New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1878-07-02

not conspicuous above his fellows for the
vices of his day; Rousseau, according to bis
own audaciouS confessions, was early addicted
to deception, theft, gluttOny, and incredible
self-indulgence. 1.-THE vilest tastes" as he
informs his readers, " the meanest bits Oh
"rascality, succeeded to my simple amuse-
"ments. without even leaving the least idea
" behind
In the early years of life, which were de-
voted by Voltaire to grave studies, intimate
social intercourse with the most brilliant spirits
of his day, and the practice of elaborate COM
position, Rousseau was an adventurer and
yagabond, fond of the lowest company,
and giving no sign of intellectual activity or
humane aspiration. He had nearly attained
the age of forty years, before the COM
mencement of his literary career. Voltare
was a writer from his youth up; his mind
ripened into maturity at tender age; and
the habit of intellectual research and con-
struction soon became a second nature. Vol
taire was a scholar of rare attainments, and
still rarer diligence; superficial, no doubt !;
warped by his inveterate prejudice,
and enticed by plausible pretension
but yet q man of thought, of conviction,
of sympathy with justice and truth a
philosopher in his way, and looking at
life and society in their intellectual aspects.
Voltaire attacked the abuses which aroused
his energy with intellectual weapons, with ar
gument, with wit, with scofing ridicule, with
merciless satire, never from sentiment, never
with tenderness, never with the glow OF warm
and indignant feeling. The genius which in
spired bis wrath was the cynical, mocking
devil of contempt; never the loving angel
who spreads his soft wings for the sue
cor and support of humanity. Rous-
seau was destitute of the insight of the phios-
opher; lie had passion fOr paradoxes. with
out the Judgment to detect their fallaeies
his imagination was kindled by visions OF the
glorious destiny of man under cOngenial social
conditions, but in the conception OF means
for their attainment bis mind was pOwerless
as a chlld's he had no sense of organization,
no perception of the action and reaction OF
cause and effect; no steady purpose OF
method and preparation for realizing the
fancies which were suggested to his mind III
dreams of the night. He was the rapt pro-
phet of a new dispensatiOn, the impassiOned
deelaimer on the glOries of TRANSPORTED
society, the creature of sentiment and ro-
nance, descanting on the purple splendors OF
the cloudland on which he would erect the
tabernacle of the Lord among the children OF
men. OF the form. or color, or proportions, or
texture of this enchanted creation he had no
distinct idea himself, and, of course, could
give none to the crowd of admirers, who
waited Oh his words, bewildered by his elO-
quence, and kindled into spasms of vague
enthusiasm by the gnsh Of his fiery sym
pathies.
Voltaire was prompted by keen sense OF
personal justice; he waged instructive war
against the pretensions OF arbitrary power, of
official insolence, of priestly assumption but
he always had III view the select and polished
circle, to which he himself belonged. He had
no love of the people, no sense of humanity,
in its broadcast congratulations, no visions OF a
society in which righteousness and peace
should be the foundation of civil ORDER and
"Holiness to the Lord should be inscribed on
the bells of the horses, the fringes Of gar
ments, the Implements of industry, and the
life of the people. 1.-THE people," says Vol
taire, sis an OK who requires only the yoke,
the goad, and little hay" The influence
huence of Rousseau was in spite of his charac-
ter. Voltaire affected to be a model of external
propriety his wig was always defty pow
dered his shOe-buckles shone with the bright
ness Of solid silver his apparel was dainty
specimen Of the art sartOriai and he took
his pinch Of snuff with a lordly grace that
could not be reached by plebeian nOstIils.
Rousseau went clad Ill fantastic costume !;
the DEGREES of fashion in his case were dead
letter for a large part OF his life he was an
outcast and tramp while he so charmingly
depicted the morality of the future, hc deied
the decencies of life in the present; his wife
was his mistress and his children were sent
to the founding hospital.
The title of Rousseau to the remembrance
OF the present age rests upon his appeals in
behalf of humanity, his vindicatiOn of the
rights of man against the expressions of CEN
turtles. If he was not the first to proclaim the
natural dignity of man, rs against the artih-
cial institutions of society, lie was the first in
the eighteenth century TO apply the principle
to political order, and to demand for the peO-
pie the conditions Of development, prosperity,
and happiness. He gave voice to the pregnant
ideas of freedom and equality which inspired
the French Revolution, and, in spite of the
Outrages and atrocities which have been per-
petrated in their name by brute force, have
been largely accepted as the essential terms
OF modern progress.
1t has been maintained by recent English
writer of signal ability that the influence of
Rousseau gave an important impulse to the
American Revolution, and that his ideas and
phrases are embodied in the great charter of
American liberties. But there is a lOoseness
in this assertion of which we do not find frequent
examples in the writings of its author. The
Declaration of Independence was not a polit
ical charter. Nor does it attempt to establish
the foundations of civil government, as mat
Ter OF nrecedent and authority II was The