The Sun.
London, England, 1870-05-30 00:00:00

" FREE RUSSIA "

AND

FREE AND EASY' CRITICISM.
During the last fow weeks a rather animated discussion
has been going on between Mr Hepwort It Dixon and the Pall
Mall Gazelle. Several letters in regard to this discussion
having been addressed to ourselves have duly appeared iu
our own columns, as well ae in those of some of our contem-
poraries.. The argument throughout has had reference to
Mr Dixon's last work and the Pall Mall's comments—par-
tially commendatory, partially condemnatory—thereupon.
Before touching, however, in any way, here, upon the
subject matter in dispute between those two very conspicu-
ous disputants, the popular author and the popular journalist,
we would, in this place, for a reason immediately afterwards to
be explained, give an excerpt in regard to the latter from
another book altogether than " Free Russia"—from a book
in which its anonymous author incidently introduced his
estimate of, we may even go so far as to add, his respect and
admiration for, our young and distinguished contemporary.
The work to which we are now alluding had reference to
her Majesty's present ministerial advisers, being issued from
the press upwards of a year ago by the same eminent
publishing house from which Mr. Dixon's "Free
Russia" has more recently emanated. It was entitled "The
Gladstone Government," and consisted of a series of "Cabinet
Pictures by A Templar " At that portion of the work
set apart for the consideration of the President of the Poor

Law Board, the Right Hon. J G. Gosohen, the writer, while
commenting upon the momentous social problem now more
urgently almost than any other demanding its solu ion from
the Legislature, that of mitigating, if possible, the horrors of
destitution, took occasion to observe as follows :
" Not very readily, we should suppose, will it be lost to
the popular remembrance, how it came to pass that one of
the youngest, and as it has ever since then shown itself to
be, one of the very ablest of our evening newspapers, leaped
at once, as by a single bound,' into celebrity. Reading, as
we all did, the statement there set forth, with a singularly
manly and affecting eloquence, by that noble-hearted and
self sacrificing Amateur Pauper Casual, who therein gave us
his own personal experiences—experimentally acquired— of

our s 3 stem of Poor Law Relief, as it actually is, we recog-
nised upon the instant, in the organ which had had thus the
courage to set forth that startling and most impressive nar-
rative, a journal penned by thoughtful men, men whose
opinions it was worth one's while to ascertain and ponder
over.

"Standing in imagination beside the Amateur Casual as Le
plunged into that bath like weak mutton broth— pah !
the flavour of which has not yet passed from our palate,
merely from reading about it—we could understand even then,
what the time that has since elapsed has very clearly de-
monstrated, that, in immersing himself in that revolting
liquid, the narrator, in his capacity as the representative, or

alter ego of the young Pall Mall Gazette, had rendered it in a

measure, among our organs of public opinion, as invulne-
rable as Achilles, when he had been plunged into the
Styx. • Interesting as the incident was, as another added to

the many interesting incidents recorded in the history o.

journalism, it was yet more profoundly interesting as a
social revelation." See The Gladstone Government,
pp. 321-322.
We have quoted those words, here, in The Sun, for the very
simple reason that in • point of fact they aro
our own opinions. They express now, as they expressed
then, as plhinly as words could express anything, the
estimate we had already formed (and have all along held
throughout the five years during which it has been in exist-
ence) in regard to the Pall Mall Gazette.

1: it h that estimate the course pursued very recently by
the Pall Mall Gazette in dealing with Mr. Dixon's book
about "New Russia," jars and clashes, however, most
disastrously. Facts shall speak for themselves. About
mere matters of taste or more matters of opinion men may
be allowed to differ. Tritest among all the trite proverbs
belonging to all literature are these two—" Quot homines,

tot sententim (It thought borrowed from Terence), uud De
gustibus non est disputandum. With regard to facts, how-
ever, it is axiomatically remarked that they are stubborn

things ; and, as we hive but just now said, they speak for

themselves, In reference to this discussion between Mr.
Hepworth Dixon and the Pall Mall Gazette we would now
add, let them (that is; the facts simply) speak for themselves.
Early in the present year the Messrs. Smith, Elder, and
Co., a publishing firm of great eminence, not altoget her dis-
associated from the Pall Mall Gazette, brought out a work
called MODERN RUSSIA, by a German Author. In April of
the present year the Messrs. Hurst and Blackett brought out
FREE RUSSIA. The latter, that is, Mr. Dixon's work, is
already (in May) in its Third Edition. While, in regard to
the former, meaning the translation from the German—if it

is oven yet out of its first edition, the public knows nothing
at all about it.

Innuediately after the original publication of "Free
Russia," we ourselves reviewed it in these columns in terms
which it eminently well deserved. Iu terms of kindred ap-
proval it was reviewed by the majority of our leading
contemporaries. " Free Russia," we know for a fact, was
not sent for notice to the Pall Mall Gazette—and, for another
fact, we know this, that a copy being recently asked for, was
at length, in answer to that request, sent 'by
the publishers of the work to our contemporary.
It was in consequence of this, that, not longer since than the
IGth of this present May,there appeared in the Pall Mall Gazette
au article praising Free Russia (iu parts) as "fair," "dra-
matic," and " picturesque," but objecting to five statements
of fact. Thereupon Mr. Dixon replied—J we have received the
letters and have published them in our columns] —Mr.Dixon
replied that these five erroneous statements were not
in his book, and that he had not made the errors
alleged. Consequent upon this— the Pall Mall abused
him, but gave no answer. Mr. Dixon wrote again
declaring the citations false. The Pall Mall ac-
knowledged the receipt of an " insolent, ingenious letter"
but kept it dark—refrained from publishing it. Baffled in
his very natural endeavour to extract an apology or retrac-
tation from the editor, Mr. Dixon then turned to the critic.
With what result? No answer! Finally, on the 20th of
May, the Pall Mall Gazette sent to the publishers of "Free
Russia" and bought a copy of the third edition—the result
of that investment being visible in the Pall Mall of Friday
evening last (May the 27th), in a laboriously got up and cer-
tainly a very abusive article running into three columns,
under the title of " Suggestions for a fourth edition of Free
Russia "—suggestions mostly childniosht ainnudsiott,l, of
„tiiheiemf
absurd. For example, there are among them these
direct assertions—"Singingis
in not the capital of Little Russia" !! "Georgia is peopled
by Mahomedans "!! ! There are no real Russians in the
upper parts of Great Russia "! !! !
As though any one were to observe that the voice of
Patti or of Mario was not music !—that Dublin was not the
capital of Ireland ! !—that Scotland is peopled by Epis-
copalians!!! That there are no English in New Eng-
land ! ! !!

And consistently to the end of the chapter—this chapter
of accidents, shall it be called charitably ? —Noir ONE WORD
ABOUT THE FIVE ABSOLUTELY FALSE CITATIONS MADE BY
THE Pall Mall Gazette.

In the presence of this really discreditable incident in the
history of the Pall Mall Gazette, wo are constrained to re-
vise our opinion of its character and of its pretensions—we
are constrained, in the interests of our calling and for the
honour alike of literature and of journalism, to cancel the
high estimate we have hitherto formed and expressed of the
reputation of our contemporary. Its boast a year or two
ago was that it was written "by gentlemen for gentlemen "
—' which it wore true," oven Mrs: Gamp might have
said, had she still survived up to only a very little further
back than yesterday—" but then," as Mrs. Gamp's shadowy
"counterfeit presentment," Mts. Brown, might add, "as
the sayin' is, there's gentlemen and gentlemen !"

FASHIONABLE ARRANGEMENTS TO-DAY.
The Levee this afternoon at St. James's Palace.

Ball at the Countess of Caledon's, 5, Carlton House-terrace.
Dancing Party at Mrs. Bonsor's, 10, Hill-street, Berkeley-

square. .
The Countess of Bantry's ball, announced for to-morrow,
will take place instead this evening.
The Duke of Rutland's garden party at Bute Lodge.
The Duchess of Sutherland's assembly.
The annual regimental dinner of the sth Lancers (Royal
Irish) at the Albion, Aldersgate• street, at 8 p.m. I re-
cisely.

The annual regimental dinner of tho 7th Dragoon Guards
(Princess Royal's), also at the Albion, Aldersgate,..treet,
at 8 p.m. precisely.

The annual regimental dinner of the 9th Lancers (Queen's
Royal), at the Albion, Aldersgate-street, at 8 p.m. pre-
cisely.

The Fairy Rose Garden open to-day (without oxtra charge)
at the Crystal Palace.
Signor Marras's apres-midi musicale, at his residence, 10,
Hyde-park-gate, Kensington-gore, three to five o'clock.
The Yorkshire Society's Ball at Willis's Rooms.

Mr. Kuhe's Grand Annual Morning Concert, at 2.30 p.m., at
St.. James's Hall.
At Lord's Ground (grand cricket match).—Gentlemen of
M.U.C. v. Yorkshire

SCIENTIFIC MEETINGS—TO-DAY.
Anniversary Meeting of the Asiatic Society, at 3 o'clock.
Heeling of the Architectural Society, at 8 o'clock.
Meeting at the United Service I stitution at 8.30 p.m.,
where Captain J. C. HoseaFon will reed a paper on the
"Necessity for the Extension of our Naval Transport .Fleet
for Military Purposes."