New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1868-01-13


by the fresh breezes tile New World his vision ranges
der her light atmosphere exclaimng, Give Inc health
and day, and will make the pomp Of emperors fllgu
Ions" Carlyle is Germanzed Scotsman living near lne
roar OF our great metropolis with memories OF Welmar
on the one hand OF the bleak gray hills Of the Covenant
st1dyng swedenborg and the Phedo in his garden far
enough from the din of cities TO enable him. IN seasons
london are as fugitive any Whit OF smoke so is So
oety so is the world" In the chapter of SartOr Resn1
feeling of the dreamke character OF the universe re-
garded a series of dissolvng views but this MOOD OF
the other I'm most practical matters the is strong
where the other ia weak Mr.. Emerson seems To haNe
dusb at second hand he writes poorly Of the passions
which he has realized His essay on Love is to
tering pOwer His own instincts innocent, and we
might have predicted that his rules OF life would De ms
stTbrenoSy1 and Drge" are Indications OF his having
passed through the "yaey Of the eut he mas en-
iestia CITY without having crossed the dark river His
moral theories are less sound and less applicable 10 real
same reason that shelley's were less applicable than
wordsworths. OF the two the latter alone ree3gnzes
corruption and acknowledging the necessity Of law on
duty with definite sanctions, takes for his wachWCd INC
Christian selfsacrce in place OF the Pagan sefrelnce
The artistic qualifications of these writers are even
more strongly contrasted. The charm OF Mr Emerson
style at its best lies III It's precision ana Gaze hn
round outlines graceful and clear but colorless lis el
pie is modern Parthenon. Carlyle seems 10 strugks
his creed Gothic his thoughts often fragnehly'
sometimes grotesque but he never oends us ny te
placency Of the American epTammatst and ne reueen5
his incOmpeteness by the humor with whlch he
edges IT, More Of man at starting his power "
has increased with years, but MS fdith III oheI In
has unfortunately diminished aiief passing tlOsh '
Everlasting No to the Everlasting lea nc mas colhPl.V
the circle and gone back 10 the Iceland OF negatos
With all his pTofounder sympathies he taxes MS t as
a retroTade POLITICIAN and, seeing oy decay N,te 1
fellows seeing progress, advocates purey lth "u
impracticabe despOtism. MI Emerson mere snIuCH ~
comparison Whatever his faith IN the Invisible may De-
Idat tstffb ALI
and noise OF mobs, he keeps his temper and resting on
Justice never cries FOR vengeance Iheir poo ~ ,o
trick" is his expression In season OF ma
t!onai folly but wars and revolutions take nothing from
HE internal tranoutv; amid the strife OF parties TO
Of which lie belongs he preserves the pure intellectual
PTndhon and louis Blanc Hail and Shakespeare against
ficr ana FOX with whatever loss of that consistency
which he sgmatizes as the "hobgoblin OF little minds
lie balances his aristocratc reserve with strong demo
cratic tendencies, and has confidence In progression ~
antagonism His career has been progressive III ihe
direction of actual life "Socicty and politics. says M
Lowell, (Which are main elements 10 strength have
drawn Emerson steadily MAYNARD and outward lf
dwes apart from factions yet at every crisis OF his cou
fewest words the aptest and truest th as the spohe
man OF a liberty at once ideal ana practical.
MR.. EMERSON As A CRITIC.
Mr. Emerson is snguarly unequal as critic. for
penetration subtety ana co1csi, .,.i h soi, ~
They frequently fectous, ut all times fresh ana
genuine, aud expressed with ric{ kSor' th9nsn' on
occasions. with unpruned violence On Inc other
hand, this freshness IS often purchased by ach on Know
ledge. Hobbies confessed that he owed much OF MS org
naty 10 the restricted range OF his reading Emerson
often his apparent force to the hmatlous Oh hs
thought His eye keen, but his scope ~ eonp4IaEr
Gus mat tey ,Sfcfd Rv he haste which ne condemns
in his cOunrymon he looks other nations through the
folding telescope OF tourist His Lngh Ir0iS tpouu
in trenchant epigrams but though they pay an amply
generous tribute English greatness they ls' III many
important particulars the salient point both f9rgood ana
evil Of English character. In one page mud him com
mending Tie TimcS newspaper for its reliability, inde
pendence and COusistcncy-an American Ntfdlct Nh'h
ihe yicjsudes OF the last years must have done
IN
" on the side OF religion of the vigorous Enrsh under
Standing shows how much wit and folly IN
brain Their religion is a quotation; their church is
doll; aud any examination j. lutcrdlcfd WIN tcIth' Oh
terror" Mr. Emerson repeatedly gives bis sanction 10
The sfrauccs continental notions of nsular
tricty. His representations OF our leadis thkeI WIZ
crs and Statesmen seldom rise above the level Of Mr. VII
s PenclHgs Iyhc TCy HIS taste IS constantly 10 fault
an ncessaut sraning after torhiCs mars ,s JIot.
as much ii ytiacs his style, and BIS love II dscc
pushed 10 an extreme, leads HIM over the couh-l. D
fact well the reservations Of fashion, INTO rr
carcanre. dOgmatlst. IN spite ~ Tie inrulHyc iu y
esteuccs which ought % be fatal % dOgmatUn bis iude
Incuts 81 those whose lives aud writings do not square
with IFS theories Tor the most part ynncc,' ava
when he docs injustice 20 his adyorsacs, hs act as
sumption thOt an wise men must agree Win LIN Ol
Locke Is as surely the niuS decompositon agd prose
as Bacon and the Platouisis @ 81 OF ~, W.
denborg throw All the cot .mp1raty pho'plhy OF In
gland into the shade or says contln iuo5l 81 we s,
oxen Think; writes of his converge with land0r lie
pcstored me with southey; but who j. sonthe}y ne
shows either iguoTluce on hlldI'}' III, ~ "l
with whose method he has 10 real -ympdthy seems 10
fOuudcroi iuducuYe science. lis Own Hylp I"..n't
Mus mira" than Plus ultra" md his idea ~ truth Is
knowledge OF their forms as INC aGeg'I ol w
mind with itself He utterly rejects tie Idotd Ihc0t
but not cqucntly falls prey 20 al the Diners ne
seldom ventures on verbal criticism aud IN dealing with
foreign languages he ber1}s the Wcakhr, o ms -cAu"
Plato in some respects ~ Bis poorest he seems 10
have read him Nr. B0hn's Transitions, which he pro
nounces excellent" ono qualification FOR good critic
is weildehned artistic STANDARD another j. me drlale
capacity o. placing himself Tor the Time ia te position 81
neither Of these. In reviewing an author ne seems 10
skim his works aud ask how fr the results arrived at
fearless inquirer 10 unfortunately hietlh 30 ulIh Pc
sumptiOn to feel an absolute Indifference cgahhR ne
opinions of others, and this IN excess constitutes moral
as well a. an artstc deIe't nouft u lI'V, a'i i
preston Of II ought 10 he so, but when our nOngt "a
good we are bound 10 watch u With more tii oiii1
care 20 sfi its conclusions, ana I'll et 10 state ~
erately Mr. Emersons thought does Wanutl ial, hhu u
rms last: he docs not know what moderation IN c&-
preston means, and his alnost childish rove OF e@I
In dealing with subjects aud in handling nanes 30i9i
u regarded as sacred, he ceShls III ~" os ii Go
rides roughshod over the most cherished coIeons OF
smile and a sort Of divine mpudencc Every claim OF
and t,reGlately decides 10 believe the contrary" lie
never seems 10 have read the inscription on hc hd gate
OF Buzerane: "Be not too bold" DC staDs the bull APIS
in utter disregard Of the historians warning His m
patient dihcpgti0iies nature detract from his trust
wOrhincss in matters Of detail WhIe ny Similar care,
lessncs he repeats and contradics himself with equal
frequency. His sOundest judgments relate To the men
around him OF whom he Is the pauccyfist and
the censor All that IL and foolish III their mode OF
condemns; all that Is nODest and most hopeful lac
applauds
HIS GENERAL POSITION.
Mr. Emerson has left his mark OF the century 20 use
favore phrase OF his own, che cannot be Skipped Even
where his results least satisfactory bis Intense sug
gestiyeness 81 Thought IN others; ana ~ one
OF the genetc powers" Of modern Literature his ierhz-
ing Influence viii survive his incOnclu-lyc specuatiOns
His faults manifest; peulant reyefencc, frequent
supcrfciay rash bravery, an Inadequate solution Of
difficulties dcemng itself adequate, among the chief
he Is
In phrase and pure In fancy His best coqucnco flows as
easily as "A stream In OF excessive fetcencc aud
cautious hypocrisy he lives within n case OF crystal,
where there cOncealments. We suspect him
nlf nf he M fnllnilnrlL-