New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1868-12-05
LITERARY.


HENRY JAMES AND r. W. EhEhsoN
The following pungent protest asa'noV ~. .no
wtess rage OF gossip when inio9' od names in
newspaper press from one OF the ino' g, oino
American literature has recently aII0i 1, 90 cor.
81, Re,,bi.oa,, The writer also taxes oec"sion "
-, o,a,n false impressions of the system OF fouiNi'
xh,oh impressions he denounces as vulgar erIoi''
.Te, m The Bosto,. Commonwealth the Following y ex-
sract from a letter OF your hVeiy coiie'PV "
e brosl Fan, Lecture also. Ssy ' very p pE..
h. saws Emerson nothing about Fourier az ss &
d % BIN Tbs, be 9s, IeSa d to Sm While he ,h,yns
Mere are three statements in this brief compass AZ
WIZ ~ nreface let me say that not very mad,
whatever that choice epthet may lneah' NJ hnTad
.ors criticsm on Fourier but very much shoekeo
na cSaSTned at the monstrous misrepresentation Mr.
EnersOn gave OF FOurer's books when ne rePeoeISoa
sf sercontro and this quite much or more on Mr.,
xnersons account than Fourier s. VINO can a. Years
sndure any amount OF Obloquy for any NUMBER OF
10 come since his fame will only he enhances W
and IL true that Fourier alleges tWe'9 Ihituaiiv
Dassons, or attractions Of the soul, when naDItuh1
Mad men 70 act and upon the harmonic play Oh S
as guaranteed exclusively by perfect society OF d
hood among menOur natural SANITY pot "a NM NJ ac
body s contingent. But Mr. Emerson, having no az
suaintance with Fourier at nrst manu- snI IN tbe
oelved that he could only use the MORO St his nre
dirty conventional OF lust and hence thst ms p,
tension TO organize the fundamenta in the usts
An uuitary amounted I'D 1ao 10 stlns hithero
of the BODY even OOseT rem than they nave ~
challenged This repeat was very pa Would ensne
because thought any special aamaSS NM az infai
from the mistake TO Fourier VINO Dldes us nie 90 nt
rs
heesnse OF nv hearty love and esteem for Emerson,
winch are wounded by seeing him fall 80 nnwungy 1
vulgar and very vulgar errors. de hmsen 70 SUI
tho1ght by many hafwtted people IN Church any ote
90 council dangerous degree OF sefconcet anu inteI
Ieciua license generally, 10 calow youth Wen, MS own
books venture to say supply fifty plausible pfeteAts
for this ppant injustice done 10 himself where
books would supply for the far grosser nnslce dOhe
70 HIM, -. ,>.,ou.oo,.
while it is true then, that complain OF Emerson
fncompeenee to ereise Fourier ms present basis OF
knowledge and to no one frankly than TO Emerson
himself the other two statements attributed 20 c 70 t
affect that MT Emerson had told thus and 80 IN re-
xnrd 10 Fourier and the measure OF his acquaintance
with him, simple but perfect untruth' hS he'oA
made nor limited either Of them -, III.
ain conclusion, Mr. Editor. allow me to say that whe
have no right claim immunity from tnat Wtess Iaso
of gossip which seems be organizing the correspond
enee many Of papers, and which, Ike tne nee "
E0ypt nvades every secret chamber OF mems personal
consciousness hitherto held sacred from public intruson
nave the right to exact that the some
who report my private conversations OrpuDcaton sehu
noe proof Of matter reported for my previous COT
FectiOn. am, MIR. Editor, very respecu9Iiy your,
Cambridge Mass, Nov. 29"