The Portland daily press., 1878-12-14


Pharaohs and Ptolemies, Autiochi and
Arsacides! And these vast SUGGESTIONS
OF time distinguished and figured by
the uproars which revolve at their
inaugurations; by the drums and trampllngs
rolling overhead upon the chambers of for
gotten dead-the trepidations OF time and
mortality vexing, at secular intervals, the
everlasting sabbaths of the gravep'
The passage from Ruskin is overong for
quotation +; but it shall be given:
"Since the first dominion of men was
asserted over the ocean, three thrones, OF
mark beyond all others, have been set upon
Its sands: the thrones OF Tyre, Venice, and
England. OF the First of these great powers
only the memory remains; ofthe Second, the
ruin; the Third, which inherits their great
ness, if it forgets their example, may be led
through prouder eminence to less pitied
destruction.
"The exatation, the sin, and the punish
ment OF Tyre have been recorded for us, In
perhaps the most touching words ever uttered
by the Prophets of Israel against the cities
of the stranger. But we read them as .
lovely song, and close our ears to the stern
ness of their warning; for the very depth Of
the Fall of Tyre has blinded US to its reality,
and we forget, as we watch the bleaching of
the rocks between the sunshine and the sea,
that they were once 'as In Eden, the garden
of God.'
"Her successor, like her in perfection Of
beauty, though less in endurance of d0min-
ion, is still left for our beholding in the final
period of her decline: ghost upon the sands
OF the sea, so weak, so quiet, so bereft OF
all but her lovelness, that we might well
doubt, as we watched her faint reflection in
the mirage Of the lagoon, which was the City,
and which the Shadow.
II would endeavor to trace the lines of this
inage before it be forever lost, and to record,
as far as may, the warning which seems to
me to be uttered by every one of the fast
gaining waves that beat, like passing bells,
against the Stones of Venice.'s
Yorick is strongly tempted, and will not
for moment resist, to quote that other splen-
did sentence of RuskiD, from "The Seven
Lamps of Architectural
But Ne have other sources of power, 10
the imagery OF our iron coasts and azure hills:
OF power more pure, nor less serene, than
that of the hermit spirit which once lighted
with white lines of cloisters the glades OF the
Alpine pi1e, and raised into ordered spires
the wild rocks OF the Norman sea; which
gave to the temple gate the depth aud dark
ness Of Eljah's Hore0 cave; and lifted, out
OF the populous city, grey cliffs of lonely stone
into the midst of sailing birds and silent
arr
Newspaper folk learn many dsagreeable
things about their fellow men; for they are
in a way to see all the little vanties and
man coming in and writing laudatory no
tice of himself or soliciting mention in the
Personals" naturally disposes them to be
skeptical in regard to the announcements
seen in print elsewhere. Another thing the
editor man learns to bis cost-that it usually
does not "pay" to say kind things of people,
for by so doing he puts himself under obliga-
tions to them. Yorick has noticed that
man who has long held Office establishes
claim upon public support and thinks he is
entitled to living at the general expense.
The claim is conceded too, usually without
question. So-and-So has lost the Office he
has so long held; he must be provided for.
Why? o, he hes been-whatever it Island
we must look out for him. 1t seems to be
held that there is an implied obligation on
the part of the country to keep him in office.
1t is much the same with the newspaper. II
journal incautisusly says good word for
man he expects it to persevera in saying good
words for him, and feels injured and becomes
lished claim upon it. Now as the man
who has never held office does no. put the
country under bonds to provide for his sup
port during his natural life, so the man who
has never been kindly spoken of by the
papers does not feel that it is their duty to
continually praise him.
OF course there are exceptions to this gen.
eral rule, as there are modest men. There
are people who acknowledge that they and
not the newspapers are the debtors. But too
often the public man whose course has been
commended and whose political fortunes have
been advanced by journal, feels indignant
and injured if that journal, in justice to itself
and its readers and with regard to what it be-
lieves to be the best interests of the country,
feels called upon to criticize his political &C.
ton or take issue with him on any question
of pubic policy. The aclor who has been
praised night after night by the dramatic crit
ic instantly forgets all the good things said OF
him when he happens to play part badly
aud the critic tells him and the public so. He
hates the critic. 1t is not merited praise he
seeks, bat adulation. The author who has
written many good books that have COM
mended themselves to the favorable attention
OF the reviewer, writes bad book that is
properly condemned. The favorable notices
are forgotten by him aud only the uufavora-
Bile are remembered. 1t is the same with the
painter aud the singer. Sometimes the critic
makes mistake, oftener in the favorable than
in the unfavorable Offices. But his judgment is
never impugned as loug as it is commendato
ry. Tue mistake is really overlooked. No
mercy, though, is extended when the judg-
ment is coDdemnatory. He is not even said
to be mistaken. He is at once accused Of
malice. and the author or the artist charges
him With spite.
Newspaper men also learn that the irritable
tribes are not alone the poets, and the ar-
lists, and the actors. These are more before
the public, get oftener criticized, and so often
er show their irritation. Bat it exists every
where. The farmer who carries big squashes
every year to the county fair is gratiied at the
notice he gets in the reports. Some day bis
sduashes are overlooked; perhaps new
scribe writes who knows not Jonathan. The
farmer is wroth at once, and no power in the
world can convince him that the editor is not
''down on him." A torch-light procession
takes place during political campaign, and
the houses on the line Of march are illumi-
mated. The reporters as they hurry along
the line strive to remember all the illumina-
tions. They omit one, perhaps through hur-
ry, perhaps because they can find no one to
give them information. Next day the irate
house holder whose display has not been men
toned comes down and stops his paper. A
great industrial exhibition is given in the
hail. One exhibitor stands by bis case of
goods and promptly answers the questions of
the man with the notebook. At the next
stand no one is to be found. The owner Of
the neglected stand grumbles next day be-
cause his neishbor gets better notice than
he does, and complains that the reporter does