The Morristown gazette. [volume] (Morristown, Tenn.) 1867-1920, 1883-06-06


their sensitiveness and captiousness.
their peevishness and petulanee,
their purile and ill-mannered gkicks
against the very moderate and gen
orally Just criticisms that haze
been made upon the May Festival,
represented in any degrees either
the intelligent men and women of
Knoxville at large, or The very en-
lightened ladies and gentlemen, to
whose enterprise, culture and talents
was due the success of the. weeks
entertainment, we would earnestly
advise, for the reputation of the city,
that this Jfrst Festival be, at once
and forever, recorded rs the last
We do not like 20 use ugly words,
but there has been something al
most contemplate in the daily
whining of the Tribune and Chrcn-
icle over the legitimate structures
fof"outsiders' upon some portions.
of what is generally conceded ito
have been, in the main, grand
success. But we know that such
ill-tempered quer'ulousness and
avowed soreness does not represent
the true Knoxville feeling. On the
contrary, we feelsure thatthe Knox
vile amateurs, themselves, recog
nized the substantial justice of all
the criticisms that have appeared
They have been marked by a strik-
ling absence of malevolent spirit,
We believe the most candid critique
that we have seen appeared in The
GAZETTE. 1t was written by a gen
tleman who, in the musical school,
is a mem professional, but who is a
close observer and has the faculty
of exhibiting his views clearly, SEN
sibly and honestly. The Chronicle
was judicious enough to copy his
letter without comment, as it also
/ inserted conspicuously and without
comment the forcible and effective
satiricaI rebuke so artistically adj
ministered to the winners by Mr..
lF.S. Hyde, the Knoxville correspon-
dent of the Chattanooga Democrat.
It would have been better to have re-
produced all criticisms $50 far as we
have observed them) for the salts
faction and benefit of city readers.
I The truth is Knoxville has no rea-
son to chaplain and does not COM
plain On spite of its papers, of the
the general judgment that has been
passed upon its Festival. The al
most universal verdict is, Well done
I -splendidly done That a few
minor defects and shortcomings
have been pointed out-that the
critics have evinced some degree OF
discrimination in their reports but
enhances the value of the general
commentator. The slush ofan in,
discriminate fiatterer is worthless
worse, il is nauseating to the intelli
gent recipients oft. We think we
fairly represent "outside opinion"
when we say that not only Knox
vile, but all East Tennessee, has
Just cause to be proud. of the May
Festival. 1t was the inauguration
of a new era, SO to speak, in our
local education. 1t was projected
or q higher plane than anything
heretofore attempted in this region
1t was a plueky declaration Of re.
volt, on the part of the cultured SO
ciety of Knoxville, against the alb
soluteism of proYineialism in mat
ters of taste and refinement. AND
East Tennessee glorIes in Knox
vilie's first success in this direction
while all the provinces" bid. her Q
hearty God-speed. The enlightened
spirit she has displayed is diffusive
her example is inspiring; the health
full stimulus cannot fail to be fel
throughout all the towns that re
cognize Knoxville as their imme
date metropolis Our people neeC
; and are ready for a higher educ a
zion. $3.50 l' -- i1 E--4oG ei
While on this subject we viii of
fer "criticism," on our own part
, in which we think neither the. Tri
Jitne nor Chronicle viii find caus,
for further indignation /; for we are
persuaded that only a becoming
sense of politeness has restrained
one or both of them from like re
: mark-possibly we had better sa.
complaint. We think we hay
something like just appreciation
ofthe musical talent of Knoxville
In word, we know Of no city, neat
its size, SO richly endowed in tina
respect. And what surprised u
most. on our visit TO Knoxville, wa
10 find a Prima Donna in charge o
the leading role who ought to hav,
felt herself honored with a place
among the chorus singers. w
could but regard it as an undeserv
ed reflection upon the home talen
that the managers of the 1Festlva
had gone beyond the Ohio for
''starh to lead galaxy, almost any
one of which could have lent bril-
lancy to the leader and have still
outshone her. Perhaps, for the ex
IL 4