DEFENCE, &c. If the adage, de mortuis nil nisi bonum, affected the laws of criticism, we should gladly adopt it in reference to a periodical publication, whose third volume was stifled in its birth by the violent death of the author. This fatal event, arising from political zeal and religious enthusiasm, which often resorts to such extraordinary expedients for the accomplishment of their object, has gone so far towards expiating the errors of the victim himself, that it must induce a mitigation of censure in the severest judges. But in the present instance, we have less to do with the author personally, than with the emanations of his mind; and shall not therefore take into consideration, that the poignard of an enthusiast has taken a terrible revenge on the man, who so often prostituted his fine talents, by perverting truth, violating good manners, and defaming his oppo nents. For even in the publication already alluded to, notwithstanding his plausible motto of "speak the truth and fear none," he frequently overlooked the salutary advice therein prescribed. A journal, in mentioning the death of Kotzebue, lately asserted, that if the latter stated many falsehoods, and took great liberties with the character of individuals, he feared no one, but promulgated his opinions openly. I deny, however, that Kotzebue's sentiments, as expressed in his weekly paper, were always his own, or that he invariably wished them to be thought so by others. He certainly lost no opportunity of disseminating opinions which the great majority of his countrymen could only have regarded as palpable absurdities: amongst others, what are we to say of his assertion that Saxony was not unjustly dismembered after the treaty of Paris in 1814; and that this signal act of legitimate violence, could only be attributed to her own fault, because the Emperor Napoleon was not swept off, i. e. assassinated while at Dresden !* * Is it not more than probable that Sand read the above singular opinion, and may not he have argued thus: "Those whom we consider as a public evil, we have a right to rid the world of-ergo, I consider Kotzebue as a public evil, and therefore, &c. *** " What could the dramatist have said to this? Certainly no author had so often and so loudly advocated the jesuitical maxim, that "THE CAUSE PURIFIES THE MEANS," as Kotzebue, in his As soon, however, as he found that a too candid avowal of certain opinions would be likely to militate against his personal interests, no man was more ready to retract and change sides, as strikingly manifested with regard to a well known publication, though it was evident his mind had undergone no alteration. As he did not possess that degree of firmness and resolution, which can alone be the result of solid principles, springing from an honest conviction; and as his opinions were so variable that they might be said to turn round with the blast; it need excite very little surprise, if the editor of the Literary Journal never entered into argument upon any subject, but treated every thing with a degree of superficial flippancy, or at most, in a strain of witty invective, for this was his forte. Equally natural was it, for such a man to undertake the discussion of every subject, though in reality he understood none thoroughly. Kotzebue often contrived to baffle his adversaries with a species of playful irony, by which he frequently gained over the volatile portion of his readers; also those of maturer sense, who prefer Plays; and yet he wars with the Jesuits in his journal: so full was this writer of contradictions.t * Alluding most probably to M. De Stourdza's Memoirs. †That M. Kotzebue was not singular in his notions as to the occasional necessity of sweeping off, is amply proved in the work of the Marquis De MAUBREUIL, one of the most curious and interesting publications that has appeared since the commencement of the French revolution.-ED. frivolity to reflection, or mistake ridicule for reason. The truth of this remark cannot be denied by his greatest admirers. In the course of its short career, the Literary Journal has, perhaps, noticed some thousands of publications; and nearly all in the above way, which may be truly called the worst of all methods, for instead of teaching, it confuses; instead of enlightening, it misleads and bewilders! From the same source also, arose the contempt with which M. Kotzebue treated liberal ideas in politics and government; for if he was known to support them at one period of his life, how much more frequently has he been occupied in depreciating and condemning them? If you saw him leaning towards the rights of mankind, or throwing in a few sentences favourable to the spirit of the age, in one number of his paper, the succeeding sheet presented him arrayed in arms against both just as interest or passion seemed to dictate.* Carefully to examine the nature of these ideas, inquire whence they arose, or how far their application could be rendered useful to the world; to ascertain, by fact and argument, whether the spirit of the age was good or bad; how the advantages resulting from it could be applied to practice, * Are there no parallels to be found amongst the daily editors and critical writers of another country ?-ED. without producing those mischiefs with which, if not thus investigated, it may also teem; in what manner legislators, without eradicating the good, could suppress the evil to analyze and promote these highly important questions, was neither the care or business of Kotzebue : it was too fatiguing, and required too great an exertion of thought! It is not by hastily looking over a hundred volumes, that we can become acquainted with their contents. As to the Editor of the Literary Journal he seemed to be satisfied with this system; for having found out a few passages, calculated to pamper the appetites and flatter the vanities of a certain class, his purpose seemed to be fully answered, while the plan left full scope for the exercise of his wit and satire. Thus it was, that without reading, and consequently incapable of doing justice to any one publication, did M. Kotzebue profess to review many hundreds! The Literary Journal sometimes rose to the elevation of the sciences, which were perfectly foreign, and a real terra incognita to the author; and amongst other subjects, those of theology and physic. Because these topics afforded an opportunity of being witty, he took great liberties with them; and, like many other of a similar description in his plays, the writer himself considered his lucubrations as the effusions of elegance and piety. He rifled old critiques from periodi |