New-York tribune., 1884-02-03
THE COLLAPSE OF DEFAM4TToM


in England or America.
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THE COLLAPSE OF DEFAM4TION.
The result of the Feuardent- Cesnola trial is
technically disagreement of the jury. Con-
cer1ling all matters relating to the Cypnote
antiquities in the Metropolitan Museum of Art
the twelve men were of one mind. On two
counts in the pleadngs they have decided III
favor Of General di CesnOla, completely Vlndlcat-
ing him and the institution from all assaults
that have been made by an organized band OF
calumnators. On one count relating to money
transactions occurring in London dozen years
ago and involving trivial matters of book
keeping two iurymen dissented from the judg-
ment of their colleagues, which was in General
di Cesnola's favor. This slight divergence of
view respecting purely mercantile transaction
effects a technical disagreement on the case as
whole. Practically it is an overwhelming
triumph for General di CesnOla all along the
line.
The result marks the close of tedious, un-
justifable and Improbable litigation. This
libel suit was nOminally begun for the purpose
of vindcating private character. In reality it
was the elimination of series of wantOn
politan Museum of Art and the private character
of its Director and Trustees. The counsel for
the prosecution in opening the case represented
their client to be a modest and lnOtenslve
student o. ancient art, who had been laboTlng
to protect the public against imposture and in
summing up the evidence they pleaded for him
as "an honest tradcSman, and nothing else "A
dealer whose trade has been injured by
malicious libels and systematic persecution
During trial which has been dragging on over
three months the Judgment of the jury may
have been confused at times respecting the
essential questions at issue, but there can never
have been any doubt i'll their minds on one
point. They have known from the outset that
Mr.. Feuardent, whether q good or bad
archaol0gist, whether an honest or tricky
tradesman, is most persistent and implacable
enemy. There has been something grotesque in
this appeal to the courts for vindicatiOn OF
reputation on the part of one who was so
mercess and persevering in his warfare upon
private character that he was willing to destroy
an important public institution rather than fail
to break down the man he disliked. He was
ready to attack Cesnola, defame the Museum
and belittle It's public spirited trustees but
bowling to the courts for protection. In effect
a jury of his peers, after spending three months
upon him, now say he only got what he de-
served.
This prolonged contest in the court room has
been fraught with bitterness and passion.
Witnesses have been insulted and bullied ;
there have been angry Tetorts and unse emily
chickering's between counsel; and there has
been a constant display of bad temper. This
acrimony and vindictiveness were the natural
consequence of the prOtracted campaign in the
public prints which had preceded the trial by
jury Before the first article in The Art amateur
was published a combination had been formed
to disparage the collection of antiquities in the
Museum, to drive General di Cesnola from his
position as Director, and to destroy his repu-
tatiOn as man OF truth and honor. A little
knot of minstering spirits drawn together by
mutual admiration and literary afiectatiOns had
begun to circle about Mr. Feuardent, and
tattle against Cesnola. They had pro
claimed their hero the only archeologist in
America, and had boasted of his power of
deciding by the processes of inductive reasoning
whether statue was made of single stone or
was Z" only fraudulent patchwork of unrelated
parts" Industrious as bees i'll sucking wisdom
from this plantain stalk of antiquarian lore,
they also possessed waspsh instincts. When
Mr.. Fcuardcnt's attack upon tue Museum was
resented, his circle OF admirers became group
of spiteful prosecutors, playing into one
anOther's hands and fancying that they could
control public sentiment. They did succeed in
arrayng against General iii Cesnola almost every
newspapcr.in this ciy with the exception of THE
VRIBUNE and Tie EUeAiag Post, and in repeating
their scandaous tattle not only in journals
published in Boston and elsewhere, but also III
weekly prints and monthly magazines.
Ii became AZ last with them matter of pride
to break Cesnola down. Till that was accom-
plished, they chose to consider them
selves dehed if not discredited, and in
their desperation became more reckless andper
tinaci0us than ever. At every step in the dis
graceful war upon the Museum thus waged The
NeV- York Times was their Jealous and abusive
ally.
Naturally these unscrupulous newspaper