The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1870-11-18
DLSRAELTS CHAPTER OF AUTOBT0-
GRA Ply

Inc Engllsn papers puDnSn Mr.. D1sraellS
preface to the collected edition of his works
a sort of BSOgraphia Litterarta. We make
the following interesting extracts:-
An American gentleman, with more than
courtesy, has forwarded to me vast number
of notices of 'Lothair" which have appeared
in the leading journals of his country. He
tells me that, irrespective of literary
"organs, there are in the Union 5000 news
papers, and it Is not impossible that some
notice of Lothian" might appear in each of
these. However various may be the opinions
of those which thus possess, they appear to
me generally to be sincere, and i'll point of
literary ability, taste, style, and critical acu-
men, think they need not fear competition
with the similar productions of our own land.
My English publishers have also made
collection of the notices of this work in our
own country, and, though we have not yet
five thousand newspapers, the aggregate of
articles is in amount perhaps unprecedented.
have nothing to complain of in their re-
marks. One could hardly expect at home the
judicial impartiality of foreign land Per-
sonal influences inevitably mlngle in some
degree with such productions. There are
critics who abstraetly do not approve of
successful books, particularly if they have
failed in the same style social
acquaintance also of lettered
taste, and especially contemporaries
whose public life has not exactly realized the
vain dreams of their fussy existence, would
seize the accustomed opportunity of welcom-
ing with affected discrimination about
nothing, and elaborate controversy about
trifies, the production of friend; and there
is always, both III politics and literature, the
race OF the Dennises, the Oldmixons, and
Curls, who hatter themselves that by syste-
matically ibelling some eminent parsonage
of their times they have a chance of de-
scending to posterity; but, SO far as 1 am
concerned, they have always been disap-
pointed.
distinguished individual has suggested
that. in a preface to the edition of my COL
lected works, might give my own views of
the purpose of "Lothair." 1t strikes me.
with all Difference, that it would be not a
little presumptuous for an author thus to be
the self critic of volumes which appeared only
few months ago. Their purport to the writer
seems clear enough, and as they have been
more extensively read both by the people of
the United Kingdom and the United States
than any work that has appeared for the last
half century, will even venture to assume
that on this point they are of the same opin-
| ion as yself.
But, on some other works, the youngest of
which were written a quarter of a century
ago, it would perhaps he in me not imperti-
nent now to make a few remarks. 60
ningsby," ''Sybil," and ''Tancred' form a
real Tnlogy-that is to say, they treat of the
same subject, and endeayor to complete that
treatment. The origin and character of our
political parties, their influence on the condi-
tion of the people of this country, some pic
tare of the moral and physical condition of
that people, and some intimation of the
means by which it might be elevated and
improved, wei themes which had long en-
gagged my meditation.
Born in a library, and trained from early
childhood by learned men who did not share
the passions and the prejudices of our politi-
cal and social life, had imbibed on some
subjects conclusions different from those
which generally prevail, aud especially with
reference to the history of our own country
How an oligarchy had been substituted for q
kingdom, and narrow minded aud bigoteC
fanaticism hourished in the name of religious
hberty-were problems long to be insoluble
but which early Interested me- Bat wha
most attracted my musing, even as a boy
were the elements of our political parties
and the strange mystiication by which tina
which was national in its constitution haC
become odious, and that which was exclusive
was presented as popular.
To change back the oligarchy into gene
rous arisiocracy round real throne; to in
fuse life and vigor into the Church as thu
trainer of the nation, by the revival of con
vocation, then dumb, on wide basis, anC
not, as has been since done in the shape o
a priestly section; to establish a commercial
code on the principles successfully neg otiateC
by Lord Bulingbroke at Utrecht, aud which
though baffled at the time by Wing Parlia
mept, were subsequently and triumphant,
yiudicaied by his political pupil and heir, Mr.
Pitt; to govern Ireland according to the po
Icy of Charles and not of liver Cromwell
TO oemancipate the political constituency of 49,
from its sectsrisn bondage aud eontracte'
sympathies; to elevate the physical as we'll a
the moral condition Of the people, by estA
blishing that labor required regulation q