The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1869-09-01


1850 Stair Franz, and other eminent
critics spoke of it fayorably. But, says
Herr Wagner, this happened only 0itce IN
the case of each of the several writer's. They
all became dumb Immediately afterwards.
The inference of course, is that they we're
"eot at" by the Hebrew organization. Simul-
taneously with this Professor Bischoff, who
''plumed himself upon being Christian, and
descended from a superintendent, attacked
Herr Wagner's art-w ritings in the R05RGScbe
ZeitttU0. invented the nickname Music OF
the Future and ascribed to Herr Wagner
himself all manner of ''senseless theories
From this base ii was easy to operate against
his compositions. The strategy adopted
appears to us unnecessarily elaborate.
First of all, tie Jews fixed upon
DR.. Hansick, ennese lawyer, dialec-
tician, and amateur who was, moreover, an
enthusiastic Wagnerite), to be their instru-
ment. The doctor was manageable, and in
an essay% Herr Wagner calls it q 'hbel) on
the ''Musically Beautiful he wrote up Men
delssohn with such ingenious art as to be
taken for a musical authority. The mistake
opened to Hanslick position as critic on the
staff of powerful journal, the first use he
made of which was to pronounce Wagner and
all his doings utterly null and void. Con-
versions such as this went on, and at length
there arose an anti Wagner party described
by, among other ties, the assurance of
mutual artistic impotence and unproductive-
ness
But Jewish machination did not stop here.
1t got the press Of Europe actually into its
hands, and under the plea of good taste in art
made war upon Wagners music wherever 1t
appeared. In Paris the critics ''obeyed as in
the best disciplined army during an engage
ment," while in London Herr Wagner was as
sailed with ''storm of insults" from writer's
who calculated on the popularity of Mendels-
sohn and ''the peculiar character of the
English religion. which strikes competent
judges as being based more upon the Old
than upon the New Testament Only in st.
Petersburg and Moscow did the press echo
public opinion as to the merits of Wagner s
music. Somehow r9vengeful Judaism over
looked those towns. 1t did not, however,
neglect such other chances of doing mischief
as now and then came in its way The Ger
man musicians, honestly confused and fright
ened' by Herr Waguers writings, were per-
suaded into becoming his opponents, and
even the ''wonderfu. slothfulness' of the Ger
man nature was turned to advantage, as in
the case of Robert Srhumann, who, finding it
troublesome to resist the unquiet Jewish
spirit, was at last tde captive. Nay, more,
a series of events. heginning with Hansdck S
libel. elevated ish musical beauty into a
dogma, and Hebrews and bamboozled Chris
tians discussed mus al aesthetics so as to re-
mind Herr Wagner of listening to the sale
of the Saviours garments to Jew old clothes
men at the foot OF the cross Finally, we
are assured of the complete victory of Juda-
ism, victory nothing can impair Hebrew
society has had full revenge, and this is why
Herr Wagners music is secuted by the lead
ers of European opinion.
We are content 20 give a mere digest Of
this extraordinary pamphlet, because it is I'M
worthy of serious discussion and refutation.
What can be said to a man no greater than
Herr Wagner, who fancies himself, for such
a cause as the pamphlet of 1850, the object
of such a persecution as that described
above; and who, after assuming the unanswer-
ableress of charges which were really un-
answered because despised, attributes all his
subsequent failures to intrigue? Moreover,
Herr Wagner had no real occasion for this
last outburst. His influence on modern art is
unmistakable his works excite a growing
curiosity, and his movements attract share
of public notice larger than ever. We honestly
regret that this is so, on account of the
seriously threatened interests of art.