New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1866-10-06
4 cARD FROM Mr. cHARLEs READE
lHF PRURIENT PRUpF.


woman shows itself by certain sOwress 20 put toIl
construction things and also by unobtrusiycly shuu
niDg indecao matters and discussions. The FIunen1
pTudo The contrary itehs 30 attract attention BY
parade OF modcsty Wich is tLe mud lUTn O. tie disease.
eI even by rshy accusing Others Of ,minodesy land t1S
Doctor johnson" said lady what admire in your
dictionary hat Won have inserted improper WoGs
"Wbatl yOa looked fOI them, uiadam SAID the DOC
cor. -,
Here was Prrnent Prude, that would have taken
b. ordinary photographer.
The wiek eder kind OF "Pmuent Prnde mas comlnlteu
great ravsges IA English railways '1e caiilaeesi
fou must know small and seldom lItI' l'eslecldlie
hen fond themselves alone WIN ray 4oui-5 t,lalc
addressed civil remark 20 her were accused az me s9
Of the journey Of attempting her virtue ana pnhSheu
kDIusLy o. else had 70 Buy no! %. w a. s'' d CH
sue refused 10 sit in carriage where there woman
eDIy such terror had THE Prurient Prlde inspired in
manly breasts The last of these herODes however came
o. grief her victim showed fights submitted trial, ard
vet The police her: she proved TO be- ey one Nersed
h human nature could have foretod, woman Of remark
ably loose morals; and she is az this moment eXaug her
ybree Ps-Prndcry, Prureuce and PeJuJ-n one Of her
Majesty iails.
Some years ago an English baronet nearly rlined
and separated nom his wife by one OF these ladIts ne
xes from thotcOluy and by force Of habit made MS
toilot nearer the window than Londoncr would Il
Pfurient Prude EIkcd opposite, and Wi.eAtI nm lv-
peatedy. which is lust what HOmOdet would nave
Zone once and interpreting each unguadeo action by the
hight Of her own foul imagination, actually brought
criminal charge against the poor soul The charge fell TO
abe ground the moment i was sfted but IN me mean
zine what agony Lad the "Prunent PrOie inflicted OIL
unfortunately the Pru1ieut Pfude" is confined to
ne female sex. Il is not n DC found among men OF
masculine pursuits; but it exist, among writer's Example
Adyorcc ease unit for puohcau0D rs reported D al no
English Journals Next day instead Of berg allowed 70 nc
s renewed in leader The writer OF tls leader besIs
BY complaining OF tho courts 81 law r0r eivnT pohcy %
Ftk- y b. Iherlculous misuse Of this teln, wheIenot
nlh hut crime Is intended is niable sign OF uiry
mind and marks the IruIient Pude." After thsfuursh
gfprudey Prrens goes with guso into the details when
be had Just said unit for pubheauon rake DOWN
rom Gle Of English journals and you viii soon lay your
kAnd on this variety of the lTnent PTude" Aaim-
has little humbug enough.
Bnt ss among women, among writers, the PTunent
Rrude becomes less transparent ana more dangerous
bmpOsteT when. strong IN ths shelter OF te Anonymous
Which hides nom the public bis own dssolute ne ana o.
geene conversation he reads his negh6or by The hgh OF
bis corrupt INA gination. and so ms ptnent Pudel
takes the form of SANDER and assassDaes the tar fame OF
his moral intellectual, and social superior.
Now the five OF SIX PruriCnt Prudcs who dehe the
American press have lately selected me, OF all persons
Dor their victim. They trying hard TO make the Amer
lean public believe two mOnstrouS ialsehoOds Afs 'A"t
ihey are Pureminded men, secondly that am III impure
OF conrse if these fye or six "Purient Prudes' had
s courage TO do as DO sign theh names 20 I5e ~
sonalities their and their characters womb DC al
She defense should need But, by Withholding her
signatures they give the same weight 20 lhgr seen
Bat IN honest man gives by sppending ms signature
and compel me- out OF respect 70 the American pubc
whose esteem value, TO depart from the usual practice
Il authors in position and 10 honor mere literary YER
uain with reply. The case, then stands thus: have
Produccd a story called Griffith Gaunt OF, Jealousy;
This story has since December, 1865, noaed Ihs
b the pages Of The Atlantic Monthly. In this tale
j have 10 deal, as an artist ana scholar
bcribed-to the satisfaction of PruTient PTudes
period in which manners and speech were some
Soat bluner man noS-adaysi anu n 5 ~ Poi;3
great aud terrible passion jealousy and show lts MANIFOLD
consequence of which Bgany n my story is one,
end that without any violation OF proDaDiHy' linen
sroceed show the misery inflicted three persons by
Sgamy which denounce crime. In my double
character moras and artist present not the delusYe
shadow Of Bgamy but It's substance. Inc consequence
b. that instead of shedding mild lusier over Bgamy
n my readers with horror Of Bgamy, and wholesome
Indignation against my principal male character so M as
have shown MIN. Of course Griffith Gannt,' Ike
kBsrd Cash is not childs book little girls book;
is an ambitions story in which present the great pas
ons that poets have sung with applause IL all ages At is
not a boatul of pap but not paid the price OF pap.
By the very nature Of my theme have been compelled
Pew and then 20 tread on delicate grounds ont l
lave trodden lightly and passed swiftly and so viii all
De pure-mnded men and women who read me. No
really modest will suffer any faint py reading
tGTth Gaun" unless, indeed, she returns 70 its Pc
YuSal unsexed, and filed with purient curiosity, By the
kul interpretations Of the "Prurient Prudcs.' Then
come handful Of scnbbers, whose lives are loose and
er conversation obscene they take nay text and read IL
not by its light but by the hight OF their own ioui
.nsginations and having dehled il by mixing their
svn fhy minds with it, they sit in judgment on ne com
Seuad. To these impOstOTs say more. The two
GoTds Purent Prude," will soon run round the Union,
and render its citizens somewhat less gulhble by hat
eiass Of impostor One person, however, has slaD-
6sTed ue so moiicously and so busly, that l
an compelled TO notice him individually the
more so ! am about to sue an English weekly
kf merely quoting him. The editor Of a AeW-YOrk
weekly called Tie Round Table has printed mass Of
ss0uiliiy direct and yicsrOus to tins purpor
: That Griffith Gaunt is indecent publication;
That Ike other novcists the in adultery
NsAmy, and nameless social crimes .
Bu that unlike the majority Of my predecessor side
That The modesiy and purity of cannot survive the
vUlssl Of Griffith tieuDt'
that this story was declined by Of the lowest
aens weekly papes Of New York The ground that g DID
net dare % undertake tS pablieGtOn
Passing from personal 10 ycariOus Islander Dc pnts the
hteT Of animal calling itself g. $ H., who suggests that
sAne inferior writer Griffith Gaunt and that lent my
nAme 10 IL !Or a foreign market and he ana combined 70
swim die the Boston publishers This Ia England we call felony
Now Sir, have often known some obscure Ounce who
Dad the advantage Of oonceang his nameess nao treat
an esteemed author with lofty contempt II the columns OF
aiournsl, aud call his masterpiece sorry production.
pysef we'll accustomed to that sort Of injustice and
INCIDENCE from sCribblers who could not write my smallest
napier 20 their from the gaows and then
souls from premature damnaon Bot the spite and
y Of infenOrs in the great profound, and difficult art
N writing is generally satisfied by calling ounces and
kunglers and CoXcombs, and that sort OF thing
In all my experience never knew the press guilty Of
inch crime as the editor Of The Round 1abe has com
aitted. IL is deliberate attempt TO asSassnate the
moral character Of author and gentleman, and TO stab
Me ladies Of his family to the heart under the pre-
snce Of protecting the Of nation from the de-
norabZng influence Of his pen.
You will at once that could not hold any commu-
picson with The Round Table or its editor, and must,
therefore, trust to American justice and generosity and
ask leave 10 reply in respectable columns.
In to statements g and 8 Ipedge the honor
% gentleman that they are deliberate and intentional
lsehoods and undertake 10 prove this before II honest
American citizens, sworn TO do justice between man and
mar.
As to No. 8, 1 really scarce know what my sanderer
means. Griffith Gaunt, under delusion, commits Biga
py and Of course Bigsmy may BY slight perveron OF
kams be called Adultery. But truthful person attack
ing character would apply both terms TO single act Is
bigsmy more than Polygamyi And Is Polygamy called
st and Adultery too IN every district Of the United
btaiesi
As to the nameess social crimes what does the beast