New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1882-09-22

-, o;ao,. r.,,sb Carlyles allusion to HIM rs
Socinian minister who left his pulpit In order 10
reform the world by cultvatine onions lie h'u
great fund of good spirits, when serVeu "S "o-
| Hgh,fnl foil to his innate dignity oi muhho''
| Sor.re bopcful. pcrzcvering, energetic he sus-
! famed the enterprise through a long course OIL
announcements, and was the chief agent III impress
;,g unon if n character of refinement, cheeriulncsS
ond high morality upon which those VINO TOOK
rrt in il never ceased to look back with pleasure
and pride The first two or three years arc uo-
scribed as n period of idyllic content. Later
uuder the influence of FOuricristic ideas, BROOK
Farm underwent certain changes not altogether "
its advantage But in fact the enterprise was
| confronted with insuperabc financial diihcui'IoS
from the start; and TO these II suceuinped ID ioi'
{ The Harbiagcr, weekly organ OF social REFORM
had been started by Mr. Ripley and others az Drooh
Farm. and il survived for some time i'll New'lork
rho destruction Of its birthplace John s. Dwight
William II. Charming, George William Curtis, I J.
Cranch Parko Goodwin. Horace Greeley, j. H.
Lowell. J. G.. Whittier, W. w. Story and l. W.
! Uic,iuson were among its contributors; but even
this brilliant company could not save It, In later
life Mr. Ripley told Mr.. rockingham bow a'Ier
/ un ATTACK of Illness which took him away from MS
oficc for some weeks. he retained to hnd the room
deserted The Harbiugcr had ended promising
but nrecarious existence and nc was without place
or endowment in the World We can imagine inc
droll and bantcring in which ne recounted thiS
tragedy. His first employment on IHH lHlf' NJ
was in iho sprjng of 1Sio. Then began his real
work the work for which he WAS best fitted by
nature and training and that 10y which he was
I destine1 To accomplish most for the advancement
Of culture and education. 1t strange that such
n man should not have found his place III lie untii
he was forty seven but the studies and discipline
of years had been his preparation for Journalism.
Rarely does the newspaper press enlist us recruit
so profound and versatile scholar.
Mr.. Rirley disclaimcd unequivocally, decidedly.
neremptorily" the title of father Of literary crti-
csm in the American press and lie called over
roll Of authors.-Bryant, NerpIank. Greeley God
! win Sparks Paircy and Others,-all OF whom, he
declared, were distinguished reviewers and critics
before he was heard of. But these men were critics
only Incidentally Mr.. Ripley was the first to
make the higher order of literary criticism a great
department of the newspaper press. and to set the
example of that combination of sthe scholarly ana
! the poDular i'm the treatment of literary topics
which al the great journals have since attempted to
! follow Systematic and thoughtful reviews oil
books and indeed criticism in general had hardly
bcen ucluded in the functions of the daily press of
America thirty-thrce years ago; and Mr.. frOthng-
ham is quito right in saying that the WORK with
! which Mr. Ripley. after much drudgery as insect
laneous writer, soon began to enrich IHE tribune
as original In very true sense" In spite oil MS
disclaimer he was therefore. the father OF literary
criticism in the American press" We have no
doubt that The quality OF his contributions refined
authoritative. acute exact, calm IN judgment ele-
cant aud sometimes fervd in style, had prompt
effect upon the general tone of journalism, and
| stimulated the enlargement OF scope and improve
/ ment in culture which have been so marked In the
| last twenty-five years OF the American press. No
body coull work long in his company without feel
ing the influence of the cOnscicniousncss the pro-
/ found sense OF responsibility, the love Tor exact
KNOWLEDGE the for true culture, the pure
and fastidious taste. which directed all his laporS'
the slightest az well as the most important His in
tellecual temperament that OF the ideal critic.
Though man of strong feelings. his impulses were
always subject to Il controlling love OF truth ana
iustice he approached his work IN n spirit OF abSo-
lute lmrartiality. ard he was equally incapable of
laNishing undeserved praise upon friend and oil
shutting bis eyes to the merits of All enemy. MI
Frothingham mentions one conspicuous example OF
bis judicial integrity in the commentator ne De-
slowed upon an author to whom he had violent
ontiuathy; such instances might he multiplied;
critic with a ess rigid sense Of fairness
would have been tempted to lay aside IN
noticed the books whose writer's he disliked or
whose topics did not please him. but personal pre-
[ possessions never affected either the tone Of Mr..
/ Ripey's reviews or hi Judgment whether or not Il
/ book should be reviewed Mt all We have never
seen in any person such a singular union OF Vehc-
! mence aud Justice. It has been SAID that he be-
loneed to tho class of genial" critics aho pick out
| of books the passage they can commend ana ell
courage where they should condemn. This opinion
has little foundation. Mr.. Ripley certainly dld not
/ love the slashing style; he did not believe. rs
Young journalists generally do that the chief bust
mes, of a critic is to haIp upon blemishes he was
conscious of duty to encourage whatever was
really promising in literature. and when he had to
! correct II do 80 with gcnteness and decorum. lie
was always tolerant of immaterial errors; but he
| had holy impotence Of literary impostorS. We
could name a few conspicuous persons who most
assuredly do not think of him as genial critic;
but we forbear iRfandrm rcaorare do'orem
The most striking characteristics of ms criticisms
were a firm grasp of the subject. a denifed and
jndicous temper, felicitous choice of the line OF
remark exactly suited to the occasion. and an uii-
faIinr accuracy III getting at the very heart of the
boo. under review. lie writes" sad Professor
| Tvndall with the grasp OF philosopher and the
good taste of n gentleman" lie never resorted to
the favorite devices of indOent and ignorant critics
by writing around what he did not understand or
making copy By dwelling upon obvious superficial
pojnts Sometimes-and this was especially the
case in the department of philosophy-the book
before him became the text for profound ana brll-
liant original essay; sometimes ii led him INTO
masterpiece of biographical analysis; sometimes
bis obect.was to throw into TWO or three columns
q complete synopsis Of an important volume,-and
in this exposory reviewing it seems to us that he
had no rival But in whatever style his work was
DONE it had one unfang merit: 1t was in the
strlctest sense Of the word adequate Nobody ever
read one of his criticisms, however short, without
getting an exact idea of what the production criti
cised really was. Mr.. rockingham remarks upon
the faithfulness of conception and execution
nhich disfincnishrd ali bis wriNng his scrnnnlOns