New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1880-04-24
nnRNRYS 1RGUMENT

The GArgument of Hon. Stephen W.
Downey, of Wyoming Territory. Copyright,
1880. by Stephen w. Downey. All rights re-
seryed1r has been duly printed ct the Govern
ment expense, and occupies fifteen of the broad
double-coumn pages OF The Congressional
Record Mr.. Downey introduced bill about
two weeks ago which began by reciting the
APOSTLES Creed as Whereas" and ended by
appropriating half million of dollars for the
decoration of the walls Of the Capitol with
paintings commemorative of the history of our
Lord, SAID paintings to be executed by living
u artistsn only. In support of this bill Mir.
Downey obtained Sleave to print an argu-
"mentn last Tuesday. The argument" proves
TO be a poem Of Downey's own composition en-
titled GThe Immortals," and dedicated to the
Congress of the United States. 1t comprises
about $500 lines Of blank verse, interspersed
with rhymed songs and choruses; and although
we have failed, after as conscientious reading
of this scintillating efuslon as the brevity OF
human life will justify, to discover the remOtest
connection between the argument and the bill,
| We can honestly say that whether we consider
| the brillancy of DOwney's ideas, or the sDlen-
| dor of his language, or the blankness OF his
| verse. we do not know of any other specimen of
Government literature which bears o resem-
blance to It, DOwney has been censured for
smuggling copyright poem into TIE Record by
a trick, It has even been alleged that he intro
duced his bill for no other purpose than to
make the United States pay for printing his
poem. 1t appears to us, however, that he has
sufficiently explained his situation in the pre-
liminary verses He is the victim of strange
/" wild fancies," which crowd the brain OfmOrtal
man sometimes, and make such "thUnder at
the doorways of the soul " that it Is absolutely
necessary to let them in. Then they take pos
session of the will and the intellect; "bolts
| cannot bar nor iron chain them down )" the
victim must spout or burst; and what Is the OBJ
iect of permission to print undeliVered elo-
quence in The Congressional Record, unless it be
TO afford vent for the bubbling passions OF
overCharged congressman
Downey's mind, as he informs us, became
| "A temple filled
With forms intangible, immortal sprites
From chaos rising back 10 chaos borne,
and while in this superheated state he got ac-
ouainted with q young female named Phantas-
maeoria, in whose company he made journey
to Mount Olympus, tho Milky Way, Hell,
various planets not identified, the Temple OF
Fame, the Pinnacle OIL EAlSUenceJ anu CERTAIN
| all controlling sphere,
| Where life wore beauty passngly sublime,
Tho one great centre, enerRiglng SOUL
Inspiring, moving all created worlds.
Phantasmagoria, who seems to have been a
garrulous and gushing. person, talked a good
deal with soul-ingulfng ecstasy" and showed
Downey all sorts of astonishing sights all thC
Homeric deities, labelled with the same cpl
thets they wore in the Iliad and In AnthOn'I
Dictionary; Milton devils; Dante's souls Of
the damned; chariot-raeeSj panOramasI tenn
pies, fanes, domes, portals, consultations, as
terOids, crystalline empyreans, Translucent
spheres, ambient skies, oil Of the most gorgeous
and opulent description. It Is not clear wha
Downey and Phantasmagoria were after in thi
ilIimitable kaleidoscope, but they rushed along
Ike fireworks, encountering among othe
things O team Of Stwelve steeds Of fire." which
had golden plumage, and eyes full of wOman'
tenderness with the lions valOr. The MIN
muses. sang to them as they passed. CalliOp
made rhymes about the moon. Euterpe salt
that her chariot was rolling along the string
to the lyro of tho universe strung, Terpsichor'
remarked that Tho tWinkling stars ere danCini