New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1884-11-23

vary forefront of European periodical literature.
and some record has also been handed down OF the
general literary society OF Edinburgh IN when 'ney
PLAYED an important part. Inc "frihay Ci"o'
which became of the choicest resorts III '''
scotch carital. was founded by Walter Scott Smith,
jeffrey and few others, and included among It's
members Dnrald stuart John Playiair, DIR. Thomas
Brown. Archibald Aison William Erskinc Henry
Mackenzie. Brougham Horner. Henry Cocko"'h
aud Thomas Campbell Smith was not long u mei'i-
Der of this congenlal circle. for i'll sO3 nc remove"
to London where he believed that there was
better chance for getting on In the worid' Ia
ment in the Church was slow III coming ""' ~
soon made figure in society. and became al
habitu6 of Holland House in those sp'on"''
when half the eminent men in England i'oq"I 49,
that historic mansion. LORDS trey h"''Nf -,
ham and Lanslowne Thomas Moo''' -
pooers Byron. Macaulay. Sir Humphrey pnN9'
't,,am go, Unmboldt. Canova WillSic Iaey-
rand. Metternich Bentham, Macintosh ""Sm'"s
90, fr,i,, and the Prince Regent were among those
,rbo,, tho vounr parson encountered Ill Loit
Hollands norlors He must have made an ehVianle
,s,ta,on bv his social qualities, rs well as ny his
writings for the Review for his first personai "p-
neal 70 public favor met with an eX'raoruna'9
fashionable as well rs popular success. Inns was
,r,o or tyrntv lectures at the Royal Institution
on Moral Philosophy--a subject for when lie pro-
ressel 70 believe that he had the meagrest qualihca
tons He called the undertaking " a literary WI
posture" to which he was driven by the want VI
eooo 4 worthier employment FOR his talents soon
nresented itself IN the agitation for the relei Oh
catholic disabilities a measure which not only in
v,lvel the prinrple of relaions liberation but
thronah the obstinate bgotry Of the King became
deep, complicated with broad questions oi party
tendency AMI popular fiehts. The "Ieiters W
pater rismlev" IN which sydney Smith Atthckea
the roFv intolerance AMI fiiicnled the abshn panic
az tha pontt The church and other believers ~ n
raral conspiracy, Appeared ANONYMOUSLY ~
ian7.'s, aud made 4 sta,tlinA sensations
Even ,henah the geet taste Ia Vet plwats cow
spiono,s aud ,hp hummer "a sonpi iWes leteri avn
ureasienaily coarse, ihp Letters az iplpi IhmirNt
with their marvellous INSIGHT hiNmph ahN WvNNai
lhelr solid a.raN Ct laes MhNl Van np,she and Il in
imtahie ironyi their enlightened anu eeheipns
symnathies their unaffected lave OF lhtt,S anu
the most powerful aud effective Weapons VIM MN
wisdom and Wit have ever forged IN thgr lohs Var
fare with bgotry and superstition; IKE nIb thS
| of Peter Plymley" ran like wllulire thi"usn Wv
| land edition after edition was snapped up anu ,ho
whole nation took sides with the heV. Apranain
| or his audacious and ontspoken oio.ao os.d amy
Government naturally greatly lhcehseu, anu
took extraordinary pains to identity the auth"i
of a brochure which had exposed them to pubic
rdcule but their Efforts III TINS uleclion "oio 'o"
plclcy focd.
Fortunately perhaps, for the writer he was safely
installed by this time in his Yorkshire rectory' with
at least a decent income; and not many years after
ward legacy placed him in easy circumstances
He kent no his Edinburgh intimacies; he maze
many distinguished friends among the Wbig states
men: and in the Review and elsewhere he con
tnucd to battle for his political principles MT
Reid prints this note which he penncd after visit
TO Edinburgh on the eve of a great Wing demon
st-ation: DUNBAR Dec H. lou
Ny My DEAR Sin.-I an much obliged to you for
vour kind letter. | shall be at Lanton before
dinner on Wednesday. The Tories in Edlnonrgh
are in despair. Some are taking p1lsoneu meal
others scratching themselves 10 death; Others tear,
ng their red hair and their high check bones, and
calling on the scotch gods, Scables and flames.
Ever yours very truly, SYDNEY SMITH.
n1s2s Sydney Smith was made a Canon of Bris-
tol by Lord I.yndhurst. who. though political an
tooonist was a personal friend. This appointemnt
did not interfere with his retaining the living OF
FostOn.
sydney Smith was on intimate terms with Lord
LvndhuTst: and soon afte. the latter became Lord
Chancellor he was present at dlnncr-p2rly AT ms
house when the conversation turned 70 the custom
i'm India of widows burning themselves on their
husbands funeral pyre. For the ~ he OF argument
he bean 70 defend the practice ana as.eLtu lt,
survive him. But if Lord Lvndhurst were to die;
Won would be sorry that Lady Lyndhurst shond
burn herself r. vas the sudden and embarrassing
nmeStinn of one OF the guests. Lady LyndhuI-i,"
cane the deliberate reply. "would no doubt. as an
self but it would be our duty 10 put her out and
as the wife of the Lord Chancellor Lady LyndhuISt
should not he put ont like an ordinary widow. II
hGnd be ben STATE nt aaT ;wIer But pTay Mr.
smith, where are the clergyF Instantly came the
sly response: gall gone to congratulate the new
Lord ChanccllorE
The agitation of the Catholic claims at this time
was still hottor than in the days Of Peter Plymey.
I,,fi into ba
Mayor and Corporation accustomed to attend
the cathedral in state Guy Fawkes day and after
ward to entertain the clergy at dinner The occasion
was distinguished by a great deal of bad theology
| at the Cathedral and great many bad toasts at
| the Mansion House. The new Canon was selected
to preach the sermon the first anniversary after
his appontment. and warned what was eX-
pectel of him. But he was always plucky in such
emergencies. lie preached noble discourse on the
| duty of Christian liberation. with which the Cor
poratiou were 50 much dispeased that they dId not
| visit the Cathedral again for nearly forty years.
| On the accession of the Wings to power it seems
TO have been taken for granted that Sydney Smith
was to he provided for, and many of his admirers
! have wondered that he was not made bishop. lie
| had few uualiGcat ions for hisbopric. and we may
rejoice that he WAS not thrust into place for which
| his unGtnes would have been conspicuous; but
| Lord Grey made him Canon Of st. Paul's IN place
worth G2.ooO n YEAR. aud his latter years were
divided between good house In London and the
rrctorv of Connie. 'orey IN Somerset which he had
| exchanged for foston lilo threw himself with
| great arlor into the struggle for Parliamentary Re-
| form under the leadership of his political friends
and IL was AT a public meeting of tho icormcrn AZ
Taunton (which Is near mho.llofeyl that he
made his famous comparison between the Efforts of
the Lords to ,restran the rising tide OF democracy
| and tho attempt OF Mrs Darlington to sweep back
| the waves of the Atlantic Ocean, This il probably
the most successful sime in mo Tern rhetoric, Tor
| il is known everywhere, and has withstood fifty
wears of hard usage. One of the few survivors of