New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1873-07-14
BOSTON.
LITERARY NOTES.

ROME-PRICES PAID FOR MODERN flClOiNrHo
HENRY JAMKs's SOLUTION OF "sPIhTUALisA :
NEW POEM BY ALDRCH-THB HARVARD ALUMNI
POEM BY DR.. HOLMES.
lFRom A REGULAR CORRESPONDENT OF THE IkibuNSj
BosroN. July 1l.-Mr. James Parton opens
TAI Atlanhe for August with a paper on "The Art OF
being President, gathered from the Experience VI
Thomas Jefferson This art seems so easy as you reao
that ven wonder why II is seldom acquired thhK
Horace greeley would have comprehended It, had he
sat in the Chair OF state for his was another smpe
strong great SOUL nature honest and ssgacious and
kindly Abraham Lincoln praeticed this high art, in
eroubous times-but who else among the mOderns has
understood its And yet 1t is simple lesson. As
Mr. Parton says should require explanation to Re
pubhcans the Of their faith that there s
nothing occult mysterious in the art Of government,
but that it consists in doing right In few tere sem
fences, Mr. Parton gives Of Mr. Jeferson's pro-
nounced characteristics which he considers the sue
cess of his administration to have been grounded.
Jefferson was faithful 70 the party that elected him.
But he would not appoint 10 Office merely because
they were conspicuous partissns He took great care
20 get the right for the right place He would not
give appointment to relative. OF this MIR. Parton
says;
AT the first view this seems unjust 70 the honorable
and capable families who were related 70 the President
IL has the air OF counting cheap ana easy popnary ana
II IL the objection OF pitching the note TOO hgn Tor
the mited range of human nature But ms convictions
on the point were clear and strong and Prof Tucker
records that nc acted on this principle throughout LIE IN
University Of Virginia he opposed the appointment OF
nephew to though ne was well qualified t
system which has made universities and church endoW
Governing families He was hobby secon ded in his reso
lutiOn by his own kindred. Imagine his de-
sH on r'e% % Sgs OR after his e nasarS
uou letter spontaneously declining to be candidate
for Federal Office to which his neighbors and friends
desired TO recommend HIM. The public" wrote the
POntment of relative Is made the ground OF merit
RIOne unnfuenced by family views; nor can they ever
Intrest 20 their Presidents for public purposes divided
hardly upon Presidents relations but the public good
he thought required the saerdce for which their share
saOn 81 could not be satisfied" said he until as
Bured you of the Increased esteem with which TINS
Transaction ILLS me for you"
Has two sons-lnaw did not suffer from the rule, since
tber neghOOrs kept them both IN the House OF Repre-
seDtatiVes.
This prejudice against nepotlsm did not Of course
exclude bis friends from Office but with Jefferson 1t
always fitness before friendship He reduced the patron
age Of the Government 10 minimum ana employed no
two to do mans work. He endeavored to
Supply the apparatus and the operations OF COVER
seDt, that the rural members Of Congress and his
country constituents might understand them. He
abolished court etiquette, aud every usage that re-
senoed it, As a GROWING grace, he declined receive
any presents while in Office. / knew young literary
once who had treated the memory of Roger Bacon
somewhat irreyerenty in manuscript story After IL
out of his hands his conscience prcked him. His
burned in his pocket tn he carried 1t back got his story
again, and burned that in sacrhcal bonfire. why
he said how could dare TO meet Roger Bacon in
abe next world IL had mIsrepresented him in this ~ II
there be gratitude in ghosts Parton should least be
of friendly reception from the shade OF Thomas
Jefferson.
"without Reward" which follows Mr.. Parton's pan.
egyTic, is poem with good idea and with graceful
eOnees for instance, when the young lady says in
the second verse;
81 lift my heart unto his smile;
follow him with faithful eyes;
Enow myself as far the while,
As Is the suDhower from the skies"
But what TO do for strict standard Of criti-
cism in regard 10 technique, If authority as dstin-
Eushed as The Atlantic Monthly tolerates in Its poets
such rhymes as am" and calm shun" and won,"
"undone" and " begun" has" and "passP
Hr. DeFOrests story" Honest John Vane"-prom.
Ises at least to increase the already brilliant reputation
Of its author not 10 be "the great American political
novel" for which that DISCONTINUED child the public
% long been crying. The and in it are ex-
cessivey human, and not at all too high flown or too
good for human natures daily food. The other serial
"GunDar: Morse Romance" is equally praiseworthy
On very different way-a prose poem this and such
one az only Norwegian could have written "The sum.
mere Journey Of Naturalist takes him. this mum
her, from the Delaware to the Potomac Henry Jsmesjr
Ieontderies sn9theE Romsn paper" Ronan Rdes''--
which tantalEes us stayath6Se People with It's pic
turssesque entieemeDts AS reads, how one longs
5or 1.-the deep delight Of knowing the Campagna" How
charming must be life in Rome, which is, after ALL
very fairly modern city, with crowds and shops and
theaters and cafes and balls, and receptions, and
ners and all the modern confusion OF social pleasures
painsto have all these at your door, and yet be
able TO gallop away from It, In half hour, into the
illimitable mystery and quiet Of the Campagna.
To Look at the ., tqtted broom growing on lonely
des trembling none the less for the stiffness, and the
ehaggyeRged shepherds leaning their sticks in
GiODlcss brotherhood with the heaps or and the
scramblng goats and staggering little kids Ie3ding out
wild desert smells from the top of hollow-soundng
mounds and then 10 come back through one OF the
great gates, and couple OF hours later, find yourself
tive, talking about Mddlemareh TO young English
lady. listening TO HeapOltan songs from gentleman
IN very low-eut shirt-all this is to lead sort OF
double life. and TO gather from the hurryng
Impressions than mind of modest capacity quite knows
now TO dispose Of.
No wonder OF Mr.. James's friends pronounced 1t
"pleasant enough TO be wrong"
An able paper, by w. +. Hoppin gives d" A Glimpse
OF Contemporary Art In Europe" To a commercial
people whose instinct it is to measure things by
moneys worth, it Will be interesting note Of
fhe prices at which certain modern pictures have re-
Gently been purchased.
A small Spanish subject by Madrqzo was sold in Lon
don May 1872 for 5000; and tie works Of vilegas,
hnOtber spanish artist living In Rome command nearly
Sbe same prices single nguTe OF On Feeding Geese
by Knaus canvas so inches high, brought about
tTOOO Many artists who known this country,
suSh as BaudTyC a6at Cognle Bonnat ana Gleyre now
sell their at excessively high rates; and Mlet,
c S T Of s ee S S S for W 500 The
works Of Pettenkofen, Hungarian living at Vienna
hers Ts Ga%bart paid Holman Hunt for the
picture and copyright OF Christ In the Tenn
about a year since 10 Mr.. Fox Of Manchester for
s6OOO. and noy IL would bring $4,000. This
an the Desert is held at 5000 FOrtunys Spanish Mar
mage brought in 1859, $1,000 an American gentleman
by the artist lately brought OF them $1,000 and
the Si5e 5000 and poth were purchased by Americans