The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1882-07-07
ATLANTA Consultation, 5th]


Oscar Wilde reached Atlanta yesterday
from Macon. Mr.. Wilde had scarcely had
time 10 be busted by his able valet before n
Reporter sent up his card. The response
was an invitation 10 the young man TO
0come ND at once" and accordingly after
q very brief lapse Of time the Constitution
was rapping at the door Of the room OF tsse
great esthete. A deep voice from the i'm
side called, "Come in" and the reporter
turned the knob and entered. Mr.. Wilde
nppeared 10 be irritated by the yelling out
side, and, rising, said:
ooh. the patriots, the patriots; let's shut
down the window and shut ont the noise"
"This Is the first 4th OF July you ever
saw In American"
Eyes"
"what do you think Of it as you see it
now!"
al don't think anything so fine as the
Declaration Of independence should be
celebrated mt all IL il cannot be celebrated in
a very noble manner. Amongst the most
nrfistic things that any city can do Is 10
celebrate by pageant any great eras In its
history. Why should not the 4th-of-July
pageant i'm Atlanta be as fine as the mardi-
gras carnival in New Orleans? Indeed q
pageant is the most perfect school OF art
for people. II shows them what other
wise they would not have chance OF sec
ing-noble costumes, beautiful colors,
and scupturesque grouping. 1t would
be quite impossible to over-estimate
the influence on art that any celebra-
ton of the kind would have, for In an age
like this, where there is such growing
feeling for what is merely grotesque and
conse0uentlv ignoble | think the people
10. 81 M Of
beauty. Amongst the many signs in Eu-
rope Of growing feeling for art, perhaps
one OF the foremost is the revival in so
many cities of the beautiful pageants OF the
past. But / am afraid that the only pa
Ceants Chat most American cities have o
hope Of seeing are the glaring professions
of their travelling circuses, and feel that
they deserve something much better"
"You have been to see
Mr.. JEFFERSON DAVIS
lately. Tell me something about your visit
TO him.
ale lives in very beautiful house by the
sea, amid lovely trees. He impressed me
very much as man OF the keenest intel
lect, and man fairly to be a leader OF men
on account OF personally that is rs simple
rs il is strong, and an enthusiasm that is as
are fighting for the principle Of autonomy
against empire, for independence against
Capitalization, for the principles for which
the South fought. So it was matter Of I'M
mense interest and pleasure to me to meet
the leader OF such n great cause. Because al
though there may be failure in fact. in idea
there is no failure possible. The princi-
piles for which Mr.. Davis and the South
went to war cannot suffer defeat. / had
read Mr.. Davis's book, which is q MASTER
piece. although to us in Europe the clab-
crate detail OF military man9uvre is at
times a little burdensome. But there are
passages in which he dwells on the princi-
Piles OF the Southern Coniederacy that
Were read by us with the keenest interest
and delight. Ii is impossible not to think
nobly OF country that has produced Fat
rick Henry, Thomas Jefferson, George
Washington, and Jefferson Davis. Besides
its great men, i admire in the South the
wonderful beauty of Its vegetation. have
seen no forests in Europe more wonderful,
no flowers more exquisite in perfume or
In color. 1t is worth while to come over
here merely to see the magnolia in full
blossom. 1t should be-the South-the
home Of art i'm America, because it pos
sesses the most perfect surroundings; and
now that it is recovering from the hideous
ruin OF the war, have no doubt that all
these beautiful arts, in whose cause l will
spend my youth in pleading, will spring
up among you. The South has produced
the best poet of America-Edgar Allan
Poe; and with all its splendid traditions il
would be impossible not to believe that she
will continue to perfect what she has began
so noble The very physique Of the people
in the South is far finer than that in thu
North, and temperament infinitely more
susceptible to the influences OF beauty"
"Tell me something about your
sUNFLowER IDEAsi"
"Oh, yes have some here that were
sent up to me. The reason that we valu,
the sun0ower so much is because 1t is 81
perfectly adapted for decorative art. Man.
flowers will merely be beautiful in color
without having definite form, such as TIN
magnolia, for instance. But this flower i
best suited for decoration, because its form
is definite and perfect, and OF all flowers
perhaps, the sunilower is the one whicl
art has made noblest use Of. II appear
constantly in the medalic and tapestry o
old Europe, and is found all through east
ern art. Besides its beautiful form tn
Imagination OF the world has SURROUNDED
N
golden rs the halo OF its own gOldel
rays. / have been very pleased to fin,
since l came to America that the peopl
have come to see and TO appreciate its won
derful splendor far more than think the
did before, and, indeed, that is one Of tn
noblest uses OF art. 1t takes up som
flower which people have thought common
and shows them how beautiful il isl
GLOW do you find art III American"
"The feeling Of art and the admiratio
OF beauty is, think, more general than
expected. found q greater appreciation
Of art in Boston, New York, Cincinnati
st. Louis, and Chicago than anywher
else"
"What do you think after your Amer
can tours"
"With regard TO my
AMERICAN TOUR,
may say that nothing could be more il
teresting to any young man to have the oil
portunities that have had Of studying I'll
civilizations-in many cases very fine, an
In many cssesycry incompete--of this ne,
world. have found greater feeling 10
art than l expected, but far less knowledg
Mt; great feeling for beauty and beau
tilul things, but a very vague idc
about bow nation could acouir
them. The real question that i hav
found In America standing in the way
ats right artistic development Is that TN
ordinary handicrafts are not held in thei
proper honor. So mang young men whom
have met In railway ears and elsewhere
young nen OF great deal OF brightness @
intellect, being ooatemted TO select as a pro
session the occupation OF clerks in
stores, and the like, which in man,
cases means 30 ljtth none than a form
ef salaried likeness and on seeing how
mitch nner IL would te for them to select 1
profession In whieh they could use theiI