taken as evidence of a great genius for politics, and is read with profound attention by all whose feeble bigotry it gratifies and stimulates.

The most influential deception in politics is practised by party catch-words and cant phrases. A few captivating rallying cries will often carry the day against reason and truth. They are addressed to the ear rather than to the mind, and though instantly resolved by analysis into follies though they are bubbles which break into suds at the slightest touch of argument- they are still wonderfully effective. They commonly neither express the objects nor opinions, good or bad, of the parties who use them, and depend altogether for their existence on an immunity from examination; and yet they constantly. pass from mouth to mouth as embodiments of principles. It would be impossible to calculate the amount of popular delusion they represent. It might not be safe to refer to those which obtain in this country. From England, however, we may cull a few instances. Sir William Grant, in opposing an innovation, used the words, "the wisdom of our ancestors." From his time the phrase has been the pet expression of the tory party, and has always been employed as a scarecrow to reformers, whenever they attempted to overthrow some pestilent abuse which sprung from the folly, bigotry, or wickedness of their ancestors. In hardly a single instance has it been properly applied. It ever means not the wisdom but the injustice "of our ancestors." Again, the cry of " Church and King" represents neither religion nor loyalty; but, as generally employed, signifies, as Dr. Parr has ingeniously said, "a church without the gospel and a king above the law." The most bigoted opponents of Catholic emancipation rejoiced to call themselves Pittites, though Pitt left office because he could not carry emancipation. It would be needless to multiply instances, familiar to every student

of the history of parties, of the strange opposition between the terms of politics and the conduct of politicians. In selecting a party cry, the universal custom is to invent one which shall operate on popular prejudices or desires, not one which shall express the principles and intentions of the party leaders. The consequence is, that the rank and file of a party are always more disappointed when they triumph than when they fail. To obtain their votes, pledges have been given which cannot be redeemed. When people wish foolishly, politicians have no resource but to promise recklessly. These promises, whether directly expressed or only implied, constitute a rich department of the literature of deception.

It would be well if quacks limited their efforts to the perversion of medicine, reform and civil government. Such a comparative abstinence in wickedness, however, would be foreign to the wide-ranging genius of dishonesty. It accordingly flaunts as bravely in philosophy, morals and religion, as in any other department of its activity. In Metaphysics it gains a reputation for profundity by entangling a minute thread of meaning in a mesh of technical terms. Many who have ventured to follow the trail of popular metaphysic thought, in order to hunt down the atom of sense it is said to contain, have always found that the sense contrived to dodge their analysis, even when they seemed to have cunningly driven it into its last corner. This order of metaphysics belongs to the genteel quackery of the intellect, and is only patronized by people of "refined" minds. The literature of moral humbug chiefly consists of books evincing a singular ignorance of everything but a few ethical commonplaces, which, expressed in a corresponding imbecility of style, and steeped thoroughly in a "do-me-good" sort of atmosphere, are considered admirably qualified to direct the

moral education of the young. These little volumes, manufactured to order, and commonly the product of mingled hypocrisy and feebleness, are exceedingly useful in converting Yankees into Pharisees. As for clothing the soul in any armor which shall withstand the arrows of sin and the shocks of temptation- that is an object which they only pretend to have in view.

The literature of theological humbug is partly the production of fanaticism and partly that of rationalism. Both kinds are mischievous, though perhaps the former is the most deadly as the latter is the most debilitating. Both are quack medicines for the soul; but in the one case we have the delusion in large bottles, in the other we have it in infinitesimal doses. It ought however to be considered that rationalism is commonly the product of fanaticism, on the principle that extremes generate their opposites. Bigotry has the deepest seat in the passions, and is more widely influential. Its compositions are fair transcripts of the minds of those men, "who think with their spleen, write with their gall and pray with their bile;" of men who, in the language of Bacon, "bring down the Holy Ghost in the shape of a vulture or a raven instead of in the likeness of a dove, and hang from the bark of the Christian church the flag of a bark of pirates and assassins." The literature which proceeds from men of this stamp, may be fairly classed with the compositions of humbug.

In glancing over what we have written, we find we have been making what our readers might call an immoderate plea for moderation, an intemperate assault on intemperance. We also find we have said nothing which rises much above the dignity of commonplace. Why is it that what is so obviously true is so obviously overlooked? How is it that when salvation lies in palpable axioms,

perdition should be sought in palpable falsehoods? Why is it that the quack is taken for a seer, when his ignorance and knavery are so easily seen? Why is it that the literature of Reason is avoided and the literature of Humbug devoured? Why should men be ascetics in common sense, and only gluttons and wine bibbers in folly? The answers to these questions should be left to those competent from experience to answer knowingly; but it is to be feared that the testimony of the Bitten would be of a kind not to prejudice the Biter, and that from the quack-ridden we should have puffs rather than proscriptions of the quack-riding; for it is an old and melancholy teaching of sardonic wisdom, that

"the pleasure is as great

Of being cheated as to cheat."

THE MANLY POET.

BY D. H. HOWARD.

As in gay Fancy's rainbow garden strayed
The Poet idly, sharing with each flower
The sweet enchantments of its passing hour,
And, with bright gems from Beauty's mine, inlaid
The rich mosaic of his fairy song -

Lo! from his dreams the earnest voice of Truth,
So frankly eloquent and boldly strong,
With kind remonstrance calls the truant youth,
And sets him on her broad and fair highway,
In her free sunlight, whose all-cheering beams
Fali undistorted by the wildering gleams
That through Imagination's windows play.

The flowers of Fancy and the gems of Beauty
A free and hearty offering she demands,

To be devoted at the shrine of Duty:

Meanwhile, with seeming rude, but faithful hands,
She strips from Thought the frippery of disguise
That wanton Fiction threw around its form,
And nerves it with her strength, and bids it rise
To conquer and to soar above the storm.

Now, more a man, but none the less a child,
In humble trustfulness, the Poet goes,
By Truth sent forth, a teacher in her name,
To charm and subjugate to love the wild
And froward heart, while in his bosom glows,
By his high errand roused, the loftiest flame.
The angry foe, by his sweet art beguiled,
Forgets revenge

the joy of friendship seeks; Even the sunk eye of Avarice, while he speaks, Is lifted upward from its base employ ;

And to each hoping and aspiring heart
The music of his language doth impart
A stronger hope and a sublimer joy.

Above the roar of Passion's winds and waves
Sound the clear tones of his prophetic voice,
Calling old Form's and Prejudice's slaves
In Freedom's golden summer to rejoice.

The withering wreath he twined for Beauty's brow,
So freely yielded up at Truth's demand,

Filled with undying freshness from her hand,
Glitters upon his manly temples now.
Such his reward, who bravely dared to seek
His bliss in living for the love of Right;
Nor Truth's severest lessons feared to speak,
Amid the storms of error's gloomiest night.