New national era. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1870-1874, 1872-05-09

GRAY's measure will prove a much needed
relief.
PROF. A. NJ. GREEN, of this city, has beer
lecturing in New Orleans, taking as a subjec
Cursed be Canaan" The Lomsianian speak,
in complimentary terms of his effort.
h IWashington Correspondence Of the Boston Globe1
The Power Of the Pencil.
How Public Men are Made uuceur.r,.,,,
Taxes Held Of = N..snmr. E &C., MAJ
Mast sao ~
WASHINGTON, d. c., April IL, 1872.
senator Schurz is unfortunate, or otherwise
in having such marked physiognomicaI char.
acterlstlcs- If it is easy to slay a man
alphabetically mean, with an epigram-or
as l once heard 1t paraphrased, with the
Jaw-bone OF an ass-how much easier it is to
make him uncomfortably ridiculous by means
of the pencil Every Englishman or person
acquainted with current events in England
will remember in this connection the manner
in which the caricaturists have played and
still play upon the marked features of certain
public men. Resemblance of the I" Iron
Duke" Familiarity termed "Old Conkey,''
and "Nosey," could always be traced by the
exaggerations of his more than Roman nose.
50 with Brougham's peculiar proboscis. Earl
Russelps diDlinutiveness is always made more
of by Pmch-pardoxically Dsraeh's
peculiarly leathery face, Hebrew profile and
for the daring pencils. They are constantly
verging on the ridiculous. The French satir-
lists make great use of this weapon, but
fancy that in time we shall beat them ALL
The rival cartoonists, Mast and Morgan,
keep up continual roar of laughter, while
the occasional good hits of the minor comic
pictorials assist to make the world merry.
Mr.. Schurz is in danger of being laughed out
OF influence. There is something so absurdly
funny in those long legs of his, the high
shoulders and the mobile, satirical and cyni-
cal face, with the eyebrows, that seem, like
the shoulders, to be in perpetual shrug, that
the rather malicious genius of g Tom Mast
finds amplest opportunity for the rarest play
Of his genius. Mast strikes at the centre,
and nearly always sends his dart quivering
deep into the white. In Selling upon the
nose of Andrew johnson, Mast gave one of
the most striking evidences of his powers. 1t
was utterly impossible for any one with a
sense of humor to see his Accidental Ex-
cellency," after seeing one of Nast's mimi
table cartoons, especially the eye resting on
appear in all its curious prominence, without
having the desire to roar with laughter. A
public man who can stand being laughed at
must be either talented or stOlid.
In caricaturing Senator Schurz, Mast shows
the same ability to exaggerate in a telling
way the physical peculiarities which in the
drawing are likely to arouse the public sense
Of fun. The Senator is sensitive and feels
the ridicule. He shows it in his manner and
appearance, nor is it to be wondered at.
Few men live who can stand such telling sa-
aoA To In ~:~kI,
voking to the last degree. Even the rival
cartoOnist, the English artist Matt Morgan,
cannot refrain from giving the expressive
face of the German-American little touch
Of the quaint "make-ups,' which Morgan,
from his experience at Dury Lane as scene
painter, must have aided in devising for
Christmas pantOmimes.
When Mast was here some three or four
weeks ago, it is reported that the Senator
and artist met and that some sharp words
were exchanged. Two men more unlike
physically can hardly be conceived. Mast is
a Bavarian by birth, though he has lived in
the United States since he was babe
believe he is not yet thirty-five years of age.
He is man of moderate height, and full
figure, with round, pleasant, shrewd face,
rather dark, no beard, and a pair of keen,
quick, humorous-looking eyes, which you see
at once after their owner is known to you,
are the cameras through which are caught the
thousand impressions that he reproduces so
vigorously and quantity. The Senator is a
Saxon by birth, ten or fifteen years the senior
Of the artist, tall and slender, blonde to a
degree, and having the characteristics which
Mast has already made 30 familiar. Intense
Protestants both, these men are not only
dissimilar by temperament, but the more by
the fact the one believes and the other con-
tennis. If every race and people embody in
literature their salient traits, by means of
some character molten into undying mould
from the consciousness of the representative
intellects of poet or novelist, romancer or
historian, then it is certain that the German
Satan was incarnated in a sneer and named
Mephistopheles by the poet Goethe. The
character Is thoroughly German, and Carl
Schurz could represent it very well in a
masque without much trouble in dressing or
other makeup"
But to return to the quarrel. Mast did not
give any particulars then, but just before
leaving, he certainly said that there had been
some harsh words exchanged between him
self and Gen. Schurz. Other parties have
stated that the Senator threatened the artist.
first that his employers, referring to the Har-
pers, would refuse to publish his cartoons,
and when this was pleasantly laughed at,
growing severer and angrily, suggesting that
the artist himself would "step.D On being
asked why, the reply was, because he would
be chastised." If this be true, it shows how
mistaken the Senator was in his estimate of
character. No man who knows Mast can
doubt either the conscience he puts into his
work, or the serene courage with which he
would sustain his conviction. Mast is fear
less man, as was shown by his taking his
place in the ranks of the New York Seventh
on the day of the Orange riot.
Senator Schurz seems to have given HIM
self over to the same sort of work that Mr.
Dana has so long pursued in the management
of the Sun. The Senator is seldom in his
seat, and takes little or no part in the de-
bates or legislation of the session, other than
as they bear on the scavenger's duty, to
which he has at present devoted himself. He
is q constant attendant on the session of the
sales of arms investigating committee, and has
50 far done more Of the work thereof, in the
way of examining witnesses, &C., than any
one member of the committee. After the in
quiry closes for the day, the Senator appears
to devote himself to an examination of the
various shreds of testimony, and to cleaning,
from his personal intercourse and correspond
ence, some new line of examination which
may help build up a case. 1t is quite evident
to any calm lo0ker-on in this Venice that both
Sarofo,s vI,o init tod THE f,llx, 4