delphia, speaking of the acquisi- and would wish them a safe and tion of this territory, says: prosperous journey Northward. We learn that Col. B. H. Jones, "Mr. Seward has attempted to imitate the "slaveholders "-Jefferson and Calhoun-in the acquisition of terri- of Lewisburg, West Virginia, is tory, and presents us with an admira statesmanship. Mr. Jefferson an ble illustration of southern vs. north- about to bring out a volume of need the entire western bank of the poetry, written by the prisoners Mississippi, from its mouth to its of war, on Johnson's Island.source, including even Oregon, and seven sovereign Colonel Jones is, himself, a true now divided into the Union, and all this for three mil. poet, and the volume will contain States, the greatest most fertile in lions of dollars! Mr. Calhoun annexed many of his own poems. It will, Texas, New Mexico, Utah and California, with their countless gold, despite also, contain poems from General the efforts of Abe Lincoln & Co., Albert Pike, Colonel W. S. Hawthough this very gold enabled the said Lincoln & Co., to overrun and devas- kins, Major McKnight, and many tate the South. others. In looking over a recent num Massachusetts opposed the annexation of Louisiana, and her delegates in Congress declared it sufficient cause to dissolve the Union, and she, of course, opposed the acquisition of Texas and ber of the Savannah (Georgia,) California with With these grand precedents before him, News, we were struck with an Mr. Seward buys, not annexes, the article so painfully disloyal, that Russian trading stations on the northwest coast, and gives about twelve we were, at first, grieved at the millions for them! What value there want of vigilance in the Comcan be in these trading stations, where the animals are nearly extinct, and mander of District No. III. HowBritish traders have an equal right to hunt there, and their territories lie be- ever, on examining the piece tween, it is difficult to conjecture, unless the North-West Passage is some more carefully, we discovered day made practicable, when, perhaps, that it was an extract from a they may be used as sites for light- speech delivered in September, But this contrast between Jefferson 1858, in the loyal town of Charlesand Seward is more than accidental, and illustrates perfectly the opposing ton, and in the loyal State of tendencies of southern and northern statesmanship-the former to a rich Illinois. The name appended to and glorious civilization southward, it, too, would seem to endorse its and the latter to very nothingness northward." loyalty then, but we doubt whether it would do so now : "I will say that I am not, nor ever have been, in favor of making voters or jurors of negroes, nor of qualifying them to hold office, nor to inter-marry with white people; and I will say in addition to this, that there is a physical difference between the white and Owing to our sympathy with the gentleman of the Circus, we do not endorse the regrets expressed above. Besides, when the Democrats come into power again, these "tumblers" will either make a somersault back, or they will desire a more congenial climate than Dixie. In the first case, they will loudly declare that they always knew that "the We have received a letter from Radicals would ruin the country and involve it in unspeakable misery." In the second case, we would cordially recommend the salubrity of Russian America, ** the black race, which, I believe, will forever forbid the two races living together on terms of social and political equality. I, as much as any other man, am in favor of having the superior position assigned to the white ABRAHAM LINCOLN. race." Mississippi, in response to an inquiry, as to the authorship of the phrase, Southern Confederacy.The writer says that the Hon. H. S. Foote, in a speech at Corinth, Mississippi, attributed the idea formed into a molten calf, which and the expression to Mr. Cal- the besotted freedmen fell down houn. Another correspondent, and worshipped? Does he wish writing from Tennessee, says that the spoiling to go on that he may the phrase was first used by W. have a similar statue in memoriGilmore Simms, L.L. D. am? We have no fears that Mr. Our correspondents are both mistaken, however, in supposing Stevens' scheme of spoliation will that we meant to give Brownlow ever be carried out. We have the credit for originating the term. - highest possible guarantee against We have not been disposed to be- it-the honor of the American sollieve him inventive in anything, dier. A pledge was given by the save new and strange forms of United States Army to their blasphemy. prisoners of war that they should not be disturbed in person or In speaking of the flight of the property, so long as they obeyed Israelites from Egypt, Mr. Stev- the laws of the country. This ens says, "did he, (God) advise pledge will be held sacred. Gen. them to take no remuneration for Grant has shown in the cases of their years of labor? No, he un- Admiral Semmes and of Generals derstood too well what was due to Hoke and Pickett that he regards justice. He commanded the men the terms of the surrender, as and women to borrow from their binding upon his conscience and confiding neighbors jewels of sil- his honor. We would not be ver and jewels of gold and rai- guilty of the meanness to suppose ments. They obeyed him amply, that the men, who fought us and spoiled the Egyptians, and bravely, would act now in bad went forth full handed. There faith. The Rev. Mr. Brownlow's was no blasphemer then to God's "torch and turpentine brigade " decree of confiscation. This doc- is an impossible thing. The trine then, was not 'Satanic.'- "bummers," who might have He who questions it now, will be joined it, have either been hanged a blasphemer, whom God will before this, or are now shut up in bring to judgment." penitentiaries and prisons. He We would be surprised at a might organize a squad out of the Scripture quotation from this old Yankee-haters and negrogentleman, had we not read how traders of the South (now "loyal another individual was free in the Union men from the beginning,") use of biblical phrases, at the but we would fain believe that it time of the temptation of our would be but a squad. Saviour in the wilderness. But At a recent fire in a Female why did the gentleman's biblical College of our own town, of Charreading stop at the spoiling of the lotte, the most active persons in Egyptians? Why did he not go extinguishing it were United on, and read how these same jew- States soldiers. We believe that els of silver and jewels of gold the same spirit, to save and not were cast into the fire and trans- destroy, actuates all who have been fighting soldiers. The poli- lieve otherwise. The poor frightticians, who safe in the rear, ened creatures, who, through fear hounded on the fray, may talk of confiscation, are turning somerand act as bitterly as they please. saults and stultifying their preThe men, who have tested each vious history, do thereby cast a others' manhood in many a hard gross insult upon the honor of struggle, will act fairly, squarely the soldiers of the Union. We and honorably by each other. - scorn to make such covert insinuWe would be ashamed of our ations against "our late enemies." American origin, if we could be BOOK NOTICES. Gallic War, With a Vocabulary 1. Cæsar's Commentaries on the trary to sound principles of freetrade to maintain that we should use inferior books and patronize their authors, simply because they were produced on southern soil. The text-books must be really good and sound, or the education based upon them cannot be so. 2. A Grammar of the Latin Language, for the use of the Schools, With Exercises and Vocabularies. By Wm. Bingham, A. М., of the Bingham School, Greensboro', N. C., 1863. We are proud that North Carolina has so early stepped into this unoccupied field, and presented our schools with books so useful and creditable. There is no longer any reason why the schools, in which Cæsar retains his old place in the curriculum (and they must be the vast majority) should have recourse to any of the numerous editions, however excellent, published in the Northern States. Col. Bingham's Cæsar should be the edition for our Southern schools. The same may be said of his Latin Grammar as long as the student requires only an elementary book of that kind. THESE admirable works, modestly offered by their author 'as an auxiliary, however feeble, in establishing Southern literary and intellectual independence, have long deserved notice at our hands. Much has been said of late upon the importance of providing, as far as possible, our own text-books in the various branches of education. All honor then be to one, who besides his labors in the unsuccessful struggle for our political independence, has made one of the first contributions since the war begun to secure, what still lies in It is not very easy to give a corour reach, our independence in rect idea of a commentary upon matters pertaining to education. an ancient author, except by an It would, however, be very con- elaborate review and copious ex tracts. In this short article we tion of Col. Bingham's work, we shall endeavor to state what seem do not hesitate to say that it is to us to be the chief merits of Col. admirably adapted for this purBingham's Cæsar, and shall give pose. It will be of real use to a a few illustrations, which may in- boy; it will teach him the differduce those who are unacquainted ence between Latin and English with it to examine it and his construction, and will show him Grammar also. how to translate, and yet it does One difficulty in using Cæsar in not translate the whole lesson for a school is that the book is put him. The matters necessary to be into a boy's hands very soon after commented upon are pointed out, the Grammar, and before he can and the difficulties, if any, are have had any experience in trans- solved in short notes, written in lating. In a well arranged Read- good, clear English. This is realer or Delectus, simple and easy ly of great importance, and has sentences may be presented, and much influence upon the formaall that is difficult can be rejected tion of a boy's English style.or postponed till the tyro's mind Sometimes we have simply a referhas been prepared to understand ence to the grammar, sometimes a it. But Cæsar's commentaries happy translation of an idiom, being written for men and not as sometimes, again, a hint as to the a school-book, like any other classic which can be placed in the hands of a boy, contains scattered here and there, even in the earlier part, many passages involved in construction and obscure in meaning. The first book is one of the hardest of the whole seven. That cruz tironum, the oratio obliqua, occurs near the beginning and continually presents itself to the torment of many a young student. A commentary upon Cæsar then, to be of use, should be copious, at least in the earlier part, and should endeavor to make these difficulties easy. As, however, Cæsar is mainly used as a Latin Reader-as a vehicle for parsing and learning to translate-the principle object of the notes should be, it seems to us, to explain the various grammatical constructions and make a boy familiar with them and his Latin Grammar. After a very careful examina author's meaning. The difficult geographical questions which might be raised on Cæsar, and which one may find elaborately treated in Mr. George Long's edition are set aside as not suitable in a boy's first Latin Author, but he is taught Latin Grammar and how to translate. We will give a few examples: Book i. chapter 4. Damnatum poenam sequi oportebat, ut igni cremaretur. Many boys would think this translated (as we have heard it) by saying "the law required that the punishment that he should be burned with fire should follow him having been condemned." Col. Bingham gives these notes: Damnatum, " if he should be condemned;" & 185. 1. The participle agrees with the object of sequi, eum understood. Ut igni cremaretur, "of being burned with fire;" a final nounsentence in apposition with poe- would recommend the marking of nam. Ne causam diceret, "from the quantities in the excellent vopleading his cause," & 193. cabulary which completes the volume. The notes on chapter 14-the first hard chapter, containing a We have no time now to point speech reported in Oratio Obliqua out the excellent features of the -are excellent, and we would re- Latin Grammar. It is a very refer to them as a good specimen, happy combination of a grammar as also to those on chapters 40 and exercise book; more concise and 44 of book first. and better than McClintock's very In the latter we observe what useful "first book" which has been we consider a mis-translation of so popular. The rules are clear and the phrase quid sibi vellet uttered short, and to the point. We will ilby Ariovistus. It is not what did lustrate this by comparing a few Cæsar want with reference to him with the long, wordy, abominable (Ariovistus) but simply what did monstrosities called Rules, which Cæsar want, or mean? sibi being many teachers North and South the ethical dative, and of course reflexive. We are aware that Col. Bingham has authority for his rendering, but see Zumpt's Grammar, 408. Am. Edit. are daily cramming into the minds of poor unfortunates, which they can scarcely understand and which seem framed so as not to be understood. We refer in particular There is not to be found through- to Andrews' and Stoddard's Latin out the whole of the annotations Grammar. The sixty-fifth ediupon the seven books a single note tion now lies before us. When of that long, wordy character which another is published (as there soon disfigures and obscures the other will be, of course, for there is wise useful editions of Dr. Anthon. nothing like a thoroughly bad The typographical appearance school-book for going through of the book is a curiosity. It was edition after edition,) we would done in the midst of the war, suggest the following as a better when the South was blockaded by title: "A new and improved sea and land, and as it may truly method of making Latin Grambe said, was contending against mar, difficult, obscure, and disthe whole world. Only the mean- tasteful." When such works are est paper could be obtained at any crammed whole down the throats price, and the difficulties of print- of little boys, (as they are, for ing and binding were such as schools in the North boast of would have discouraged any but the most determined. When these things are considered, it is remarkable that the printing is as good as it is. We hope we shall soon see the Cæsar in a new edition (a Philadelphia edition of the Grammar has already been published,) and when it goes to the press we teaching it all-large print and fine-360 pages,) it is no wonder that the tender-hearted Ole Bull, when he was over here, was induced to say to an omnibus-driver who wanted to push off a little urchin, "Poor boy! let him have a ride, who knows what his troubles are, maybe he studies Latin!" |