New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1882-02-05

From The rpfurn 3 IOUra"i.
We say that the clergy are the appointed guar
dians OF pubic morals. Yet what clergyman, n
preaching q funeral discourse over an eminent or
opuenJ parsa.ouer, ever admits that ne had a
vice. Almost every Doctor OF Divinity who now
speal- publicly OF Daniel Webster bows down be-
lors tie rspec.a. greatness 81 has moral nature
and utterly ignore, OF denies sue questionable per-
Sonai habits which were matter ul common DOto-
rety thirty. years ago 10 - needless % particu-
larze ABOUT these habits; they Were almost az
notorious. tDC4 probably not 80 great - those OF
Aaron Burr. and are. Ike his, now incapable Of
direct proof. since az mans auudrcGtn birthday
iJ Is haru 10 produce personal evidence az nsdeeds.
Yet l nave not seen reference 70 these Things
among those cer-ymen VINO now celebrate MS tow
ering moral nature; and 10 Is lett Tor ldyndn, n
literary man, man OF the world, like Henry Cabot
Lodge, muu.uuy 20 recognize aat depiOIe these
draw backs % which the Others have shnt their
eyes. This Is surely no guardianship o. the pubic
morals. one Is almost lei 20 ask. sad business
man to me the other day whether the eieTsy
have really tAe same moral standard with other
Bui the moral of all this goes further Women
ara As d~tinctI,ely recognized as the guardians of
the public purity rs are the clergy ol the pubic
morals Yer when young man comes among "a
whose only distinction Is that he has written thln
volume Of very mediocre verse and that ne makes
himself something very Ike nuiIo"n Tor notorletY
and money, women OF high social position receive
Inn at their houses aud invite guests 10 n eet nm
in spite Of the TACT that II they were 70 real ALOUD
TO the company his poem OF ChdImlirs,' not q
woman would remain 10 the room until the end.
In the vicious period Of the English Georges, Byron
purify ms poems. Tor less offences against common
decency than have been committed by Oscar
Wilde. There arr pages IN his poems which, a.
witty critic says. carry nudity 70 pG.nt where lt
celses 10 he q virtue IN all else Nj. Wilde I'M
rates Keats. but III Keats there IS nothing in the
least ike these passages they indeed be paTal
leed IN Whitman. bat Whitman ) offences rest IN
somewhat different ground aud need no; here be
considered Mr.. Wilde may talk OF Greece; but
thor, is not ny Greek about his poems, his uudltes
DO not suggest the sacred whlteness Of NJ antique
statue hut rather the fOrrbe uuye..ng % some IN
shifted limo enc. We have perhaps IA ,hly claimed
that the influence Of women has purified English
literature. When the poems Of Nli" and Whitman
he in ladie, boudJlrs, see 40 evidence Of the M
prOYemcnt
manly % fling before the eyes Of women page upon
rage which no man would read aloud m presence OF
women But there IS another test OF manhood IL
lies ia action. 10 makes a great difference 10 .
sentence SAID the Clear-s.Elted Emerson,
whether there be a man behind It or no. Zach OF
these so-caled manly poets has had his oppOr-
tunity of action and waived 10 | am one of many
IN whom Mhtm1us Drum-Iaps have always
sounded hollow the instrument they counterfeit.
simply because their author, With All his me
Ihyslqu- and his freedom from hone-lie-, never
personally followed the drum, but only heard 10
from he Comparatively remote distance Of the hos
ptaL There was a time when the recruiting oibcCrs
wanted men their test was maj. or ~ least 80 Tar
final that be who did not meet II, no matter Tor
what good reasons, bad best cease Boosting about
his eminent manhood. 20 Of tulS yoJng IFisA p0et,
who speaks, % serve, OF rs EngliSkmen. hs
mother. Lady Wilde, has written poems upon the
wrongs Of ireland that are strong and ieryid
enouph one would saw 20 enlist an army: espe
cilllT her poem Oh the Irish exodus. million q
dee ldeD There j. now Ireland on the verge Of
civil war; her councils divided, her sell. styled
leaders in jail She needs every wise mead and braye
heart she has produced, 20 contribute, accord.
ing 10 their best light. to solution OF her hard
problem. Il II manhood for her gifted sons 10 stay
at home and help woIk out the problem; or IL cross
lie Atlantic and pose in ladies' boudOlrs write
prrrnt poems which their hostesses must dlscreetly
ignore? What would Sir Philip sidney have
- d.. rt apfF al.ssf L ha nf
whom It was written Idls bright and accom-
pllshed cavalier might, II he pleased have set the
fashion of a shOe-tie have altered the fashion Of
any mans pcruQue in the country: but he thought
n more becoming his manhood and his greatness Of
soul to hold out a brave example II virtue and
rel giou = For one should like 20 hear, If the So
called " English Renaissance is good for anything,
more OF the gospel Of Sir Philip Sidney and less Of
the gospel according TO Oscar Wilde.