New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1875-09-10
OUR COUNTY,, Eight OR WRONG.

A CORRESPONDENT of The Sacramento Record,
writing from Boston, is exceedingly angry with
MIR. James Rus ,elI Lowrll's verses entitled "The
"Wor.ds Fair 1876" He thinks them dis
rcsDcctful.to Columbia, because they hint that
her Civil Service is far from perfect, her
revenue too extensively collected, her currency
too much inflated, her rings the lingS OF ras-
Gals, and "hcr latest style of martyr Tweed"
81 cannot but regret" says the letter writer,
"that one who holds so honorable position IN
Literature as Prof. Lowell should carry his
"criticism of his country and her institutions to
"a degree which one cannot but pronounce
" etmityr IL does not seem to strike this
censor that the real matter for regret may
he that the country is fairly amenablc to the
ccnsllre of one holding so honorable posi-
elton in leratnrc.r And why take Mr..
Lowclrs "enmityr for grantedl When
preacher bcabors his sinful congregation, is
he inspired by "enmity"" If we have at
tanned social and political end financial and
religious perfection. and are people alto
cether without sin or shame or blemish,
we will readily admit that Mr.. Lowells verses
are altogether rcprehcnsible; but if we have
erred and strayed from the ways OF rectitude
pleasantness and peace, ought we not to lie
thankful to receive our rebuke from one OF
our own sort and not from the mouth OF a
stranger and an outside barbarian ?-tha lkful
to be lcctured in meter instead of hard, un-
compromising prose'
We must admit that to us 1t is new literary
doctrine, that the satiriSt who in q grave and
honest way points out the errors OF his country,
thereby commits moral treason, and is amcna-
bic to charge of seditiOn. Did AristOphancs
hate Athens? or Juvcnal and Horace hate
Rome7 or Dryden or COwper hate Eneland7
And is it to be understood that Mr. James
Russell Lowell hates the United States of
America, and the Bird of Liberty, and
the Stripes and the Stars, because he doesn't
believe in making paper collars cur
"rcnt bilIs?" He is charged with "enu-
GENERATING certain dscreditable incidents
(" in our recent history with evident glec." We
must say that the glee" to us is not so very
evident regret and Indignation seem to Us to
be the predominating emotions hardly con-
cealed by thin cover of cheerful badinage.
We question whether Mr.. Lowell, who is
American to his hearts core, finds any very
exquisite delight in the folles and the fail
urcs of tho Republic /; but he is not far wrong
if he thinks it quite az wholesome to laugh at
as to blubber over them; quite as wise to
point them out for correction as dOggedly to
deny them. We should be sorry to have 1t
generally supposed that we do not love our
country, yet we too have intimated
that the Civil Service might be improved,
and, If our memory serves us, we have occa-
sionally expressed an unfavOrable opinion OF
Mr.. Tweed. 1t il true that We have done so
in plain prose. Putting the joke into rhymod
tens. may give disapprobation more malignant
character, and cast doubt upon the sincerity
of censure. Perhaps man who lives in Cam
bridge and writes for The atlantic Monthly
magazine has no right to criticise the condition
of public affairs, that privilege being reserved
for writer's in newspapers, honorable members
OF the Opposition in Congress- and the i'm
meital fraternity Of tho Outs. 1t Is well that
T. ,'ours to somebody.