New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1885-05-25

the proportiOns of his literary reho"h q"
clearly discerned. Then will be known the real
inheritance of the movement with whch hiS
name is most prominently associated IN ntera-
ture Still little penetration is required TO lore-
cast what that estimate will be. Hugoism can
mayer become the significant word when
Voltairism is in the history of the eighteenth
century. II will probably stand for the pecull-
critics and eccenricities of individual genius
nossiblv for the release of French dramatisis
and novelists from servile imitation oil class'cai
models. for elasticity of movement ana rem
vigorated life in the literature OF the century
Fierce as was the battle fought between tlio
romantic and classical schools when Marion
DeIormer was written and Hermann enacted,
If was n struggle over forms of expression ana
literary methods. Votairsm as purely
literary movement involved that lucidity OF
STYLE which has remained to this day the
stroncost Characteristic of French literature.
Emf il was something more decisive than a
liberation from antiquated forms. IL was al
intellectual rather than literary movement
tbe liberation of human intelligence, the eman-
cination of reason from the bondage OF Ola
ideas.
Uugoism has already acquired secondary
meaning. When hashy Bohemia rallied III
force at the ComGdie FRANCHISE from the new
schools of painting, music and letters 10 hSnt
the battle against the classicists, 1t lmphed
freedom of action, startling effects and com
binations. splendid feats of Imagination anu
intense realism. 1t embodied the vitality ana
passion AS well as the excuses and vagarIeS Oh
the romantic school What was then new
departure is now the characteristic habit oil
French literature and art. lIugoism is no
longer Il Renaissance of the rOmantic-classical
feud. II is now used in a narrow sense to
denote what is most glaring In the poets
literary STYLE: the startling antithcses which at
times are grotcsque where they are meant to be
sublime; the overwriting and oversiralncd
intensity which are too often extrayagdnt; the
vivid descriptions and strong cOlorng when
not infre0uently seem oyerwrought and arti-
fetal; and the OvermaStering Consciousness OF
his own personality which in English eyes must
always be fatal blcmish to his genius. Hugo
ism stands for what is most mcrctriciouS IN
great writer's artistic method 1t does not
stand for his best characteristics: the fiery
ardOr of his patriotism; the force oil Ills
political inycctivcs the resources of IN mag
nation as daring rs it was original; the
earnestness Of nature that brought a thrill oi
animation TO the quctcst dialogue in Notre
Dame and n touch of life To the grotcsque
portrait of Quasjmolu, tho hunchback; the
exquisite dcl:clcy OF his art rs seen not only in
poems that set the transator's powers at
defiance but also in his novels in the love-
scenes between Marius and Cosctte or in the
Imprisonment of the children in the burning
~ 1 a. LII no. ,f f.illiuft'.
sacrifice and Of Jean Yaljeln's life and death.
Victor Hugo has been great power for good
in his time. He has impaired new life to
French literature and created noble and inSpir-
ing types of character. No man en- stand
beside his grave aud not say that the world Is
the better for his labOrs and his influence.
Living to as advanced an age rs Noltairc. he
has never withheld his sympathy for human
misery and never failed to dcnouncc wrong
and Injustice. II not always the wiSc,t he was
the sincercst friend OF liberty. The poor and
the oppressed have had in him faithful cham
pion. lie pleaded for many "A condemned
criminal, defended rcyolutionists and Com
munisfs. denounced the execution of John
Brown as an outrage against civilization and
pcrsistcntly bcfcicndcd those to whom the
world was mercilcss in its judgments. When
Voltaire made his grand entry into Paris few
weeks before he died what touched him most
was the poor woman's question in the street;
ado you not know that he Is the prescrvcr of
the CALAIS ~ The humblcst classes in Paris
will pay similar tributes to Victor Hugo now
that his life is ended. He had Il sympathetic
feeling for the hard pathos OF their lot. lie
had noble and magnanimous nature as well
as rare genius.