New-York tribune., 1870-02-01
SIT1N And HIS WORKS.

1t were, which Is never severed. JchhihS
derives his sustenance from scandal. Scandal Is
made mighty by Jenkins He has prefer
natural activity. His antics are those of a
galvanized subject. His industry shamcs the
old morasts. No day without line is pre-
ccpt too poor for tireless Jenkins. No day
without q hundred lines-of fulsomcness,
of impertinence, of petty spite, OF bad
TASTE of malignity, of lies. No day without
offending the modesty, without wounding the
scnsbilitics, without shocking the dcllcacy
without misrepresenting the character and atti-
tude of some private person, whom the shelter
of retired life of grief, of trouble, of humility,
or of greatness, can save from the pubic III
suits of his pen.
Yet, though jenkins is rs omnipresent as the
clown in the pantomime-and rs impervious to
kicks, apparently-there are occasions when he
excels himself. These arc the happy moments
when some distinguished man arrives among
u.s. mndng his own business in gentlemanly
fashion, and. in gentlemanly fashion, naturally
supposing that tho community needs not the
instruction OF his example to teach it TO mind
lis business. The wedding of two persons
whose names have been heard in society, or
who have achieved emincnce in any speciality
is an event for which this tOier prays to Mer-
curry, god Of lies, the only deity ho
knows. Dearest of all to him-a woe, to
know one dark incident of which he
will fall down and kiss the latchet of the mar
rators shocs-is great crime or great mis-
fortune, Detailing them who have been un-
known to the great cOnvocatiOn of the dis
reputable. Then, what display headings can
do, what garblcd statements can do, what
insnuatcd SANDER can do, what absolute lies
os-ado to exaggerate that crime or highten that
misfbrtnne. Jenkins. chucklino does and the
Journals which employ HIM, chucklng publish.
OF late, even this inexhaustible and prylng
AsmOdeus has been 0yerstralned to invent evil
enough or silly tales enough, or thrilling
descriptions enough, to answer the uses OF the
crowding events of the time He has done it,
in the name of justice be it said. The unclean
Press. which pays none too well for his wares,
has had more than its moneys worth. The
latest instance of fine wit and fine breeding
which has fallen under our eye adorned the
columns of q cOtemporary the other day. In
ihis journal the arrival of Prince Arthur was
gracefully and courteously collated with
the advent of smallpox and famine
fever as an infectious UisitdtiOn! One is at
loss whether most to admire the airinoss OF
the Jest or the graciousness of the welcome.
What ignorant sin harmless and punctilously
civil young gentleman quietly travelling with
his guardian may have committed, what at
front of showing this genial writer the door,
or declining to be bored with his impertinent
presence, or refusing him his cast-off glove or
his autograph, or directing his valet to facili-
tate the departure of the errant knight Of
the pen by proving that the boot was mightier,
alas, we know not Certain it is that a chari-
table public would hold him excused for each
and all of these aristOeratc eccentricites.
The column of puerities, always silly, and
often disgusting, which follows the felcitous
quotation we have made, is of less consequence,
since it is an entire and perfect chrysolite of
misnformation.
And by this we are reminded to say that
nothing could be funnier than the extraordi-
nary mendacity of this order of scribe Except
the gulllbility Of his readers) if one were not
forced by moral considerations to take Joe
Gargery's solemn view of the case-"Lies is
lies, Pip" For example, last week, repre-
sentatives of all the leading newspapers went
to Portland to telegraph news Of the melan-
choly pageant of the time. 1t happened
| that, for reasons that seemed to the authorities
in charge good and sufficient the gentleman
employed by this journal and the gentleman
employed by a Boston journal of repute were,
up to Thursday night, the only news-writers
permitted to go on board the Fune-
raj Ship. The startling descriptions of
the mOrtuary chamber and of the gen.
eral arrangements which their emissaries
reported on Tuesday to certain journals which
nearly echo with the cry of enterprise" were
therefore fine fiction. And while we are upon
this subject, moved by profound interest in
the welfare of so creditable and credible cor
respondent, we will whisper in the ear of the
ingenious youth who Eliminates his screed
with references to the Monitors Plymouth and
Monarch that one is corvette and the other
ship of the line. Aud ms for their beng
anchored in the stream off the city, it is GER
tainly not the fault of Portland nor of this
model geographer, but an inscrutable Provi-
dence did ordain that there should be no stream
there at all, while an equally inscrntable En-
glish captain bold did ordain that they should
anchor three miles off out Of sight of the city,
and alas as logic compels us reluctantly to
believe. of the reporter! The charming legend
that Farragut's officers wouldn't come home
from ball at his bidding, is as true as the
rest.
These are in themselves small matters The
moral is that il tho public to-day pays for
sensations and not for truth, tomorrow, when
"a A