The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1871-04-07
The Central Park Management and the
Quarterly Review.
THE CASE BECOMING hAyCHl-Y MIXED.
Virgil, Shakespeare, Dante, Sam Johnson and
Other Literary Lights to the Rescue.

done very clever thing in publishing private let
ter, written under the supposton that 10 was adj
dressed to a gentleman. From your well known
love OF fair play do not doubt but You Will allow
me 10 reply even TO so grave charge "a that OF
having asked favor from such a functlonary.
This, confess, am ashamed OF, although 1t Will be
observed, Notwithstanding the manipulation to
which my note has been subjected, that 1t was not
from Mr. A. Oakley Han, but from the Chief Magis.
trate of New York, that asked anything
However, have applied to his Honor But writ
ten hurriedly my note was, without the faintcst
idea that any other eye would see It, whom did
wrong IN it2 what did misrepresenti Let
the language OF mere compliment be omitted, and
what remains that IL not strictly true2 Bat as TO
the compliment there Is an adage common to
every nation, which says, "lf your hand
IS IN the lions mouth take 1t ont In
the quietest way you cam" Now, If this
be right. as applied to the king OF the
forest, how can it be very wrong to
apply it 1t to the animal who sometimes wears the
lion's skim Al east this is my view OF the case;
and accordingly would say To the latter quadruped,
while perhaps pattIng him along the cross, pretty
Jack, what fine ears you have what q sonorous
and musical voicep'
But, setting Jack aside for the present. let me
ask has the mayoraliy or New York fallen so
low that 1t has become disgrace 10 ask favor
OF its occupant? True, his Honor puts another
struction upon It, for he says, "ue also changes his
profession into that OF SOLICITOR" This 1t seems
IL a terrible reproach Docs his Honor never "soli-
citr How was he elected9 Is II not the truth that
the difference between his ''soicIting'' and mine ia
that while his solicitations have been applied
mainly TO the lowest OF tho corner groceries and
lager beer saloons, mine have been applied to men
who from their position ought to DE gentlemen II
some OF them cannot help proving to the world that
they are nothing OF the Kind that, 1t VIII be ad-
mitted, is not my fault.
Be this as 1t may, every intelligent person Is aware
that If 1t be grave transgresslon on the part Of
editors to wish or seek patronage FROM high func-
tlonares, whether they NAV be called mayors, pres-
Dents doges, pashas, grand dukes, &C, they can
refer to the most ilu5trous thinkers Of the ancient
and modern world as having transgressed at least
as much as they. Thus one OF the finest epics the
world has produced would never have been written
had 1t not been for the patronage OF Augustus to
Virgil. The most admirable 0des OF Horace are
those Inspired by the munilcent generosity of Me-
cpnas. Dante placed til, greatest men OF his time.
not excepting even the Pope, in he'll, purgatory or
paradise, according as they were untrendly
otherwise to himself; and Michael Angelo his great
illustrator placed one Of the cardinals OF Leo x. In
he'll, ana did even for vulgar aud dlaDoical a
his having refused to pay the artist for his
portrait. The learned Quellet wrote a lampoon on
Cardinal MaZarin because he had refused trinlEg
request his satirist had made; but instead
OF issuing edcts or proclamations against the
POOR scribe The cardinal sent for him.
treated him in the kindcst manner, con-
ferrng him the next yacaa' bencnce in his gift
Every student OF English ..crasnre is aware Of the
fury with which Dr. Johnson attacked Lord Chester
field because his 1ordshif had neglected to patronze
his great dictionary. Nay, are we not told chat
Shakespeare himself lampooned great lord because
he was not so kind TO the poet as be might have
been and that then the great lord accused him or
stealing his deerl
Now, II the works OF any OF these lustrious men
nothing the because their authors were so
much human as to wish patronage. and prefer their
friends to their foes, upon what ground can it be
said that a journal or periodical Is anything the
worse because It's editor has even humbled himself
In evil hour far as TO ask patronage from such
specimen of a ruler AZ Mr.. A. Oakley Hau2
But let US see whether ali this vrtnous Indignation
OF his Honor has been gotten up for the exclusive
benefit OF Brother Sweeny. or for that OF the ctl-
zens of New York, whom both those gentlemen
serve so well. 1t has been seen how grevously I
have sinncd in asking little patronage OF the
mayor Of New York; but much more unpardon-
able sin remains to be atoned for on my part. On
the 22d Of June last, while buslly occupied ut the
last sneetS oil my summer NUMBER, paper was pub
into my letter box at my Office, so carefully adj
dressed that it attracted my attention at once. 1t
proved TO be the Metropolitan Reco'd, dated June
25 1870 aud the first thing cast my eye upon Is sort
ofrnapsody, occupying nearly two long columns and
half, and headed in large capitals, "0ur CITY Gov
ernment-rhe Mayors Onlce-Who IL A. Oakley
Halla--dachinery OF the ONCE"
Each OF these phrases occupies full line, and is
separated from It's neighbor by n suitable dash The
most cursory glance this curious production salts
fes us that Mr.. Mualy, who processes literary taste
as well as literary talent, never wrote line or IT.
for 1t Is precisely In the Black Crook" or "Hnmpy
Dumpty" style. Not only 10 his Honor praised
through all the moods and lenses rs SURPRISING all
other mayors doges or pasas but every body In his
ONCE from the courteous chief clcrk' aud the
gentlenaniy captain "down to the attentive page"
Is made partaker greater or less extent OF the
same pastering operation. In short, II would be
impossible TO write anything by wav OF burlesquin
tins "Dographyn that would render IL more rdcu-
lous IN the mind of any Intelligent person than IL is
IN its native state, without note or comment.
Permit me now t. ask those of the taxpayers Of
New YORK who arc gifted with ordinary UNDER
standing or common sense to bear mind that TINS
ia the aort OF thing which !, as reviewer am called
upon to dish up TO my readers Tor their admiration
Bot another little fact or two remains. In haud- |
writing Idcntca with ;nat OF communication |
which received some days since from the Mayors
Ollcc the following words are written al The head |
OF This wonderful biography :-"ficasc notice or
refer to-" This Is tho first tine nave compiled
with that poiitc lntimatiou Dut I readily decided |
that sucn n curiosity Of literature should not lie
allowed % 20 astrly and accordingly II nos lies be-
fore me duty surmounted with The legend Just .
quoted.
Nearly three months had elapsed irom the time |
the paper was put into NV letter boa. waen was !
equally busy with the last sheets Of my September |
number ana person, dressed in very inc broad !
clon, made his appearance ~ my once. armed With
u copy OF the same biography, ana Informed me |
that the Mayor would be pleased n would 'at least
notice the only rue biography oil him tnai nal APP
pcired.n tried TO he 4, clvll possible. aren't \
YOU an lrishManfn he asked. "lcs. nave hal ,he I
honor not only Of having been 10 n IN the Emerald
Isle, bat also vi having spent most ol my ic tnerc.
But all VINO have the same story % irl arc nos no
cessarliy yerdant.n ''lCu must admit that oUt- /
hftlls OF our colntrymen IN New York awe voted |
icr Mayor Hail.n II do not deny that a large pro-
portion OF them have bub have never vVscd for I
any olc.n At TINS he shook MS head somewhat /
significantly aud retired making re- /
marks Which | did not iullY under3.ani, but /
,yhirn [ frnn Lhnir nnlIlnr |