The independent press. (Abbeville C.H., S.C.) 1853-1860, 1858-11-26
Dickens and Tha sl,eray.

Dickens and Tha chcray
1t IS tho genialilv more than the genius
which attracts in the works Of Dickens
They warm mud widen our bosom, even il
we have discovered il thousand faults for
faults abound. Dickens is neither faithful,
!6rcl1le painter, nor a consu,nnac artist.
lie is n caricaturi>t--hc; is Il lnanncrG,t. in
general, the incidents are impossible, the
plot clumsiIv constructed. and the characters
wooden. What should he robust and
healthy feelings, is tn: ,ilcn >impc,ins,
waddiing scntir,cutailv. The style Of
Dickens, though in the main mul,otounus,
/, an honest Saxon style. Iii, books have
gained Il marvelou, reputation, but they vii!
not have n lasting fame; for genialy is
not vitality. He is essential v an original
writer, nnd he has founded Il school. lie
and lis school. however, have sacrificed too
much to tic temporary first. in the deter
n'inaion To amusr, let the cost be what it
might; and sccondIv. in the a,,cm,t 10
play the rctorm"r. y tue literary arlS:
would strive to realize his own i.!eal OF fbcau-
" without thinking Of the p.a,rl, Or the
PENCE and hc would leave 10 the prurh.,
the w",k which the p.uI,l,,t can pcr!u,m
- rsscl' better than hr. | an, Indebted.
however, To Dickens for many u ha.rv
hour, and have never risen from his r:,urs
without more living AMI lavish love to.
wards AL Ihankinl. Unlike Dickens, 1ha.k
cray has more genius than c"naiitv.--
" hcrc there Is genius Of the highest kind
the equality will be always in proportion.
IA we see i'll the iu>ru.. instance Of Shak
:pcarc. 6ut in genius uf Il lrh Kind.
though not Of The highest, c"rialv, Il, ia
The case Of Dante, may be- altogether want
ing. W NtlIoal genius Of the highest kind.
lhack"r'y is rs destitute e. yr.,;alitv AS !,
Is possible ior ''au Of c'.n:,,s TO Le. Even
more important than faith IN Cod is fa,l,
III human natur.. This faith Thackgrav
docs his utmost 10 destroy. lie paints he
seldom caricaurcs j; bnl he seem, to deirht
i'll painting only such life as can bc s,cn in
London clubs and in Paris halls. Every
man has ugly lrprous spots in his own na-
ture, which tie avcnyins ,lcilieS continual.
'y thrust before lis eyes. Why to XIII
shame, or hope, or noblcncss in his soul,
should you in addition drive him into AN
atmosphere heavy with the stencil of all the
infamies You make frcsl, pollution when
continually string the pollutions Let the
polIutions alone, unless, like Hercules, YOU
can turn river in upon them to carry
them away. Gancing back for hundred
and fifty years, Thackcrav could see moth
ing but four dctestablc kings. Glancug
around. Ire can sec nothing but P;lncrs that
Rurdcr, Robsons that swindlc and unvcr-
sal snobbcry. dare say all the while
Ihackeray, as prosperous author, and pros.
porous lecturer, con,riyes, in the midst Of
this foul and horrible world, TO make him
self very comfortable. Your nisaulhropist
or pretended misanthropist, loves at least
one man we'll Quarelng with Thackerav's
cynicisms, do l likewise quarrel with his
style: Not ms style, for few styles can be
better. I Object TO it that it is an elaborate
imitation ofEnglish style, in the Addisonian
period Critic