Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1869-04-03
carlyls-Intsrssting Interview with Him

From the New York Evening Post
The following account of recent visit
to him is taken from n private letter
written by Mr.. Eugene Schuyler, the
United States Consul at Moscow, to a
friend in this city:
In London we have not done very
much except see people. Mr.. Moncure
D. Conway took me last night to see Mr..
Carlyle. / don't know of anything in a
long time that have enjoyed SO much.
His house is full of books, and very quiet
and neat looking. When we arrived he
was asleep. and we stayed down stairs
talking to his neice, Miss Aitken, who is
now living with him. AS soon as we
heard him stirring we went up stairs to
the drawing-rooms, filled ON every side
with books and curious old prints. y +.
he was in his dressing gown, and,
after shaking hands with Conway, sat
down on the hesrth-rug, leaned against
the chimney.piece, and filed long pipe
with tobacco, and began to smoke and
talk,
HE looks very much like his photo
graph, with shaggy iron-gray hair and
beard and q standing collar, but is now a
little thin, "a he has not been quite well
recently. He began about Edinburg,
with "reminiscences of old times there and
in Glasgow, and blasts at the wealth and
rottenness of the present Glasgow. He
poured out plenty of abuse on Scotch
Sabbatarianism and strait-lacedness. We
did not interrupt him much, but let him
talk.
"When he got through his pipe he pro-
posed that we take a walk with him and
then come back for tea. 1t was raining,
but he resisted my umbrella being held
over him, and we walked about the streets
of Chelsea, keeping up desultory con-
versation.
he began to speak about Russia, and
then about Russian authors. He bad met
Turgenef four times, liked him very
much, and had read with admiration all
Of his works of which he could get trans
lations. Talked of the difficulties of the
Russian language, and how little be even
knew of French and German, after thirty
years study of them.
"When we came again TO the house we
had tea in the drawing-rooM and the
talk was of Voltaire. had found in the
archives at Moscow new account of
Voltsires death, which had been pub
lished in the Journal des Debdts, by
Taine, with comments and compliment.
He spoke Of Voltaire's death, and told
various anecdotes about him. Then
about serpent worship = Conway ad-
vsncing the theory that our dollar mark
81 came from some old Tyrias coin,
which circulated in Spain, and meant the
pillars of Hercules and a serpent; and
SO about money.
He was much interested about some
Russian money / had. and especially in
one bill which had fine portrait Of Pc
ter the Great Then We talked about
Russia again. He had read a great deal
about Russia, and admired it, and under
stood il pretty we'll. He didn't believe
in emancipation, and abused Radicalism
every once in while.
"Of course we did not attempt 10 con
trovert him on such points, but let him
have his way. He quoted something
John Quincy Adams said about Russia,
that the Anglo-Ssxon aud the Russian
races were the only oues having the
germs of civil freedom in them, and said
be never understood il till after reading
Haxthsnses AID Turgenef, and from the
omissions of Herizen-whom as a red
Republican be did not like. From this
be wandered on to Samuel Adams, then
Burg0yne and Chatham.
He sdmires Chatham greatly, csYe-
cislly as being able 10 see that an army
must be led BY real captain. and not q
pole With e cooked hat on II, aud Cor