New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1871-08-18


TB WESTMINSTER REVIEW July Leonard Scott COMPANY
One of the principal articles in this number,
entitled 1.-The Poetry OF Democracy" Is devoted 70 the
Qualification OF Walt Whitman, whom IL ereets' NOT a.
Mr. Emerson did at tho beginning OF great career,
but as the acknowledged representative in art OF Amer
! lean democracy, This claim which will be met only
with establishment by most persons OF reading and cu
ture in this country is sustained on grounds Like the fol-
lowing. Mr.. Whitman lie not only a rough" Kos
mos" according his own account OF himself, but
living man who will not he comprehended in formula.
He e. remote from authority, and neither submits
volts Whatever he has written is no copy from any
canon or model but takes its shape directly from the
soul OF its maker. Walt Whitman is imbued with the
sense Of democratic equality. No human being is re-
iected by him, sighted does he judge any
man. No one in his poems comes with appeal for
recognition. He studies from superior point Of
view. He delights III men, neither approaching defer
entially those who above him, condcsceudingy
gazing upon thosewho beneath him. He is the com
rade OF every man. high and low He aImTes strong,
healthy, aud beautiful body, and Strong, healthy, and
beautiful soul, whether he il in statesman or
savant plowman smith. But it is not those alone
who beautiful and healthy and good that claim the
poets love. His hand is outstreched to help all whom
81 the others down on" Through him are
heard the voices OF the diseased and despairing,
of slaves of prostitutes Of thieves of deformed persons
of drunkards. Every Is divine miracle to him.
and he redeemer whom Christ will not be ashamed
TO acknowledge as comrade In every one who performs
an act OF loving selfsacrfce. II Whitman suIi
cou of any class OF Is those whose lives are spent
among books. He has sympathy with the men Of re-
nnement and polite letters and dainty information, VINO
are not in contact with external nature but receive
things already distilled" He applies the principle OF
equality TO every attribute and function Of humanity II
human being is 10 be honOred such, then every part
of human being is to be hOnorcd. In asserting
| the rights OF man, one asserts everything winch
| goes to make up manhood. This Is the secret
| Of Walt Witman's plain speaking prohibited
| subjects. As every faculty Of the soul seems
admirable and sacred to him, does every organ ana
natural OF body The article OF his creed which
declares that there nothing naturally vile or dishonor
able about man prepares him for unabashed and glad
familiarity with every part and every act Of the human
body But Whitman at times orsets that The instinct
of silence is beautiful impeTishable part of nature,
and thus falls below humanity, "fals even below the
modesty OF brutcs," asserts more stTenuOusIy
than lie the beauty OF holiness or hcathnes and the
shameful ugiucss of uncean thought, desire, and decd
With him, the healthy rcposc and confluence and the
healthy eagernoss and qualification Of appetite
equally sources Of satisfacdon-Such OF the
grounds on which the Westminster reviewer considers
Whitman the representative Of democratic poetry.
and sets forth elaborate and ingenious defense OF hs
title TO an honored place that lofty pedestal. Hi
reasOnings mainly theoretical abstaning with some
few exceptions, from a comparison with the eminent
masters Of in this country and drawn from fore
gone conclusions in hist inner consciousness rather
than from familiar acquaintance with the achieve
ments of American bards They will have weight with
those who prefer the boarse "barbarc yawp" TO the
| music of Milton and Wordsworth, and who demand OF
| democratic freedom shaggy and unshoHl national
literature. that shall shake the EARTH like herd Of
| buffalOes numbering the prarcs."
The most readable paper in the Catholic
World ia by an American Catholic clergyman,
of t1o 90 affin If he
Blood Of st. Januarius," in the grand cathedral
Of Naples, Of which he eyewitness in
| 1864 As piece Of vivid rhetorical description,
the article surpassed by the most admirable spec
mems Of romance in our language and is adapted to
make a profound impression the imagination OF the
reader Other articles The Reformation not Con
SENTATIVE an answer to Dr. Krauths recent able work
| on that subject Mr.. Carlyle and Pere Bonhours,"
| Americas Obligations to France and several
| miscellaneous essays and stories, with very fair
| critical survey Of the literature of the month
| Modern Breech- Leaders, by w. w. GREENER
1ondon: Casscl; New-York: Schuyler, Hartley, & Ora
ham, The Of the writer Of this work has pre-
scIiptve claim to authority all matters connected
with the fabrication and use OF firearms. His father
was the author of the standard English work entitled
"Gunnery in 1855" which by its fulness OF information
and accuracy Of detail has long sustained the rank Of
the subject of which it treats The present
volume gives the history OF breechloadng for the last
twenty years describing the various inventions which
have introduced into successful practice, with
| an exhaustive explanation OF their mechanism
and construction. In point Of style, the work is
| a model Of condensation and completeness. 1t
would be difficult to impart greater amount Of valuable
information within so compass The admirable
engravings which prOfusey scattered throughout
| the volume to illustrate the most complicated
mechanical arrangements and contribute largely TO the
convenience and pleasure Of the reader. Mr. Greener
pays just tribute to the merits OF the American breech
| leaders, among which he assigns high rank 10 the
Peabody rife but complains If the failure of all OF them
accuracy Of shooting The trajectory OF the American
rifles as he asserts high and the charge of powder
used them too small to Gyea fiat trajectory and long
| range.
noticeable article in the Galnry, for Sep
tember is devoted to Agricultural Labor at the South"
presenting Southern view of the difficulties attending
the organization Of industry. The writer presents
lively picture OF the obstacles TO field culture arising
from the character of the negro No more impressive
proof Of the evil effects the slave system which has
now happily passed away could be afforded than is here
set forth in the pOrtrature Of the freedman. II
in its somber coorng it shows that the descriptions Of
slave life by the sensational authors have scarcely
been Overcharged According TO the statements of this
paper, the negro is cOnstitutionay ayerse TO labor
| slow in his movements. dsinclned to continuous
| eXertion, and unless constantly watched is sure TO
neglect his duty He is deceitful and theysb vithout
thrift prudence forecast Of the future Suspicious
and distrusfu, he is hardly susceptible Of instruction
and never be left to the guidance Of his own ude
| nent. The women are more unmanageable than the
men, and to large extent, female labor is practically
growing into disuse among Southern planters The sys
TEN OF wages gives birth to extreme inconvenience
Still it is admitted by the writer that the negro laborer
do manage produce respectable crops Could they he
weaned from politics they would probably, in the course