The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1873-02-19
BULEER'S GREATNESS.
rLondon Letter in the Na,ion.1

Lord Lytton died suddenly the other day,
and has been the subject OF innumerable eulo-
giles from the daily press. OF course such
praises are apt to be pitched In too high key;
and yet 1t Is impossible to deny that Lord Lyt-
ton was man of very remarkable and very
varied powers. He had the art, whatever 1t may
be, of success. The last Illustration of his
power is curious. II turns out that he was
the author Of 1.-THE Coming Race," TACT
which was 80 carefully concealed that, though
have heard much speculation on the subject,
do not know that ever heard 1t given to
Lord Lytton. Many authors of reputation
would find 1t very dangerous experiment to
Lytton certainly showed, In :hls Instance, that
the popularity OF his latter works was not
due 10 The prestige of bis nsme. And
yet, whilst we are all lamentIng his
lose. and admitting that he fully deserves
the honor of a burial In Westminster Abbey,
one cannot but feel that there wac something
hollow In his reputation. He was scarcely
one of the writer's Of whom one could predict
with any confidence that they are likely to
reach posterty. Amongst his other titles to
fame, he Was fiirly successful politician,
and had q considerable reputation as an
orator. happened to hear what must have
been nearly his last performance In that
capacity, speech on the last reform bill.
The Hon,e was crowded and deeply attentive,
and everybody came away convinced that we
had been listening 10 an excellent piece of
rhetoric. The sentences were admirably pol
ished, and imbued with certain schoar-llke
flavor. It was good set speech, fully realIz.
Ing ones traditional notions OF parliamentary
elo1uence, and yet, In any higher sense. 1t
was not really q speech at all. Not only did
1t belong te the species of oratory which never
turns vole-for in that species are certainly
Included nlnety-nine out OF hundred In all
49, knat ahno .sttar In Dar rItnv, M ht,f
1t was curiously devoid OF any contagious 10.
fuence. 1t had the frlgidity OF calculated
work of art; 1t had The form but none
OF the fire OF genuine rhetoric; and for all
practical purposes We might as we'll have'been
listening to an essay from Addls0n's "Specta-
tor" read by a well-tralned el0culionist. The
same defect seems to me to be characteristic
of ell his productions. They might be used by
q jndicious lecturer as an excellent illustration
of The differences between talent and genius.
That he was full Of talent is as undenlable ss
that he had turned 1t to the very best account;
but fancy that one might read through all
his novels and plays and poems and essays
without meeting single instance OF those
sudden Illuminating flashes OF thought which
are characteristic of really great writer;
And thus Lord Lytton has OF lals enjoyed
rather an anomalous reputation. His popu-
larliy has been very great. and great with
class which aspreB to certain amount OF cul-
tivation aud of literary taste; but The greater
part OF his work has already become old.fash-
ioned, aud Is regarded with considerable In
difference by the critics who aspire 10 be our
modern leaders OF taste. In short, he is as
distinctly below the first rank OF our writer's
ag he Ia above the ordinary run OF literary
craHsmeu. wo shuli bury bim in the Abbey,
and compose good deal OF laudatory matter
about him, and then, suppose, we shall grad
ually settle down to definite opinion as to
htu