$1 a Month, in Advance. ''Let our just Censure attend the tmo Even*."-Shaksprare. Single Copies Five Cents By J. A. SELBY. . COLtJMBIA, S. C., FRIDAY MORNING, MAY 19, 1865. VOL. l.-NO. 43. THE COLUMBIA PHOENIX, PUBLISHED DAILY. EXCEPT SUNDAY, BY JULIAN A. SELBY. TERMS-hV ASKANCE. j SUBSCRIPTION. Six months, $5 One month, - 1 ' ADVEKTISI.NO. One square, (ten lines.) one time, 50 cts Subsequent insertions.^ - 35 cts Special notice^ ten cents per line. Wordsworth on Idiots, Tho literary m<*n and readers of .forty year? ago, will remember how much tho laugh cf tho critics was against "Wordsworth for making sn Jdiot Boy ibo subject of a Poem, "Wordsworth has lived through the laugh, and the scorners are all now .dumb. He is now acknowledged as, perhaps,. the greatest contemplative poet that ever 1^'ed. Wordsworth took no heed of tl^e critics, but steadily pursued the bent of his own genius, and it is in highest proof of hi? genius that he did so. Ho was silent, and continued to grow in strength. But he has left us a fine 1 letter on this seemingly ii. sane choice of a subject for poetry, written with the care, and the fidelity which mark aid his letters, occupied with a vindication .of this theme, which will show that the poet, at lenst, Understood himself well. The remarks mainly turn upon a suggestion of his correspondent, a friendly writer, that tho subject is not a pleasurable one. Wordsworth thus blears the ground of many choking weeds o? criticism in a consideration of this question: "Human Nature above individual Opinion:" . '"You begm what you say upon the j '.Idiot Boy,'' with this observation, ? that r.othing is a fa subject for poetry ? which does not please. But hera fol- i lows a question, Does not please ?whom? Some have little knowledge j .of natural imagery* of tony kind,-and, I .of course, little relish for it; some are I disgusted with the very mention of the words pastoral poetry, sheep or shep? herds; some cannot tolerate a poem .with a ?host or any supernatural" agency in it; others would shrink .from an animated desciiptiun of thai pleasures of love, as from a thing .carnal and libidinous; some cannot bear to see delicate and refined feelings ascribed to men tn low conditions m j society, because their vanity and self- ; love, tell them that thv.se belong onlv ! to themselves, and men like themselves j .in dress, station, and way of life;' others are disgusted with tho naked j language of some of the most interest- j ing passions of men, because either it I is indelicate, or gros*, or _ vulgar; as many fine ladies could not bear certain expressions in the "Mother" acd.thel "Thom," and, as in the instance of Adam Smith, who, we are t<>ld, could j not endure the ballad of "Clym of the Clough," because tho author had not ?written like a gentleman. Then there are provisional and iiational preju? dices for evermore. Some take no interest in the description of a particu? lar passion or quality, as love of soli- j tartness, we will say; genial activity of faDcy, love of nature, religion, and so forth; beqause they have little or nothing of it in themselves; and so on without end. I return then to the question, please whom? or what? I | answer, human nature as it has been | and ever will be. B-ut, where are we to find ihe best measure of this? I j answer, from within; by stripping our own hearts nak?d, and by looking out l of ourselves towards men who lead the simplest lives, and most according to nature; raen who have never known false refinements, wayward and arti? ficial dosires, falso criticism, effeminate habits of tbioking nod feeling, or who ' having known theso thing*, have out^ j grown them. This latter class is the most to he depended upon, but it is j very small in number. People iti our j rank in life are perpetually falling into one sad mistake, namely, that of sup? posing that human nature and the per? sons they associate with, aro one and the same thing. Whom dc? \ve gene-1 rally associate with? Gentlemen, per? sons of fortuue, professional men, ladies, persona who can afford to buy, i or can easily procure books of halt a- j ! guinea price, hot-pressed, and printed j upon superfine paper. These persons are, it is true, a part of human natur?, I but we err lamentably if we suppose them tb bo fair representatives ot tho vast mass of human existence. And yet few ever consider books but with reference to their power of pleasing these persons and raen of a higher rank; few descend lower, among cot? tages and fields, and among children.' " He then rises to a contemplation of the poet's calling-"to rectify men's feelings, to give them* new composi? tions of feeling, tb render their feelings more sure, pure and permanent; in short, more consonant to nature, th? t is, to external uaturo and ?ile great moving spirit of things." Ile furthei ?justifies his selection of tho Idiot by the humanity of,the lower classes a manifestation, in a most striking form-personal care-of. unsophisti? cated feeling* ! "To this 1 cati only say that the loath i tig and disgust which many people have ut the sight of an idiot, is a feeling which, though having sctm; foundation in human nature, is not ne? cessarily attached to it in any virtuous degree, but is owing in a great mea? sure to a false delicacy, and, if I may say it without rudeness, a certain want of comprehensiveness of thinking and feeling. Persons in the lower classes of society have little or nothing of this; if an idiot is born in a poor man's house, it must bo taken care of, and cannot be boarded out. as it would be by gentlefolks, or sent to a public e?r private receptacle fur suoii unfortu? nate beings. Poor people seeing ire- | quently among their neiglibj^rs such objects, easily forget whatever there i.s 1 of natural disgust, about them, and ! have therefore s. san&state, so that without pain or suffering they perform their duties towards them. '"I have often appl' 1 to idiots, in my ow^ mind, that SUM me exp'res.sion I of Scripture that "their life is hidden j with God." They aie worshipped, ' probably from a feeling of th?3 sort, in i several parts of the East. Among tho | Alps, where they are numerous, they are considered, 1 believe, as a blessing : to tho family to which ti.ey belong. I have, indeed, often .looked upon the conduct of fathers and mothers of the lower classes of society towards idiots I as . the great triumph of the human i heart. It is there that we sec i he strength, disinterestedness, and gran? deur of love; nor have I ever been able to contemplate an object that calls out so many excellent and virtu? ous sentiments without finding it hal? lowed thereby, and having something in me which bears down before it, like a deluge, every feeble sensation of dis? gust and aversiou.' " . 'Mr. Smith,1 said the counsel, 'you say you once officiated in a pulpit-do you mean that you preached:!' 'No, sir; I held a candle for a man who did." 'Ah, the court understands you differently. They supposed that the discourse came from you.' No, sir, I only throwed a light on it.' A recent official report shows that 21,000 colored men have been enlisted in the army in Kentucky; 1,000 were drafted, 2,000 ran away and enlisted in Indiana, Tennessee and Ohio. Eleven new regiments aro U:ing or? ganized, which, when completed, will make the quota of 30,000 colored men for Kentucky. Over one hundred ne? groes a day ara enlisting. ? * OUR. CITY.-A correspcwlent ot' the N"ew Yorlc Herald^ writing from this city, says; Augusta has been latterly the great depot for the blockade running busi? ness, the coast cities being deemed un? safe. Here were accumulated Vas! quantities of exporta ami imports, cot? ton, tobacco and other stapled to 'go out, and clothing and other goods which had arrived. Nearly ail the stores appear to be well stocked, and I prices, now a safe currency is avail I able low. Rebel money, of course, is worthless, the most stupid niggers won't take it as a gi t. Slate bauk mouey of Georgia and South Caro? lina is received ar. a discount. Green ] bneks at par, and if you offer a dollar one for a ten cent article you are j liable to receive nin?iy cents back in silver, which, is plentkr here than I I have seen it for three years and a half, j The markets are well supplied, except ; in some unprocurable; articles. At the I Planters' Hotel we get plenty of meats I and vegetables, milk, berries, tolerable j lodging and fair attendance, lor 83 ! per dav; but we mu;t dispense with | I butter and condiments, wash without I s jap, and pitt up with poor bread and worse coffee. The captures here em? brace va^r, amounts of powder and the j rebel mills intact. LOST, * PUR of GOLD SPECTACEES. j\. They were dropped at the hack door of tile Ration House, on the corner of .Mr. C. A. Bedell's Lot? A reward will he paid to tile tinder, if required, with the thanks of the owner, wtio cannot well lilford to hue them. Inquire of JOHN M-eKENZIE, or leave them at.this office. June \ 6 . .s:eoi>r naval commander for ipproval and endorsement. When the above requirements aro com? plied with, protection will be granted as far as military necessity will allow; but. where no contract is made, the crop raised will be considered forfeited for thc usc of the laborers. Sh,.,lid the owners refuse to iiultivate it, they will be considered as en? deavoring to embarrase tho Government, and the land will be used for colonies of the freedmen from the interior. JOHN P. HATCf\ June 1 Bng. Gea- Co:-naur.d nj