The Scotch do not care to hear about
Fergusson, in spite of their `myriad mutchkined enthusiasm' for his
more illustrious imitator and successor, Burns.
At this time Edinburgh was honouring itself, and Mr. Parnell, by
conferring its citizenship on that patriot. Murray was actually
told off `to stand at a given point of the line on which the hero
marched,' and to write some lines of `picturesque description.'
This kind of thing could not go on. It was at Nelson's Monument
that he stood: his enthusiasm was more for Nelson than for Mr.
Parnell; and he caught a severe cold on this noble occasion.
Murray's opinions clashed with those of the Scottish Leader, and he
withdrew from its service.
Just a week passed between the Parnellian triumph and Murray's
retreat from daily journalism. `On a newspaper one must have no
opinions except those which are favourable to the sale of the paper
and the filling of its advertisement columns.' That is not
precisely an accurate theory. Without knowing anything of the
circumstances, one may imagine that Murray was rather impracticable.
Of course he could not write against his own opinions, but it is
unusual to expect any one to do that, or to find any one who will do
it.
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