The Daily Cincinnati Republican, And Commercial Register

It seems to us a thousand pities that Mr. Bulwer, in his Paul Clifford, ever gave the public a peep into the editorial sanctum sanctorum of the learned Peter Macgrawler, critic, editor of the Asinaum, &c. "There are some things, (as our neighbor has it,) which should not be said either in ribald, jest or serious earnest." And it appears to us, that that expose of the sayings and doings of a master in criticism has been productive of great evil. Since then myriads of young Macgrawlers—having learned from the worthy Peter Macgrawler that "criticism is a great science; and may be divided into three branches, viz: 'to tickle, to slash, and to plaster,' "—have left the maternal apron strings to enlighten the world, and lighten the purses of their publishers.

There is an article in the last Cincinnati Mirror, written, evidently, under the system taught by the lamented editor of the Asinaum. It is headed "Brief Notices of Western Writers," in which our neighbor of the Gazette, and Dr. Drake stand as subjects. As a species of criticism it may be ranged as to quality under the branch "to tickle," and, we say it, never were two persons more graciously tickled since the abdication of Peter Macgrawler himself.

The serious part of the matter is, such reviews, if they have not a tendency to the ridiculous, can never be productive of any good either to the individuals "noticed," or the community among which they live. Not a man in Cincinnati will straighten himself an inch higher for such "brief notices."

The inditer is the only one whose vanity is tickled, and that agreeable service he performs for himself. For the Cincinnati Mirror, as well as for all our other Western literary periodicals, we entertain none other than the kindest feelings. We hope to see them soon displace the whole brood of wishy washy Posts, Amulets, et cetera, from the East, and therefore we would advise them to cautiously avoid aping the ridiculous airs of their competitors. Let them give us Mrs. Dumont's Tales, Dillon's Tales, Tales from the Sea, and all other sorts of Tales—let us have Moral Essays and Sentimental Odes—even let us have sonnets, written by love lorn school boys upon their mistresses' eyebrows; but let them not render themselves ridiculous by essaying to wear the ermine of the critic. At least—let them not seek their subjects in their own neighborhoods.