New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1884-01-19
rTE NEW SPANISH MINISTER.
ARRIVAL OF SENIOR JUAN DE VALERA.
..yoRABIE IMPRESSIONS OF NEw"rosk-fA0is
ABOUT HIS CARVER.

,sa,rva by the Spanish OonsulGeneral In thus ei'y'
spor Miguel suarez and several OF his attaches anu
arveu 70 the windsor Hotel reporter OF TIE ihoHh
- ,,D senor Valera m the afternoon and found him
. hs an anable gentleman, little beyond middle me-
ith AN intellectual cast Of countenance and wearing
snort gray mustache HIS eyes are dark ana handSone
as ne wears eyeglasses. He speaks English win oini
cutv from lack OF practice but he plainly has 'nOro"e
tnoxedee OF the language as nngulst-
"I am very glad to come to America" he SAID as
nav. avays been much interested In the institutions OF
she country studied the political institutions as
,eIl as one can abroad and wish TO learn more
about the politics here and especially something
about the society, and customs OF the country
no intend to write about country laterf Well yes
n find that gain enough instruction ana niorma
t,on in my stay here, and also that am capaoe
Of writing a good book about the country NO.
Thave 10 special Instructions from my Government
large mart of my work first will be In regard to the
commercial treaty between Spain and the united states
Ihope that between Cuba and this country VIII
be facilitated and greatly increased To-day nave
visited the great Bridge and the Cathedral and have taken
lone rides on the elevated railroads have been deeply
tupressed by what have seen. NewYOrk seems to me
more magnifcent than London. In Paris there
are signs elegance and good taste on all SIDES pu'
there is no such grandeur In New-York Everything
here is 40 large and elevated roads wonderful
Tomorrow morning 10 O'Clock will 10 to Washington
In month or two hope return 20 and learn
more about the city and its people
SKETCH OF HIS LIFE AND WORKS.
seuor Valera was born at Seville abo1t the
year 1925 therefore still IN the vieor OF MD
die life To strangers his bearing is somewhat naughty
and reserved when the instructive e1cluslvehess OF
the spanard OF which is fair type Is taken into ac
count the many congenia qualities OF the Andauslan
gentleman are readily discerned and appreciated.
shrewd observer OF his times broadened Intellectually by
dected study and travel, but full OF the traditional
EspaHolSmo Of his race he is always Jealous TO defend
his country against pessmsts at home and misrepesen-
taton abroad His style abOunds in that species Of wit
and humor denominated ~Andalusian salt tsdl onda-
I.o spicy Of his mint or piquant diminuyes
added words like gesture or gmace to speech HIS
language natural, unLookish, Originate just the easy
fow one hears the IBERIA" F6rnOs," the Swiss
and other political cafes Madrid where statesmen and
scholars congregate at evening 10 discuss te stua-
ton hash their opponents over media ~Stadd OF
the classic chico gTanae. His Is one OF the tst dSci-
plued minds spain. quality not common III land
where resistance the tOsome OF educational
training is facilitated by remarkable ntuitive grasp Of
things, led on by vivid imagination the product OF
climate and race.
Senior Valera passed the years of his early manhood at
Napes where as Secretary Of Legation he accompanied
the Duke Of Rivas don Angel saavedraj who the
Spanish Minister that from ls43 TO IS4s. The
mission being practically snecure, he was allowed to
pursue tudies aud here by digent application he re
eeiyed thorough training and culture which dis
tin ,ish ripper years Ia the duca palace, looking
out on distant Capri Sorrento and the foresnd OF Min
erva. he studied Greek under Constantine Eutlmiades
and devoted himself 10 Italian literature with such men
tors stanisao Gatt and Giovanni BaraccO, while the
drawing rooms Of the scAfanis and the Bayonas
pleted the equipment OF accomplished man OF the
world His uncle Don Antonio Aieaa Gaiano, the
Minister and historian who by of his many
stormy periods Of Dascent liberty spoke English
like Palmerston. His friend and constant model
writer Don Serahn EsteDanez CaiderOn, known in
letters as III soario" whose Pictures Of Andausia
ring the echo of all that genuine and exclusive in
the grand old Csstian tongue master with the Spanish
pen, In i've hundred pages OF whom the Lanist will not
find word he knows, while in the five hundred pages
there is scarcely word that is not Latin With such
surroundings Valera not compelled Ike many Of
bis cOuntrymen waste his dawning talents in the
drdgery existence and material support, but could
launch forth into the pleasures OF independent
authorship.
His works which have ali reached large number of
editions, while OF them translated into French.
may be divided into principal grOups-namcly,
SAYS aud reviews, and novels lie issued in 1855 vol
ume Of poems with prologue by his uncle, Alcaa Cali
and be has tried his pen IN the DRAMA but with little
success
His essays and reviews of which two volumes
collected and published at Madrid in 1864 title
OF" Estudos CRITICS. Literature, Potica
bres de dia" another volume IN 1873 Dis
ertacones Juicos LiteraJOs," and fourth in lss2
embracing period nom 1886 in articles written for
the leading reviews Of spain during the last twenty FIVE
s1a1i iTfer, are ,'sIefs o afhaicsT ffeTslisp md
SOCIALISM, The doctrine OF Progress in its relation to the
Christian dogma The romantic school IN Spain; The
ture OF the novel; The revolution Italy;
Art II has BEEN s. and ought 10 be in the nineteenth
century; Morality in the drama; Government AID TO
dramatic hteratWe; The teaching OF philosophy In tee
universities Don Q1ote and now to e1pound him crit
fuence OF the lnqusitlon and OF religious ianacsm on
decline OF spanish erdture Originality aud plagiaT
in pho.ophy on the Amadis de Ga1i and the Gan
These manifold topics handled always with
lion 20 the rst volume he faoetiously ventures waite
" frankly confess that notwithstanding the meagfe
contained III these little tones should Ike TO pdT
chase with fhem tr1he OF p0sthumOuS fame; | should
Ike leave behind something that would survive
in hundred years two there viii be wanting fan
am quite content to think that at some aacJioa-
tsie some one Iasy pSy 10 OF siG2 i9I N4Tr% WEI
nesh and blood WIZ have long since shriveIed and
nloudered nj the ground"
In lsC6-6s selor Valera brought out IN three volumes
Of different dates tine version from the German OF
Sicily" in the preface which deplores
tack OF DOzy on Casir Condo aid GSyansos as Spanish
As novelist valera's fame stands high in his own
country, where he has been criticized and praised IN turn
a. tue nightly oorTOs Of Murilios and DuTans book
stores The resorts % Madrid literary faneTS The de-
they ignore the constitution society
the influence Of the family and OF woman lis purifier
aud savior, that the fumes that rise from dishes
they serve appear 70 belong 70 the banquet OF
euda lord attended BY knights IN TO the ruder
board OF atSe poSadd with it's inmates 10 bsndsuna and
hempen sandas II Is vast mistake. but common 10 all
The romance nations wen this imagery aud dTapery Of
oEeTwtouEht passion and weakness side Of humanity
Whch Ia preclce the CermhllC peoples have long
outgrOwn Even IN spain the tendency these
evils Is positive under the better examples OF Benio
Perez Gsido' as may be noted In " bona Perfecis."
MariSEel4" TIE Family OF Leon ROcb" and the
Aa-so Manso" Gloria" however, has not borne
nOhes translation, even n IL had found
terpIeter Naleras novel series begins with Pepita
Ju1eaed2 or phlloloelealy, Josie simmons" Madrid
is74 I1en follow Tue Delusioi,s of Doctor Faustino"
100 = iaDder Mendoza" 1877; over Rright'u
(Pasarse de IAsto - 1873; Dona Inz 80. a.
JOdo," 1883. There also few shorter tass Win
queer names and queeTer contents aud aempts q, tSe
drama, OF which Echegasy Is now the Nestor IN spain
To Americans his brilliant will rest on hts az
vi IA