EDWIN JAMES IN AMERICA

Otago Daily Times, Issue 137, 24 April 1862, Page 3

EDWIN JAMES IN AMERICA

> When -the.-imin>.>rfc:ir :Mr. Samuel Pickwick, ■was, at tha suit m : .\tr>s. Bir.'loll, widow, taken in execution by Messrs., .Dodsitn un»l -bVigjr, and cast into tlm. Floot Prison, the sagacious and senior Mr. Wuilyr, having itban io'iud his hopes of libentin^ him by' int'ans of an"ully!)i," hit upon t-lic (.'Xjiudiunt of havini; him convoyed out of durance in a pianoforte, the works buinirremoved and the legs made hollow, to admit tlie necessary amount of air for respiration. Once liberated, Mr. Pickwick .was to ba shipped off to America, where, Mr.- Weller had no doubt, the " 'Merrykins" wonlfl bo very glad to seehim, and .where he wan to wait until, repentance overcome Mrs. Bardell, o-till Messrs. Djdaon and Fogg were hanged. Tne expenses of his journey to 'and fro were pn it by writing a book about tlie United States jwhicli tlie astute Mr. Weller opined would be sure, to sell, if Mr. Pickwick: only, took care to blow up the " 'Merrykins " enough.— There is an immensity of worldly wisdom in this little apologue. After all, the New World is the real Cave of Adullam, where all who are iv debt or in difficulty," or are discontented, are sure to find a welcome. We arc somewhat too apt to boast of our own hospitality, and of the refuge which on British soil is extended' to exiles of every class ; but our free-heartedness is, at the beat, but churlish and lukewarm compared with the enthusiastic welcome which awaits every pilgrim to the free and mighty West. " Salve" ought to bej written on the face of the Battery at New York. ' "Cead" inillp. faijthe" might be inscribed'uu' any number of stores iv Broadway, and " Bring all your brothevs" painted lip over the gate of tlie Central Park." Literary lions and Hungarian patriots, Polish' refugees and Ivish.bog trotterg, absconding, bankrupts aud: sscund-rate tragedians, prime donne, ballet dancers, quacks, entertainment givers, artists,. governesses, insolvent farmers,' broken-down ■ journalists,;exiled royalists, soldiers of fortunej and chevaliers d'in.dustric—thegreat hospitality of the United States has stomach for them, all. , For, them is the.bounteoii3'board spread with wooden nutmegs and "timberdoodles ; for their own accommodation! will Barnum send bis woolly horse, and for their delectation his mermaid. They are at liberty to settle in " town lots" on the free and swampy banks of tlie Mississippi. ,- Tney are at liberty to " whittle " and to " loaf; uo charge is made for gouging, lynchiiii? is gratuitous! and tur and feathera are supplied for love. The seductive bowie-knife, the fraternal ride on a rail, the playful.cowhide, are always kept in stock for the convenience of strangers. The great American Eagle is ready to flap its wings over all humanity, and, in the words of the " Pogram Oration," to ." succour and protect with a. crow of denance," the outraged and dowu-trodden thralls rof European despots. ' . ■ ; , i. The Yankees have recently caught Mr. Bdv.in James, erst M.P. for Marylebone. The American 'press are making much of him in their usual impulsive and ludicrous mauner. Wewishit to be distinctly understood that: vre have no dusir'eto fling a stone at.him.,. , We have always regarded him as a very brilliant and eloquent advocate —as a politician of "undoubted Liberal tendenciea---asi a; man of great energy and capacity, who has done good service to;tlie: public/in his time, who has an ornament.to the English bar, and who ,mig}it, have been an ornament to, the English Seuate, Mr. Edwin "James, sis . precty nealrly. everybody on this "side" of the Atlantic must' know, cameto vory signal grief. His private difflculties became insurmountable ; his relations with tlfc Inn of Court to ; whichlie belonged were not of the most satisfactory nature; a, variety °f .ugly rumours which had for a long time been buzzing: about town culminated at last in-! what,■ we believe, is colloquially termed .&■ ".smash,!' and. Mr. James to the iverygeneral : regret of. the public, went abroad. Bearing ia ; mind his great forensic reputation, and his services to"the Liberal cause, his collapse its a public man in this country-was an event most sincerely to be lamented; i It: was said tliat he had some idea; in practising at the bar in Australia ; but, to whatever portion of the globehis footsteps might be directed, lie would not be without the good wishes" of a very large body of friends and admirers, anxious to see a. clever andkind-hearted man make afresh start, and retrieve his fallen fortunes.; As-it happens, Mr. Edwin James has turned up in .America,, and has been culled to. the bar of the" Supremo Court in New York! It' is understood that he intends to make the Empiro City his home, and that he will enter at* once upon tlie practice of the; profession in .which_lie ; l won -such, conspicuous honors ,at liohie. "': This; Is-rill Vci-y well, but itSvoulil..have been much better bad the New York Times, in commenting oil the ftict of Mr. James's affiliation1 to the Transatlantic Areopagus, refrained from'a display of "dmiikum " : and ." Yankeedoodleism," notorious for its absurdity,, even in a country.:one of whose leading journalists.;laj;ely ; asserted the Federal intention to knock' Europe into'a cocked hat." Mr. James- has achieved; we aretold by the Neio'Yorh Times} " without' the 'slightest'aid from' aristocratic connections,- the very: high distinction of.standing among the foremost members of the British bar.". We should very much, like to know whether it was'by "aristocratic connections," or by dint of native talent and hard work, that inch men as" Murray,-Dunning,: Erskinc, Scott; Campbell;Talfourd, aud.Follett among the dead, or as Brougham, Copley, Sugdcn, Pavke, and Kelly among the living! have achieved legal honors and renown. Thb; greatest luminaries of our lav/ who'have'died' petrs of the realm have been, in dozerisof cases, mciv of the very humblest origin ; and'so far from 'f aristocratic connections'.' being a help to a young man.at the bar,-lie would derive much greater benefit at the outset-of his profession from being, as Mr: Edwin James was, lucky enough to be -theI'son of a respectable solicitor: Wo aro next told; on the authority of the Weiu York Times, that, the statute-book of, England is indebted to 'My. Edwin. James for. the New Bankruptcy. Act—a statement wbicli, we opine, will prove tidings of' great comfort and joy- to the house of Bethel!. At temperance iectures we, have heard an exceedingly intemperate, gentlenuuV is sometimes exhibited as:" a frightful example.;" and this is the only kind of connectipn we caii at present discern between Mr. James and the New Bankruptcy Act.' Then' we are'^informed thaf.fhe ca^e against Palmer: for the Eugeley poisonings was confided to him : which is certainly a"novel piece of information, ;as we were always under the ~ impression that, one Alexander James Coekburn conducted the prosecution in person ' With theeuiogies'b'eatQwed'by tha,New York journal'on Mr. r James.' advocacy of the cause of freedom in the famous Bernard trial we cordially concur ; ,-but we are certainly astonished to hear that he was, during his scamper through Southern Italy the "counsellor," ~as well as the " companion of General Gariljaldi;" that he took p ar fc as amicUs curia, may we ask ?—in the battles of Caprea aud Volturno, and accompanied Garibaldi alone on his: triumphant entry into Naples. ' Unless we are very much mistaken, the published account of the Deliverer's entry states that'lie had three members of his stall1 in the car-" ria""e'with him. But it ■is idle to follow; the meanderings of Yankee doodleism in which our New. York, contemporary indulges. ; . .We; congratulate the American public on having got hold of a clever lawyer and an energetic man; but it would have-been slightly, .more : prudent and slightly more decent if they had not lionised him in quite so demonstrative a manner. It would have been as well to allow Time to skui over a few wounds, and for the Waters of Oblivion to havVebbed and flowetl a little, before Mr. Edwjn.James was held lip in the. very dazzlirig, but; sotnewhat invidious -'light; in which indiscreet admirers oii theptlier side of the Ai;; lantic.have sought toplace liini.^- Teleyraph:

Sticking UP.ExTnAOBDiNART.—The Creswick correspondent of the Ball'arat Star, in/writing to that journal on Wednesday- last, states " that. great excitement was created at that plnce on the preceding night, by a resident in that town, riding into it ,in furious haste and stating that himself and iinother gentleman had been stuck up about half-past seven in the evening, near the I'lying Buck Hotel, on the Spring Hill road, by. two desperate looking fellows, splendidly mounted nnd well armed.. He attributed Lib escape to the swiftness of Jhis horse, having, when told to go into tiie bush clapped spura into, his horse and rode as if. a seat in.the legislature .was to be the reward of his speeds The other gentlmau also arrived, minus his hat, said to be knocked off by the. bushrWers Tiie police went oufiSscounng the country, fnsearcii of the desperadoes, but/without success. Jt turned o llt this morning that the supposed buahransera were MivM'Donald, a road, contractor, and another man. If these contractors,' continues tins coTrespondent, « are engaged on a piece of road, and do not^ wish any. traffi? on it, .tW .should post a notice tothat effect, or mit up'a couple c^ forks with n rail across them, but they are uot-justified^in comSi?m• to peaceable travellers,who have trespassed unttttaloUy, roaring out to,them to g°™ta_the bush and using threats . and abusive language Another gentleman, who had fn the early part of the day made a similar mistake, by gom" on tins particular piece of road, was insulted and threatened by Mr. JVl'Donald with personal violence, and has taken out a summon? againstiliim, 1'