New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1851-04-07
Henry James ads. TayIer Lewis.

To ne Editor Of The Tribune;
The Literary World, though it affords lavish
continents Of assault and battery upon me by Mr..
Taylor Lewis cannot fad space for the least iset Of
redress on my part. Whatshould doin my present
strait without the great and hospitable Tribune,
whose columns expand to every demand OF hu-
man Justice You aud !, az is well known to your
readers, though it be part of Mr.. Lewis's shall
low tactics to identify u.s. differ very widely in
our ethical specuations. l sometimes indeed feel
provoked at your obdurste blindness to my view
of these questions; but never forget how in all
the attributes of sincere, generous, enlightened
and independent Press, The Tribune shines pre-
eminent. God bless you and it!-which means,
being interpreted, may you both grow in all man.
ner Of manliness
Mr.. Lewis special pleading with regard to his
Interpretations of my book, will not bear close
scrutiny. But 1 am content to suppose that
he did not act with conscious falsity, and there
fore dismiss all concern with the subject.
Mr.. Lewis quarrels with both the morality and
Christianity of my book. He insinuates tina. it is
areproduction of Hobbies, Goodwin, Rousseau, and
Owen. With the exception of Godwin's Caleb
HIAiGms, have never diligently read any o.
these writers; but after Mr.. Lewis recommen.
dation, it will be my own fault if do not speedily
make their acquaintance. What Mr. Lewis says
confirms suspicion have long felt, that the best
because most spiritual, Christianity is to be found
in books most obnoxious to the Christian sects ::
and some of these days shall assuredly push my
Investigations in that direction.
But my ideas means lille disclaim any such pa
ternity. They originated exclusively in a jealous
study of the four evangelists. They are very
feeble, admit, but q very faithful portraiture of
the mind of Jesus, the Christ Of God. They
represent, as it seems TO me, that famous and
much misunderstood controversy Of bis, better
than any thing known to our sectarian literature;
and hence the extreme bitterness of denunciaton,
with, at the same time, the extreme scantiness
OF examination which they receive at the hands
of that literature. Thus you observe in all Mr..
Lewis's effusions any amount OF indignant and
vituperative prejudice, but a careful evasion of
any systematic criticism of my theory, either Of
Morals OF Christianity.
As to morals, what held is this, that man as
he comes from the hand of God, or what is the
same thing, in bis Utmost self hood, is pure from
all imperfecton that his imperfection springs
entirely from without, or from the non conformity
of his natural self hood to this inner and spiritual
one; and that all that il wanted, therefore, for
his actual perfection, is the simple removal dis
Of those institutions whose practical operation
promotes the non conformity in question. Surely
this il 4 harmless proposition, TO be met and re-
futed, If possible by argument, bat completely in
vincible by mere sectsTan buster and insinuaton.
do not address myself TO the criminal population
and incite them to violate the laws. / address
myself to the rulers Of society," to Legislators and
scholars like Mr.. Lewis, and ask them TO lock
into the causes Of our prevalent corruption and
apply the remedy there. They will not. They
lszily insist that evil is immortal and look to the
hospital and jail as the only solace. / attended
meeting Of Rev. DR.. Cheevers congregation a
few months since, to hear q sermon from that
gentleman on Christian Socialism. In contrast
ing what Civilization had done, now established
some twenty centuries,) with what Socialism mad
dsne, mot yet established at al,) the orator tri.
umphantly ssked: Where are the hospitals Co.
cialsm has founded, the institutions for tho bind,
for the DEAF for the insane, for the Magdalen for
the orphan, and 80 forth These are the goriea of
Christian Civilization What can Socialism show
to compare with themi" l was really shocked
to hear such nonsense going unrebuked. Social
ism comes forward claiming radically to cure all
the evils with which society is afflicted and this
gentleman suddenly oonfrOnts il with an earnest
protest on behalf OF the imperishable claims of
the House Of Refuge and the Magdalen Asylum