New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1871-02-06
LLTER1RY ACROB1TS.

John Ruskin has undertaken lho ioi'i "
the British workman in n series OF letters en-
titled Fors Clqrigera, which arc to ilnally rlghV
all English social abuses tho only dlinculty
in the way being, it appears, the fact that
nobody-nOt even the astutest critlc-iIis "s
vet the faintcst idea of either what fOrs
CLriqera means or what the letters are ABOUT.
The truth il. that the lower class IN England
are inst now in the condition OF tho starving
donkey in Fs0p, to whom each or the Dlrds
and beasts came with advice and consolation,
while nobody brought him the peck OF oats
for lack of which no was dying. Every re-
former. philosopher or poet in England has
ioi,od in tbc now-woy over this lower class,
in whom civilization is seen IN articuIo morris,
and has his favorite remedy to oher. one
tbrlsts expa,ria down the patients throat,
another infanticide, third religious educa-
tion-not seeing That if his empty stomach
were filled his heart and brain would right
Themselves Mr.. Ruskin must have a peek
at the Door victim with tho others, which
is perhaps well enough.
II is n grave subject, aud one to which any
man would give his grayest thought Ruskin
was endowed by nature not only with genu-
inc love Of the truth, bat Il keen insight into
il. and exceptional force in its utterance. But
of late he has tricked out his ideas IN such
frippory Of sentimentality, such pish-pash OF
"Sesame and Lilies" such Ducks and Dawns,
that il is John Ruskin at whom his audience
stare, ard not at the truth which God gave
him TO show to them. He has taken, too, an
apparent delight in the wonder excited by his
unintelligibity; clasps his hands in childish
. n, .~r,an ffp1 nf
the Clergy falls dead. "Thcy did not under
" stand word of it," he cries; how could
" they be expected to do It'll"
The present letters, intended to help Hit
crate pcOpie, are series Of obscure paTadoXes
and attempts at mystiiication. He wants to
"tear down all the railroads in England and
"Walos, the houses of Parliament, and the
Getty of New-York He wants to whisper IN
:" the ears of all girls to curtsey as professors
"and digaifed persons go by, and to kings to
"keep their crowns and bishops their crO-
" Tiers y and so The childish chatter goes on,
page after page, while the critics puzzle their
brains in vain to find the obscure meaning.
Now Ruskn knows az well as any living man
how TO utter hard sense in words like bullets;
and this nonsense is not even amusing non
sense. 1t is nothing but Il vain pOstmnS
cick-clack of castauets, to attract notice.
There are enough poor devils driven to play
such trapeze games in literature for bread and
butter: let them stand on their heads and
play tricks with their heels 10 make the vnl-
gar gape but Ruskin is in lack of neither
money nor fame: he can afford to give his
best work to the world without betraylng tins
vain desire for notoriety.
Al, Of tn,g
understood of how little importance indiyid
uals are in this busy age of the world, and that
they weigh less and less with each succeeding
year. If n man has discovered a poem, or
sewing-macbine, or a fertilizer, or new di-
vine truth, he owes it to the world, and that
is al the world wants of him. When he
thlilsts his own personal whims OF power of
turning unmeaning somersaults among words
on its notice, he is simply guilty of an i'm
poItinenco for which he VIII speedily be
snubbed. Journalists, who of all men ought
TO be the most impers0nal, are apt i'll this
country to fall into this very error of thrust
ing their own petty aifails, likes, and disllkes,
on their readers. We have done what we
could TO show them their mistake, and not, We
are tempted to hope, without effect. We fancy
the public has been bored somewhat less,
lately, with the squabbles Of New-GOrk editors,
and is not called upon so often to regard their
twealled noses or wounded sensbiiities from
the right-hand point of view or the left. The
world wants few heroes nowadays, and knows
those few by instinct, rs the lion does the true
prince and the man who suggests himself as
dcIni-god by virtIe Of his gift OF chattering
about himself or malignant abuse of his
neighbour, will lind himself shortly not demi-
gud, but an applauded clown i'll circus, who
will be left alone and forgotten in the saw
dust as soon as his tongue grows less timber.
VEIGHED AID FOUND WAN7ING.