The daily exchange. [volume] (Baltimore, Md.) 1858-1861, 1860-07-26


Office of orheast corner of
North streets, Baltimere N -
Mr.. THAcKERAY commences, in the July number
of the C0Tnh'H Magazine the publication of the
delightful lectures upon the "Four GEORGES, u
which were delivered so successfully some years |
ago in this country, and from the first one of
which we give some extracts in another column. |
We have reason to know that it was the intention |
of the author, when in the UNITED STATES, TO pub
fish the lectures upon his return to England to-
gether with illustrative volume of notes and |
extracts, made and collected in the course of his
preparatory researches. Various reasons have
been given, from time TO time in the newspapers
for the non-appearance of the work Among
Others it was stated that the very pungent stric-
lures upon the reigning family pervading the whole
series, and especially the lecture upon GEORGE ~,
had been so unfavorably received by the higher
classes of English society, as to render the author
unwilling to commit himself by printing them.
An imputation so entirely at war with the indie
pendence which has distinguished Mr. THAoKERAY's
whole literary and personal career, is now very
couclusively disposed of by the selection of the
CornhW Magazine as the medium for the commu-
nication of the lectures 10 the public Indeed, it
would be unjusty attributng to any class of cul-
tvated people in Great Britain O most unworthy
and deplorable subserviency, to suppose that COM
mentaries fairly made-no matter with what seve-
rity, if justly made-upon the social weaknesses
and vices Of the nation, at any epoch, or the per-
sonal obiquities off any of its deceased Monarchs,
would bring upon their author visitation of So
cial or personal dsparagement. The defects I'M
doubleday inherent in the framework of English
society, like the defects of the political system
which uphods it, prevented to a great extent |
by the well-used freedom of public comment, writ
ten and spoken from leading to the consequences |
which would seem, in the abstract, to flow from |
them matter of necessity. There is in fact, but |
little to be apprehended from the nominal charac-
Ter of any institutions-let the type be what it |
mry-when there co-eXists with them the perfect |
freedom of speaking and writing the truth,
and that freedom is honestly as well as fear
lessly exercised. The fraud, and violence, and
selfshness even of despotism could not long cling
to it, were there recognized power in the press
to summon it to daily account, dragging it into
the light and calling it by its true name before
lis face. We do not mean to state merely the |
obvious proposition, that free press must usual
ly, at last, produce government likewise free in
its forms. We mean, that with free press. any
government would cease to be oppressive, in fact.
even though it should continue 10 wear the most |
absolute shape that could be devised by the House
of Hapsburgh. And we submit that the correla- |
tive of the proposition is equally true, and that
press, free but not honest, may be practically |
corrupt, and pervert into oppressiveness, govern
ment, the forms of which are most Free 1t would |
we think, be easy TO imagine system, not repub-
iican in shape, yet more republican in fact than |
republic, if the tendencies of the former were |
met and challenged, at every turn, by press, |
conscientious and elevated as well as brave and |
free, while the worst proclivities of the latter
were stimulated into mob-tyranny, by the flattery,
subserviency and selfprosttution of press bold |
because free, but neither honest nor heightened. |
What IS true, in these regards, of the relation of
the press to contemporary events, is equally true
though, of course, with diminished influence |
on nshtutions-of its dealing with men who are |
deadi with events which have become history: |
ana manners that no longer prevail. If what |
was vicious and corrupt in customs and affairs is |
plainly called so-let the shame fall where it |
may; if bad lives are described and reprobated. |
as they were, and the bad men and women who |
lived them have the masks pulled from their dead
faces, though they lie buried in Abbeys, or are |
walled about with marble in Cathedral crypts; if |
IN tine the press and literature do their duty to
the present. by telling the honest truth rs to the
past there is vital element of freedom and de-
velopment in the society thus blessed, which is
well worth much constitutional paper. These
practical truths no people understand more
thoroughly than our brethren across the water,
and to suppose, therefore, that ''the GEORGES
have been kept in limbo, until now because of
their authors having been Extensively free-spoken,
seems to involve the strongest ignorance of Eng
fish literature and the public it addresses II is
fairest TO presume that the great humorst knew
his own time and market best, and we think he
was fortunate in reserving the admirable pictures
of society and manners which the lectures present,
in his very happiest view, as sequel and
counterpiece TO "Lovel the Widower'' which
hardly reached the level of his maturer reputa-
ton In brief proem to the sketch of GEORGE
lst he takes occasion to remind his readers, that
he does not mean to trouble himself or them
''aoout battles, about politics. about statesmen and
''maters of State, - but to sketch
1.-THE manners and life of the old world to amuse
''tor few hours with talk about the old society;
'and with the result of manya days and nights
pleasant reading, to try and vile away few
winter evenings for his hearers. Accordingly the
lectures bear the modest title, only, of tSketches
"ot Manners, Morals Court and Town Life"
How exqustely the sketching is managed, those |
who know the hand will ascertain for themselves |
as new pleasure, if they did not hear the lee
turer, and as great pleasure revived and re-
doubled, 1t they were fortunate enough to sit |
under his hne reading We trust that Mr..
lhAckERAY will carry out his original plan of
publication and follow the lectures themselves
WIN Illustrations from the contemporary letters
documents and memoirs, the spirit and tone of
whlch he has, with such rare art, transferred, SO
inily and frequently, to his own pages.