The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1878-06-15

The address Of DR.. Bellows yesterday at
the funeral Of Mr.. Bryant was creditable
specimen Of eulogy not defaced by exag-
Bryant as poet Disseminated with such
judicial accuracy between Mr.. Bryant's ex-
cellencies and his limitations, and was SO
just without any faint of extravagance as to
remind us Of the saying that before an art
list can paint portraits he must have seen
faces. The remarks Of DR.. Bellows on
Mr.. Bryant's genius as poet and
his character as man ore piece of
such ripe criticism that we almost shrink
from violating its dignity by dissent from
any part of the address. We quite agree
with DR.. Bellows as to the merits Of Mr..
Bryant's prose. Mr. Bryant was one of the
few poets who perfectly understood tho dis
tinction between prose and poetry, and who
never introduced into the one the orna-
ments which are only suited to the other.
But Dr. Bellows showed how extremely
limited is his knowledge of the journalism
OF the country when he mentions Bryant,
Greeley and Charles King as the chief ex-
ceptions to what may be called the Bohe-
milan style. That we may do DR.. Bellows
no injustice we insert his remarks on news
paper style -
His prose In Its way rs good as hts poetry, ana
uidcd greatly to correct tho taste Tor swollen,
gaudy and prolontious writing IN tho public pross.
lilo not alone In this respect Tor none lu 10
recall tho services IN this direction Of Charles King
stanccs. But Brysnt's poetic fame gave peculiar
thoriy TO his editorial example, aud mado his style
specially helpful and instructive.
DR.. Bellows is quite wrong in supposing
that swollen, gaudy and pretentious
writing" was the character Of newspaper
style during the period when Mr.. Bryant
was an active journalist No American
journalist Of distinction was addicted to
that class of faults when Mr.. Bryant was
in his prime Most Of them fell into
gross faults Of taste of n different kind; but
sharp personal vituperation and not stilted
grandiloquencc was their besetting sin.
Thurlow Weed, for example, was as inno-
cent OF swollen, gaudy and pretentous
writing" as Mr.. Bryant himself, and he was
much more effective journalist. The same
remarks will apply to NIL the distinguished
editors who were Mr.. Dryants contempora-
ries when no was ut his best. Whatever else
may be said Of the founder Of the
HERALD he cannot be charged with
having written anything in swollen"
or 'gaudy" style. Nor could the
most fastidious literary taste bring such IN
accusation against Edwin Croswell, who
made the Albany Argus great power in
politics.; or Francis Z. Blair, Of the old
Washington Globe; or Father Richie" of
the Richmond Enquirer; or George ID. Prem
tice, of the Louisville Journal; or Mr..
Anthony, of the Providence Journal; or Mr.
Kinney, Of the Newark Advertiser; or DR..
Foote, of the Buffalo Commercial, who were
the most noted editors Of the country out
side of New York city when Mr.. Bryant
was in the thick Of tho contest. There was
not writer among them all who was
not as free from Bohemian strut and
swell as Mr.. Bryant himself In
point of good taste and chaste
diction there we're New York Journalists
who better deserved mention than Mr..
Greeley. Mr.. Raymond, for example, was a
chastc writer. who Stunned stilted diction