The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1874-01-19
A Would-Be Chesterfield Brought "a

Grief.
One of the most fruitful themes for tho
vagrant pen of the British periodical philoso-
pher is the ibellous character of the Amer
lean press. We have been told again and
again by this supernal parsonage that the
reputation of the purest and most immaculate
is dragged before the vulgar mob and demol-
ished with the same ease that one would blow
over house of cards Our average Journalist
is represented as listening at the keyholes
OF drawing rooms, or concealed beneath
a table, around which are gathered diplo-
matists for secret delberaion, or as boldly
plunging into the circle of domestic grief
in order to lay bare the darkest sorrows
of household. We are aware that there is q
hive of pot-house vagabonds who are per-
mitted, from some inscrutable reason, to cast
their slime on our respectable journalism
but they are rapidly drifting into the
slum literature where they belong. Beyond
this there is q general hesitation in America,
either by innuendo or malignant Islander, to
weaken the social status Of any person or per-
sonage who has not committed some fragrant
public wrong. This is as it should be, and
we are gratiied to note that healthy criticism
is deepening and broadening. But how is it
in England? As the reader will discover, in
an article on modern Chesterfield, published
in the Saturday Reuep, from the aristocracy
itself is recruited q most dangerous and
ignoble species of the dsfamer. Lord Desart,
envious of the fame of the soi-disant arbiter Of
English manners and morality, contributed q
series of letters to London Society. In them
he taught the coarsest philosophy, if phi
losophy can be called dishonor and brutality,
and then superadded to his weary rubbish q
string Of cunning insinuations directed
against the private characters Of people of
quality. This form of vicious writing is
peculiar to England. The cowardly instinct
that makes q man deliberately choose a
victim for social ruin teaches him
the art of saying, s'the Duke Of H"
OF ''the Duchess Of T. ''are dreading
an earthquake of truth, which shall shake be-
fore the public gaze all the skeletons Of the
family" Lord Desart was, however, exposed
and made to sign the most abject and humili-
ating apology we remember ever to have seen
in print Ready enough to employ his pen
in concocting his loathsome letters, he GER
tainly displayed most astonishing haste in
eating his own words, and apparently without
any of the evil effects which generally follow
sudden and involuntary deglutition. He is,
however, but one of class who are constantly
active in English society. They do not always
write books or contribute to the periodicals,
but are oftener the purveyors of club slang
and coffee house colloquy. Here in America,
whatever may be the vices Of our journalism,
we do not generally encourage attack by
innuendo, nor Islander by insinuation. The
French newspapers, Quixotic and volatile as
they are said to be, are comparatively free
from the base habit we have men toned; and
we commend the singing rebuke Of the
Saturday Reue,o in its effort to Danish it from
England. We might say more in the common
cause of all classes of publications, and indulge
the hope that the journalism of the world is
entering upon a loftier sphere Of inquiry and
usefulness, suppressing all that panders to
morbid craving, idle curiosity and vicious
qualification.