New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1882-05-25
-,,.r,o 10 to Newport and she DID nov '''''
from doing so. , ~ Mrs Dale was conciudeo anu WV
me eA, us adjourned until to-mortoN.
orppprSSTyG WALT WHITMAN
n.,.rxc A NEW "BARBAR!C YAWP o'iN
RAi'i'T THE ROOFS OF TIE WORLD
80 Avn IN DEAD EARNEST.

I'll in its character ana so s'h's'ei ia " 49,.
soss 90 become in my Judgment matter "a ''''
widest public concern u,a,. vb,,man's poem,
Inc "i' CO - WAS Issued in 1888, the WORK
"Lea'o' the cordial and unqualified comment
receN'"9 nun,ber of leading minds both IN 'n'S
a"'''" ~ rorope foremost among them hio'
cou"uS =. rears from men less glfteu "i'HV''
soh' AZ aoi,bt rs critical authority, out con''o,-
ia'n0 VI =, .tbe press yirulent abuse loiioWe"
i"e IL. a fatal law OF our form ol CIV '''~'
e -. work of every kind whether is0i'', - %, o--
.,s' onnears doomed to receive II ol '"",".u -.
tlhc' "pP"''.;nlitv. bat the book continued It's
Wv .hl,shed by its author oohStah'iS ASSAM
S.s.;onately defended, ana Ninn'nS ''o" .
.;'no n home and abroad from So"o'"'' ~"
,.,,ors # the rank of Ihore"u' o"'i.'A -.
na,rorohs. Rossetti. ChHofu, VI i0" '-,,.ona
b"'ioU71 rail- of Dublin University ferdihan"
versy' n'aIin and others. euogies so ample
iie'"7' r., atone for the censures OF the small
as ~ .os, the yerdicts of the future. flhalF'
az" - t,venty.fve years of combat. darkeheu
mi acts Of persecution, and INVOLVING DUCT
eorinc TO the author, the character Vi i'o
-, rec.ived the marked admission Oh an o"o' VI
s,I,.otiop from the house OF Osgood " company
poston. In May last. a wear ago, thcy ppe"e"
." .;a,iops with Walt Whitman, and hnaliy Sc
I'll contract with him for ten years on MS eA
-. s,inu ation that the book sh0niu ne pIDi'Sic"
;,bout anv excelsior. In November 'he ne" cur
,o, annearel aLd vent into active cilcHia''ou loi
,ho three months following. Int on the H's' o.
March that line Of the author OF Leaves Vi O'asS'
,ora o,ntnous in its significance for Its color
,oss simpllcltv of statement, IN which ne tec"ius
a,he ueycr-cnaing audacIty OF elected PERSONS
- one Of its most infamous illustrations
M that Aatc the Boston state pIstTict-At0rneY'
", oliver stevens addressed letter to the puo-
,;.h.r, ,,cn,c,nc the book with the statues
a,airs. ohscene literature" aad requiring It's sup
,rossion npder the alternative of prosecution IhS
amazing demand appears to have been SUI 81 iueu'iS
,,odifed into requirement for the expiration I'll
certain passages from the volume as the condltioh
of rs continued publication. or course the author
Ganied that his work. covered by the rcspect ana
49, of tho hest and pureSt men aud women oil tho
century was contribution to " obscene HleIa-
tne and refused compliance WITH TIE 'hsoi5Hl re-
Nmir'snonts Of the State DlstTlct-Attolhey nave
W. ,srnss that can express the sorrow ana disgrace
~ what followed. 1t Is all contained III tltec
words: the publishers quaied. LAST noun hptl.,
they abandoned the pubilcation' ahe thc 'HiuA9
ensSed IN issue Mr.. Oliver SteN ems trlumphcd ana
foT the first time, believe, IN the history Of TINS
conntry an honest bOOit the work OF Il man or
sysf and admitted genius, has been suppressed by
an officer OF the law.
ii il were not Tor unduly trenchirg upon Your
space would like to show you the passages when
the slate District Attorney pronounced obscene ana
demanded expurgated. The list furnished by this
holy aud intelligent man is before me anu mas
tNenty-twO specifications. Four ot me passages
,peeihed relate 10 the poets democratic tneory Oi
the intrinsic sacrrduess and nOOlty Ot The entire
human physiology identical with the famous &C.
ciaralon OF NOyais that the boly is the temple
nj the Holy Ghost; and involve specially, IN one
or two instances rapt celebration OF the acts ana
organs OF chasle love Another passage describes
the identification through sympathy OF ones sell
with lawless OF low-dOwn persons. sixth passage
under bal. is devoted to the majestic annuheiati0n
o. woman the matrlX Oh the geheratohs-the
doctrine that her greatness Is the mould and con-
dition of all the greatness OF man. Another pro-
ecrihed passage consists Of ten pictorial lines,
worrhv of +Schyus IN which the poet describes the
grand and terrible dalllance OF two eagles, high
aioft il the bright air, above river road. A
seventh passage specially required TO be eXPuuged
is the poem nobly entitled 40 a Common Prosti-
tute"-I say nObly, because even the large of
the composition is enlarged by its title. Tine piece
is simply indicative of the attitude OF ideal
humanity in this age toward even the lowest or
subline spirit OF our times, whose theory aoahdohS
no ore nor any thing to loss or rain, recognizing
amelioratiOn the law of, laws, and good as the
final destiny of ALL 1t Is incredible taat poem
whose whole staple, on the face OF II, is TO assure
the unfortunate Maglalen that not until nature
excludes her shall she be excluded from consiiera-
tion and sympathy and 10 promise her the Tcdenp-
tlop of the superior lIfe-wbose entire thesis IS
plainly and undeniably supreme charity and faith
In the human ascenson--shou,d appear to any mind
81 an eXpressicn Of obsccnity However, as Swc-
denborg reminds us, to the devils perfumes are
stlnks. The eighth quarry OF the State District
Attorney is the piece entitled, VI oman waits for
Me" ii the defence OF this poem is to carry with ID
dishonor, court that dishonOT. Nothing that the
poet has written. either III slGnhGatlon or IN
Splendid oratorc music has more the character OF
sanctus; nothing in m)deTn literature is l0ltler
and hOier. Beginning with an inspired declaration
of the absolute conditioning power OF seX-a
declaration as simply true as sublime tle poet;
using nnpiial imagery, Isaiah and Ezekiel ds al
the prophets all the great Oriental poets, have used
il before him, continues his dthyranb III an exalted
Affirmation of the vital provocative ELECTS OF his
book upon the women that Is to say upon the III
fnte of America And this glorious conviction of a
nff mis-. It'll
other, of every philosopher, every apostle every
poet who has worked lis thought 1or The human
sdvancement-the faith and the consolation of
every OF the light Who mas looked beyond the
hounding hatreds of the present TO the next ages
the eminently pure, the eninently enlightened,
tie snperemnently judicial Boston District
Attorney considers obscene! The remaining fOur-
teen passages marked by his condemnation need
not discuss, they are all included IN the ist ell
t0n of the work Endorsed By Emerson, and IN order
that 1t may be seen what Emerson thought Of
Them and also in what terms he welcomed the
book. / beg leave to here reproduce the letter he
sent the author upon It's original appearance;
CcSCosp, Mass. July D. 1888.
DEAR SIR: am not blind 10 the worth of the
wonderful gift of Leaves OF Grass" iind it The
most extraordinary piece OF wit and wisdom that
America has yet contributed. / ain very happy in
reading il, as great power makes us happy. 1t
meets the demand | am always making OF what
seemed the sterile and slngy nature If too much
handiwork or too much lymph in the Temperament
were making our Western wits fat and mean.
give you JOY of your free and brave thought.
have great 10Y in It, | find incompatible things
sand IpcOmparaby well, as they must be. l ind
the courage of treatment which so delights us. and
which large perception only can inspire.
| greet you at the beginning Of great career
which yet must have had long foreground some
where for such a start. i rubbed my eyes little
20 see if this sun beam were no lllusoh but the
solid scn.e of the book is sober certainty. II has
the best merits namely. of fortllyng and cncOarag-
ing.
advertised in a newspaper, that could trust the
name as real and available for "A pOst-oi1ice. wish
30 see my benefactOT and have ielt much Ike strk
ing my tasks and visiting New York 10 pay yen my
respects. Il. W. EMELSON.
WALT WHITMAN.
] have hesitation in SAYING that mover IN the