit, for, assuredly, we have no jealousies to foster
and gratify.
The staple of the ‘ Aurora’ is humorous reading.
There are letters from Philadelphia and New York,
and the latter is as full of errors in grammar, ns a
legal writ is of expletives. If the Gotham corres
pondent wrote his letter as it is printed, it should be
liis last, until he has been to school, for his sentences
would
“ Break Priscian’s head
Strike Bindley Murray dumb.”
The ‘ Aurora Borealis’ obtained its fanciful name
by an offer of a Ten Dollar Prize for tho best one of
fered. Its pretensions to excellence are such, that
we have a right to examine them critically If it is
so conducted as to subserve the public good, then
we shall heartily approve it. If it assume a reck
less, devil-may-care character, we shall condemn it.
in spite of the talent it displays.
©tic Hook £<ihlc.
The Female Poets of America. By llufus
Wilmot Griswold. One vol., Bvo., pp 400.
Philadelphia : Carey & Hart.
Who shall say that American women are lacking
in the elements of poetry, after the abundant evi
dence to tlib contrary, which is afforded in this
handsome volume from the hands of the best compi
ler in our country —one, too, whose taste in literary
matters is as unquestionable as his industry! We
had already examined twocompendiuma of the poet
ry of American women—those by Caroline May
and T. Buchanan Reade—before this volume was
published ; and, although we were disposed to ac
cord praise to both of them, we felt convinced that
they could not satisfy the public expectation created
by the previous announcement of Dr. Griswold’s
book. A comparison of the three must result in
a verdict of great superiority in favor of the latest —
not only in its greater comprehensiveness, but in its
biographical accuracy, and in the riper judgment
and more critical acumen displayed in the selections.
Wo arc quite as well satisfied with Dr. Griswold’s
volume as we hoped to be —knowing, as we do, tho
impossibility of doing justice to all in a first edition
of such a work. There are names on its pages quite
new to us; and the first feeling naturally excited by
this fact was, that if they were worthy to be admit
ted into the anthology of the country, wecouldhaco
swelled the number with instances equally entitled
to the honor, in our own judgment. Doubtless there
are female poets, in various sections of our wide
spread territory, of whom even tho indefatigable
editor of this volume has not heard, whose names
must appear in subsequent editions Wo hope Dr.
Griswold will not take it for granted that the few
names be introduces from the South are all tho
daughters of song we can boast. The pages of the
Southern Literary Messenger, our own Gazette, and
other Miscellanies, will serve to correct such an im
pression, if he ha3 formed it.
But enough of this for the time. The volume is a
very comprehenaive one, embracing nearly one hun
dred names. Os these, there are some which we
fully agree with the talented editor, “ illustrate a®
high, and sustained a range of poetic art as the fe
male genius of any age or country can display.”
Nor is it a source of small gratification to us to point
to such names-as those of Mrs. Brooks, (Maria del
Occidente,- as Southey first called her,) Mrs. Smith,
Mrs. Townsend, Mrs. Sigourney, and several oth
ers, in support of the position. That all or half of
the writers presented in this volume have exhibited
remarkable genius or high cultivation in the poetic
art, is r.ot claimed by their biographer and editor;
bu’ that they all possessed a good share of i oetic
ability-;-a elicitous conception and a graceful style
of expression—will be generally conceded. A low
of these hundred names will go down to the latest,
generations—the others will be forgotten; but not
until their song has delighted thousands ot true
hearts, cheered many desponding ones, and, perhaps,
preserved others from the guil sand fascinations of
evil.
According to Dr. GrLvfoWs annals, the first
American poetess was Mrs. Anne Bradstieet, who
was a contemporary of Spenser and Slmkspearc.
Editions of her poems were published both at Boston
and London, in the years 1610 and 1650, res* cetive
lv. For two centuries, then, Columbia has nourish
ed the daughters of song, and in that peri and they
have achieved works which the world wi’4 not wil
lingly let die. Much space is. very judiciously, we
think, devoted by the editor to the works of Mrs.
Maria Brooks, who was unquestionably the most
brilliant American poetess of her day, and who has
not been surpassed by any of her sisters in the pow
erful and sustained flights of imagination. We ad
mire the genius of Maria del Occidente, though her
poetry has never found its way to our heart. It is in
our regard, like thegrand and imposing iceberg, ra
diant with the golden glories of the sunlight, but
possessing not the warmth of tho heart. Her Zo
phiel is certainly a splendid and romarkablo concep
tion, and the poem is wrought with intense though
refined passion.
But we must not deal with the individual poetesses
of our country. They are too numerous for such
mention. The lovers of the graceful, the beautiful,
the pure and the holy, will find in the pages of this
volume abundant aliment suited to their variou g
tastes—in the exquisite fancies of Mrs. Osgood, the
! charming verse of Mrs. Oakes Smith, Mrs. Judson,
! Mrs. Welby, and others, and in the devotional and
kindling muse of Mrs. Sigourney. Nor do we men
-1 tion these names with invidious preference to others
j that are wreathed with the laurels of a wide-spread
ing fame.
Among tho gems of the volume wo discover, with
pleasure, poems first introduced by ourself to the
reading public. Os these, are Mary E. Lee’s beau
tiful lyric, The Boots, and tho lines of that accom
plished writer, Mrs. Joseph C. Neul, entitled “A
Memory.” .
W ith pride, we contemplate this collection of the
poetical works of American women, and, in no vain
spirit of boasting, express our conviction that such
an amount of poetry, exhibiting genius, grace and
artistic merit, is an honor to our young country.
No Library can be considered complete without
this volume, which tho liberality of the eminent
publishers has given to the public in a worthy style,
both of typography and illustration, at an unprece
dentedly low price. Os its merits and its demerits,
wc may have more to say hereafter.
Friday Christian; or, The First Born in Pitcairn’s
Island. By a Poor “Member of Christ.” One
vol., pp. 138. New \ork: D. Appleton & Cos.
This is a handsome volume written for tho young,
and dedicated “Jo the New \ ork Bible and Prayer
Book Society.'’ It is a narrative connected with
the memorable mutiny on board the ship “ Boun
ty/’ and details not only the remarkable incidents
ol that event, and tho adventures of the mutineers
in an open boat, but the subsequent settlement, by
a portion of them, of Pitcairn’s Island —where, even
tually, a happy Christian colony was established
through tho agency ot'John Adams, one of the crew
of the Bounty, and their ringleader in wickedness.
Friday Christian is the name of the first-born on the
| Island, and, from the circumstances of his being
born on a Friday in October, lie was called Friday
October Christian, llis father, Fletcher Christian,
1 was one of the mutineers of the Bounty.
It is a narrative of deep interest, and is intended
to illustrate ‘ the marvellous power of the Bible and
Book of Common Prayer over the heart of a mar
vellously wicked man.’
jajtm *rmvrt w mmxm mam* trwms 1 jjkk JMBWfc
Demosthenian Hall, )
February 4th, 1849. $
Whereas, in the mysterious providence of an all
wise Cosd —lie has seen proper to remove from our
midst our fellow member, JOHN T. NEWTON—
Be it resolved:
1. That the Society deeply deplore the decease of
their late fellow member, and most sincerely sympa
thize with his bereaved parents and friends. But
j while we are called upon to record the regret which
every member feels at the loss of their lute broth r,
it is with more than pleasure we recur to his ami
able character —to those high virtues, and to that
unaffected Christian piety which so closely endear
ed him to those who knew him best,and which g*ive
sudi promise of a life of usefulness and honor.
2. That in testimony of respect to our deceased
brother, the members of this Society wear crape en.
their left arm for thirty days.
3. That a copy of the above resolutions be fur
| n?h“d the paronts of the deceased, and: they be pub
lished in. the Gazettes of the cit}\
EDGAR G. DAWSON, )
JOHN R. CHURCH, M om
I DW. F CAMPBELL Jr. N
311