New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1872-01-19

ba baa been 40 uncommOnly clever that Ills
frauds have been quite out OF the common
course: that his winnings have been great and
glittering; that he has passed in the race
those who were squeamish or scrupulous-
that he has been, whatever may DO
meant by that word, smart! ms con,
venient adjective has many meanings ana
with those which indicate respectable quail
ties of character we have at present nothing
to do. Our purpose now Is to point out the
reverence which the world feels for dazzling
and undeniable results-for the sceptefs, the
enormous money fortunes, the popular plaudits,
the positions of power and Of honor into the
origin and the causes of which it is considered
impertinent or idlo to inquire. 1t is enough II
we may write upon the tombstone Oh our
IDOL "TIe was smart" To be sure, he was not
smart enough to save himself from tho some
what narrow receptacle to which he has been
consigned. But, nevertheless, he was smart!
The reader Of this article, if it should have
the good fortune to be read by anybody, may
nerbaDs. by looking from his window, see
half dozen spires, oil of greater or less
architectural ugliness, but some OF them, ne
may observe, surmounted by crosses. THESE
pinnacles il il needless to explain, belong to
churches and to Christian churches. Within
them, every Sunday and Oftener are ex-
pounded and enforced the doctrines oil that
religion which always begins by asking what
it will profit q man to gain The whole world
and lose bis own soul. IL anybody supposes
that we are about to cant, we hasten to as
sure him that he is mistaken; all we mean
TO do is to ask under what dread
full delusion it has happened that we
have erected these religious buildings
at ALI There they are, and dreadful many
Of them are to look upOn-but there they are,
with bells, and pcws, and affairs. and sun
day-schOol room for the little ones In the
cellar. What astOnishes US, the point upon
which we humbly ask for ray or so oil hght
to be thrown, is the existence of these edlhccs
at all. If wo go inside at the proper hour,
somebody in the pulpit will tell us that dust
We are and unto dust we shall return that we
shOuld Law I'D treasures, not in railroad Sc
curities, but where there is nor corruption,
nor moth, nor thieves; and that the time
cometh when the. cleveTest man can be neither
bull nor a bear. We join in singing
short hymn expressive Of our hurry to go
TO tho eternal place in which there are no
time bargains. AS we come out with our
wives hooked to our arms, and our yonkers
all in their best following, our talk is of the
gentleman last murdered. "Not a Christian,
! "my DEAR" says the family father to his RIB,
"but he was SMART
We are the slaves of our eyes and OF our
ears, which are long enough. We are the
born victims of OstcntatiOn and gable anu
gossip. We feel q kind of sneaking affection
for the man who was oblging enough to be
killed in order that We might have something
to talk about and we share this grateful emo
ton with the vociferOus newsb0ys, who are
quite sure that the victim was reconcied
to his assassination, if he but thought
in those extreme moments how his name
would be proclaimed from Harlem to the Bat
terry. 1t adds q fresh Zest to our exquisite
sensations to be told how good the murdered
man was, and how manly was his appearance
in his coffin. Men who just now were some
! what unpopular regain their credit by crying
over the corpse. The details, little and great,
arc almost intolerably delicious. What beau
tful mistresses, what matchless horses, what
brilliant diamonds! How he went about like
Solomon in all his glory! How, though not
old, he beat at their own game men grown
gray upon the Stock Exchange! A generous
II,
the money was acquired which lie gave away
so lavishIyf Sir, he was smart.
Well, if tho play has been so brilliant-with
such magic transformations, such wealth of
blue and crimson fires, such starry raiment
for Coumbine, such nea.ydevised tricks for
Harlequin-now that the lights are out and
the curtain down, why should we complain of
an unpleasant smell in the pitt Who are we
that should expect anything to be permanent
in this changing world2 If there was just q
touch of tragedy in the final act, at any rate
Belisarius did not linger to importune us for
the obole. The great pitci-link of worldly
success famed and sputtered and smoked to
the last, and all our mouths opened an inch
wider at the suddenness Of the extinction.
There was a sort of Monte Cristo smartness
even in the shutting off. There is no jew
elry SO brilliant as that which you may
SEQ any day displayed upon area ratings
the brooches only two shillings apiece, and
the earrings only three shillings q pair.
French paste Outglitters GOlconda itself.
When society has resolutely determined that
sham is not merely as good as reality, but
better, or at least the same, the old-fashiOned
skeptics must be quiet, if they would not be
lynched. The nisi in the proverb is imperti-
nent-it should be dc mortuis bonum, at all
hazards, if the departed have been smart
enough to merit total abdication of our
moral manhood. SO let us fall into military
procession "The Dead March in SAUL" Mr..
Band Master, if you please and up to
heaven, as a sweet offering, shall go our
chorus cry of "Smart ~