New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1875-11-17
EDGAR ALLAN POE.



-o,ld's tariy Justice to men of talent, or 10 set
<,rth in n cento from complaining bards the msior-
times and the miseries of genius The present io'eS
dearly to dwell upon neglect OF merit III 'i'e pas"
and to reverse unchartabe and mistaken Juuein'n'S
to talk Indignantly of Homer bhnd ana oessins
of Milton blind and poor sehoolInas'er' Vi CnaV
.erton's suicide: OF the SORROWS OF burns OF oi DS
ron. Of the Onerferlys unfarness to Shehey' anu Oh
80 ri,a1d ridicule Of Keats. Time unquestionably
does soften many resentrnents and conslgn TO OBJ
Tvion many weaknesses. Tho fortune of some
critters has doubtless been hard one; yet we be-
,,ve that fair scrutiny viii show "a large pro-
,rtio of success and of its material results IN the
literary As in any other profession. clever French
man remarks that while everybody has heard OF
the sorrows of genius there has been no book
wr,tten TO record its happiness If poets are
,.rriess livers they must pay the penalty and the
nuu,her of great works in the English tongue which
have not had degree of immediate success is
smaller than many. accustomed TO the language Of
complaint. would suppose.
Pne lid not differ from great many Of his pre-
decessors he was man who was always needing
holm and he was helped great deal at almost every
neriod of his short career. Left orphan and PEN
n;le.s he was adopted and treated son by gem
tleuan of fortune. lie had unusual opportunities of
earlv education in good classical school abroad
He received what hundreds of American boys long
f,r IN vain-an appointment 10 the Military Acad-
envy Of the nation. Mr.. White gave him employ
,,ent upon The Southern Literary Messenger; Mr.. Bur
ton gave him work upon one magazine Mr.. Graham
uuon another Mr.. Willis upon newspaper; Tor ms
hooks he seems never to have had any difficulty III
finding publishoTs-ai any rate the books were pub
Esbed when he could and would lecture, lyceums
and other associations we're glad 10 secure MS
servires and in society and especially by some ex-
L. h Wit MARKED
and constant kindness But he was not a man
whom it was easy to help. He would labor only
when le pleased and do only what the feeling
of the moment prompted. His bread was to be
earned If at all by periodical writings for the pages
Of magazines, reviews, and newspaper the material
ust e regularly supplied and for regularity of that
kind Mr. Poe was not remarkable. MI Nmte'
his steady friend. had a grea. deal to bear; Nh
Bnrfon once found at the last moment that all prep
aration for the next number of the magazine Rad
been neglected; the society in Boston when en-
gagged Mr. Poe FOR a poem was put Oh WIKI
juvenile production: and the poet afierward boased
of the Deceit So it is not true that MI Zoe was
neglected Few writers of his time met with more
constant and substantial encJurl cement But tie
habit, Of the man were h0pecSsly erratic. lie has
been charged with incratirude toward those who
tefrendcd him. and the charge has also been de-
MED bpt it will hardly be denied that IN his literary
work he was exceedingly aggressive. Nothing
pleased him better than to run muck among
the writers Of his timc lie loved dearly 10 tear
great reputation TO pieces. he equally loved 10 I'M
pale obscure offenders upon his critical PEN lie had
no mercy and to be merciless Is not the way 10
make friends. Criticism there must be; bat tho
criticism which deligh,s in giving pain is neither
proftab nor necessary nor Is IT more toierable
when ~ is shaped mainly to exhibit the critics clev-
md There work however
noble or venerable, which may not Ice SO mlsrepre-
scntcd as to render 1t ridiculous bat the minor po-
cts who wore hayed BY 3ir. Poe We're neither noble
nor venerable; while ADLER writers who were sub
eoed 70 his peculiar proc surylV attacks when
were more amusing than effective or useful.
Still whatever may have been the acrimony Of
Mr. Poe'- critical writing. whatever It's somewhat
more than occasional uufairness one must not dsTe-
gard it, frequent justice and accuracy Clrcnm-
stances. exigences, his own waywardnes7 sometimes
made him he most insiucerc of men Yet ms love OF
complete aad perfect work, his rgid literary method
and as Unborn hatred of literary shams and pre-
tense, are not to be denied His tales are wonderful
instances Of the mechanical Informed by the ideal
Tie a. 4 DeFOs without rcalIsm-a S~it without
hard aud over-accumulated detail. Both IN hs prose
and ID ms poetry he presents an admirable example
Of the advantage of keeping the Imagination well re-
s,roin,d by art In is highest ami widest Night IN
his deepest and sadd'st dream, whether he Is IN
vokIng he demons Of his own personal lh5 thoo2y OF
apost70phizing the good angels 20 whose Keeping
Destpv has committed bis lost love, no frenzy over
power, lis clear intellect and he is Magician VINO
j. master Of all his resources. II would be saying too
much 10 say that he did not feel be was
very far from being e mere practitioner OF
vulc.r thaumaturgy; but in the quality OF su2-
cestu, more than &c expresses, in that subtle skill
which DC. the meaning go tie mood Of the reader IN