The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1876-04-11


We disagree with our neighbor the Sun in
its estimate of the fitness Of Mr.. Longfellow
for the English mission. 1t by no means
follows that because man Of genius writes
poetry he is not practical man. Some OF
the greatest men in history, great in purpose
and achievement, wrote verses. Frederick
the Great wrote an incredible quantity of
rhymes and quarrelled with Voltaire because
he sneered at them. Yet as king,
warrior and diplomatist Frederick stands
first Of his time We do not know that
Napoleon ever wrote verses; but he was
fond of Homer which showed good taste,
and of Ossian, which showed that he
was not always lofty in his tastes. John
Quincy Adams wrote poems to the end OF his
days, and bad enough many of them Were
Lord Byron, whose fame as poet was on the
eve of what promised to be an illustrious civil
and military career, when he died. The fact
that he had written 'sChilde Harold" did not
prevent the Greeks from Offering him the
command of troops. Goethes verses are
among the monuments of German litera-
ture, and yet Goethe was a Minister of State
In the history of our own diplomacy we have
had no better service than that of Joel
Barlow, the poet who served us
in France, and Bayard Taylor, and
George H. Boxer in our diplomatic service
in Russia A few days have only passed
since q poet was appointed to rule one of
the largest empires in the world. If Disraeli
sees fit to send Owen Meredith to govern
India why should we hesitate to send Long
fellow to London?
But why multiply illustrations? The
editor of the Sun has himself, in his Book
of Household Poetry"-a book which is a
mosaic of classics celebrated the wisdom
and genius OF poets. The editor Of this
volume should feel debarred from criticising
the nomination of poet to any station, how
ever eminent. Mr.. Longfellow, unlike some
who have written verses, is a very prac-
tical man, of common sense, clear judgment
and experience. He represents wide and
generous culture. He has had abundant
opportunities for studying the institutions,
the literature and the politics of the older
nations. A mission like that of England
needs something more than life around the
Hobbies of Congress. What an atmosphere
Longfellow would take with him into the
drawing rooms of London His venerable,
classical head, recalling to those who look
upon it the noblest forms of antiquity,
would be far different from some of the
heads we have been sending across the seas.
While, therefore, Professor Woolsey would
suit us, while we should be happy to
see Senator Morgan or any of the estimable
candidates conceived by the san nominated
to the Court of st. Jnmes, we still think
that Mr.. Longfellow would answer more
conditions of fitness than any one thus far
named. While Directing to the assumption
that, because Mr.. Longfellow has written
noble and beautiful poems, he would not
make suitable Minister, we beg to con-
graduate our contemporary upon its re-
newed and enlarged interest in national
politics, and especially upon the fidelity
with which it follows the example of the
HERALD in dealing generously with the real
issues that come before the people. These
are the higher realms Of journalism, and the
Sun, in entering upon them with SO much
enthusiasm and good taste, shows that it
really shines for all.