Mr. Buchanan is a man of genius, but we should
doubt as to how far he is a man of sense. He has brought an action for libel against the Examiner, for treating him very rudely indeed, and perhaps very unfairly ; but then Mr. Buchanan himself is not one who measures his words, and as the counsel for the Examiner newspaper, Mr. Hawkins had no difficulty in showing, Mr. Buchanan has treated other literary men with very little more, or less consideration,—we can hardly say which, for it is a delicate matter weighing sneers and scoffs against thumps and kicks,—than that with which he has been treated by them. We do not think that language of strong indignation is always wrong, but we do think that those who think it right to use it should show a little indifference and sang-froid when the compli- ment, though it may be with interest, is returned. These libel actions are not very savoury things, for the defence naturally goes on the lu-gtiogue principle,—the intention being, of course, to convince the jury that the plaintiff, having only got as good as he gave, is not entitled to very heavy damages. The action is not yet concluded, but the study of it will certainly persuade ordinary men that literary gifts would be better worth having, if they were not apt to run so very much to words, and were oftener accom- panied by a little more thickness of skin.
Previous page
