The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1881-02-20
MORAL wHITBwAsH
morrow

a kind of c0loring has been recently ap-
piled TO ceri9il notorious and repu'siva his
toricel characters BY their biographera, with
the object of moking them appear to be a
very respectable, docoat kind of people, that
we think may appropriately DO called ape
cies of moral whitewash, as il is given with
the intention Of removing their blotches and
hiding some serious defacts--just as a coat
or several coats of whilewashing are given to
hide soiled md dofaced wall--the effort 10
mako that which is black aud foul appear
tolerably White and clean. Those who are
fond of high sounding words call il the pro-
cess Of rehabilitation, or putting that which
had become distorted back into It's true
form. In the front rank of these "white.
washers" stands Lord Macauley, who en-
deavors to persuade US that the man whose
name we have been accustomed 20 think of
as synonymous of treacbery and deceit,
has besn misunderstood and misrepre-
sented. lie tells us that Machiaveili was
true patriot, and that in all his schemes and
Vaccinations, the motive that moved him
was the good Of his cnuntry--that in CIV ry-
thing he did, how best to advance tho inter-
ests OF tho nation was his arst thought and
desire. Then, too, the general temper and
custom Of the tim's in which he lived are
not sufficiently considered. The living. the
double dealing, the sub!ilty aud prevarics.
ton, that have msd his name notorious
were characteristic Of thst period and of those
by whom he was surrounded, consequently
he must not be condemned with tho same
severity with which we trest our own co.
temporaries, and very properly, too, in our
present honest and straightforward age
such things in those days we're tho rule, not
the exceptions. And II il human nature to
be mora or less influenced by the people
about us, and the age in which We
live. So if Machiayoli was living
and treachsrou,, it was for the well
fare of his country, and the means that
he took for her good must be overlooked in
the motive that actuated him. A genuine
patriot Is always admirable of whatever ma.
tonality no may be. Amorg the other
doubtful characters that need con ,iderahle
whitewash to brighten them up into ordinary
decency, comes tho royal and very much
married Henry the Eighth; and Mr.. Froude
the historian, has undertaken the rather on
erous task, trying TO prove tina. after all he
was not SO verg bad husband, and perhaps
he does prove ito bis own satisfaction.
We are asked to credit him with real ard
sincere cocsciectous scruples in getting rid
OF some of his unhappy wives latter he had
tired OF theu) aud If he did 20 rather too far
bringing some of his unfortunate and
helpless victims to the block, and thus rid
ding himself of them, to make,way for 9TH
ers, II cannot be denied that they oourtea
their fate, in giving him great prov.
ocation. He was lei ast
by the force of circumstances +;
and taking everything into consideration,
and making du, allowances, he was about as
generous snd kind-hosrted as could be- OK.
pected. And SO "bluF King Hal" is rehsbili-
tated, and receives his coat of whitewash.
1t is neither strange nor wrong that ever,
reasonable effort should be made TO shield
the reputation, ana redeem ii, Of genius
such as Go3the, but the whitewash must no
be laid on so thick as to conceal all evidence
of the original material, no matter how
charitable or praiseworthy the motive NAV
be-. And tina. he did write some very slly
and very wicked letters, his greatest sdvo-
Gates and admirers must admit Also, that
he did abou. as much IS one man could we'll
do to corrupt the times in which he lived,
wrote and acted. It is not strange either that
Byroa's host of admirers should put in the
plea that such an extraordinary geaius as his
should not be Judged by tho same rules that
we apply TO ordinary intelects. He drank
great deal of liquid, which was
stronger than water 1t Is true and
1t cannot be denied that he
wrote some very wicked and immoral verses,
but probably we are indebted to that habit
ofindulging in strong drink, for some of bis
too imprisoned poeiry--if that IL any OK
cusc. And, too, suppose that he did abuse