Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1881-02-16
ANALYzED.
The Sources OF his Great Power
and Influence.


Philadelphia American, February l2th.l
Of the antecedents Of Carlyle's
power, the first was the severe Pres
byterian atmosphere Of his youth.
No mar made a greater impression
upon him than his father-the stern,
earnest, altogether believing elder
who put into his religion all the ener-
gy his forefathers had put into their
border warfare. Those who know
whatan atmosphere that was, apd have
felt it in their own childhood, under
stand Carlyle's tone and attitude more
easily than do any others. The abso-
%luteness, the decision, the fearlessness
Of his handling of social issues, had
their roots in the stern discipline of
the kirk. For the kinks ministry he
himself was designed. His dearest
friend and closest brother of the heart,
Edward Irving, had already enteredit it.
Carlyle wisely decided for himself that
he could not. The hard and narrow
character of the Scotch theology Of
that day was such that there was no
room for him. The kirk herself was
soon to cast out Edward Irving, the
grandest soul in the Scottish ministry.
Chalmers not excepted. But Car
lyle's decision involved a terrible
wrench to his whole thinking. The
church had drawn him by many cords,
and his rejection of her claims in
volved an antagonism to those claims
which almost passed into antipathy.
And yet it is notable how tenderly he
refers to her through all his later
writings. He SCOTS at the rivals of
Calvanism, and declares hat that
stern creed was only seeking a new
and fitting dress to resume its sway
over mems minds. He puts the old
Scottish metrical psalms into the
of his medieval monks aud his
Puritan soldiers. He was one of the
notable company-including Burns,
Scott, Campbell and Archdeacon
Hare-who confessed to the fascina-
ton of that rough psalm book.
The strength of his reaction against
the church was measured by his de-
votion to the three great gods of Ger
Observation-Disclosures, Schiller and
Goethe. From the former he took
little, except some stylistic peculiar
tiles, but it is a great mistake to sup
pose that his idiosyncrasy in writing
was due to that or any external infu.
9nce. Schiller's influence upon him
was personal. Goethe's was supreme,
md largely mischievous. Its height
represented by "Sartor Resartus. "
The book is a freak of the first order
"a cunningly sustained and thor-d
sardOnic paradox. Those who
in Carlyle chiefly for the
power aud eccentric vigor of
lis style and his grotesque humor,
it very high on the list. But it
acks the oh racteristic earnestness Of
he man. 1t is not to be compared
With Past and Present." in point of
purpose.
In later years Goethe waned in his
influence, and the lessons Of Carlyle's
youth came back to him with more
power. The loss of one of the best Of
made him more tender. His
,wn failures hunbled him somewhat,
or his Frederick the Great must
,e pronounced a desperate failure.
lie wrote to Mr.. Emerson after its
completion, to express the sorrowful
conviction that the years spent on it
lad been wasted, as the more he had
o do with Frederick the less heroic
lie found him. Any Observant reader
draw the came inference from
he manner in which Frederick later
ears are hurried over. The life that
ought to have written was
hat Of Luther, or that of Knox.
of the two would have given
i'm Just the field for the exercise Of
is best powers.
AT any rate, he lost something Of
be old self confidence and scorn of
he common belief of his countrymen,
S age ripened him. IF he kept on
aging bitter things, it was chiefly
rom force of habit. His "Kings oil
'orway," though not as masterful as
The French Revolution" or "Crom-
is simpler in style and purer
4 English. They have no speech of
the abysses," and the eternities," as
4 his Goethe-pagan period. Some of
is u%tterances, not meant for publica.
on, show the change which came
yer him. He wrote in recent years
} his old friend Thomas Erskine of
,inlather THE other night, in my
.eepless tossings about, which we're
more and more miserable, the
,ords Of that brief and grand prayer.
Jur Father, came strangely into my
lind with an altogether new en-
as if written and shining for
lie in mild, pure splendor on the black
osom Of the night there; when |, as it
ere, read them word by word with
sudden check to my imperfect wan
with a sudden softness of
Omposure which was much uneX-
ected. Not, perhaps, for thirty or
)rty years, had | once formally re
Gated that prayer; nay, l never
lit before how intensely the
dice of mans soul it is; the
lmost inspiration Of all that is
and piOus in poor human nature,
lght worthy to be recommended with
n alter this manner pray ye.'"
The best tribute to his work and
Sc was the letter sent him byan Eng.
sh artisan, to thank him for having
him 10 become a more honest
nd faithful workman. He was one
I those to turn many to righteous
es5," with results to themselves, it is
lid, both notable and lasting.
Errors Of youth in male or female. I
ausing abscess or inability to look
mother in the face, pimples, nervous
ess, etc, can be permanently cured