New-York tribune., 1881-11-19
NEW PUBLICATIONS.
WAIT WHITMAN.

&ALhN 10 " 4 10
After the diIettante ndelicaces Of william ii'
MaTlock and Oscar Wilde, we are presented WIN
tba slon-bucket of Walt Whitman. Inc ceIo"'iS
of this phenomenal poet bears curious u'si'io
,io to the circulation of his writings. Until now
!, canot he said that his verses have ever been pub
1;sbod ot all They have been printed irreguIary
nd read behind the door. They have hech
Wanted extravagantly by band OF eXtfaVas"hJ
disciples: and the pOssessors OF the DOCKS nave
kent them locked mp from the family. Some nave
xoIred them for the "barbaric yawp" when
seems to them the note of a new, vigorous demo-
cratic, American school OF literature; some Tor the
fragments of real poetry floating IN the 'u'piu
mass; some for the nastiness and animal lnsensi-
bhty TO shame winch entItle great many ol tne
poems to a dubious reputation as curloSites' no"
that they are thrust into our faces at The OooN
stalls there must be a reeXamination OF the Ylh oi
the Good Gray Poet. 1t seems to MS thaI tneio 10
no need at this late day to consider MI. whitman
claims TO the immortality of genius. lhat Nc Is "
poet most of us frankly admit Ills merits h"NU
been set forth many times. ana at great c'E'"' "AU
If the world has erred materially IN IT'S Juusen' VI
,bem the error has been lazy and unqueStIohng
acnuesconce in some OF the extreme demands OF ms
voc,ferous partisans The ohiof question raised by
This publication is whether anybody-eyen poet
ought to take oil his trousers in the market pace
OF late years we believe that Mr. Whitman has hoV
chosen TO be so shocking as he was when he lad MS
notoriety TO make and many oil his admIrels-tho
rational ones-hopel that the Leaves oil Grass
would be weedcd before he set them ont AGAIN. D"V
this has not been done; and indeed Mr.. whitman
conld hardly do 1t without falsfyng the first prn
ciple of his philosophy, which is beliei IN MS own
nerfection. and the second principle. which is |
behef in the preciousness of filth. "Divine am J.
be cries "Dyne am | inside and ont, ana make
boly whatever | touch or am touched trom Inc
scent of these arm-pts aroma inner thah prayer
This head more than churches, Bibles and all The
creeds" He knows that he is august" lie does
not care for anybodys opinion lie IS
Walt Whitman. kosmo9. of Manhattan the son,
Turbulent heshy sensual, eatiug drinking ana
No sentimentalist. no sander above men and |
women or apart from them.
No mOIc modest than Imnodest.
Tbere Is nothing in the universe better than Walt
Whitman. That is the burden of the Song OF Ny
self which fills fifty pages OF the present volume:
dotc on myself there is that lot oil me ana all 50
luscious
Nothing is obscene or indecent to him. 1t is his
mission to shout the forbidden voices, TO tear the
veil off everything, to clarity and tIansigdre all
that is dirty and vile to proclaim that garbage Is
lust as good as nectar if you are only lusty enough
TO think so. His immolesty is free from glamor OF
every sort. Neither amatory sentiment nor snscep-
thing to do with it, 1t is entirely bestal and in
this respect we know of nothing in literature which
can he compared with it. Walt Whitman deSpising
what he calls cOnventiOnalsm, and Wanting the
athletic democracy, asks to be accepted as the
master of new poetical school, fresh free, stalwart
3immense in passion pulse and power" the enhodi
p,pnt of the spuit of vigorous America But the
gross maeralisn of his verses represents art III It's
last degradation rather than its rude infancy.
Mr. Oliver johnson has prepared new, revised
and enlarged edition of his notable work on VIII
lam Lloyd Garrison and his Times" Originally n-
dertaken as series of papers for the columns oi
THE TRIBUNE these sketches of the Antl-SlaVery |
movement by one who had taken an active and |
honorable part it, afterward collected INTO
q volume sold by subscription; and having enjoyed |
a large circulation through that agency, the book
Is now placed in the regular trade with the imprint
of Houghton Miflm & Co. The new matter sup
Piled by Mr. Johnson comprises a,preface and sup
Elementary chapter in both which, but especially
In the latter he deals vigorously with certain clt-
cisms Ii was inevitable that the work should provoke
controversy and as our readers know, MI Johnson
did not shrink from it. The accuracy of his state
nents as well as the substantial justice of ms spirit
may be considered well established. The present
yindcation is perhaps unnecessary, but it is highly
interesting and it makes a substantial addition to
the value of history which has earned an enduring
place.
Two somewhat remarkable memorials of the gem
eral sorrow aroused by the death of President Car
field have Just issued from the press. One is seec-
tion of Tributes from Over Seas boston: y.
Williams & Co) consisting of extracts from the
foreign press expressions Of sympathy by official
personages and distinguished private individuals
etc. etc. The other entitled Gems of Poetry and
Song on James A. Garfield" Columbus: j. c. Nc |
Clenahan & Co.., includes tributes in verse from
Dr. Holmes. Longfeow, Miss MuOch, j. g. Whit |
tier A. b. Alcott, G. p. Lathrop, Julia Ward Howe |
John Boyle O'Reily, Paul H. Hayne, Joaquin |
Miller, r. b. Aldrich DR.. Holland Walt Whitman |
and poets Of less note.
The new edition of Nlr James T. Fiedss " Yes |
terday with Authors" (Houghton Mifllin & Co.. is |
q very handsome Giltedged volume, adorned with |
ten portraits on steel, and bound in novel and |
beautiful style. 1t is pleasant to have so good |
book in so becoming dress. These personal recol-
lections are among the best papers of their kind.
They are genial, lively. vivid, full of anecdote and
Characteristic incident, and the narrator never
makes free with matters that ought to be private.
LITERARY NOTES.