The Irish standard., 1888-06-23
DoNNELlY STRIKES BACK.
The Author Of the Great Cryptogram
Merely Asks for Intelligent Crit
icism and Fair Play.
AMERICAN NEWSPAPER ABUSE.
This Mr. Donnelly Attributes to "the
Fact that He Lives il the Back
woods Of America"

Fact that He Lives il the Back
woods Of America"
The New York World Of last Sunday
has four~column interview with Hon.
Ignatius Donnel]y in London, III which
he reveals the origin Of his cipher num-
bers and makes clear the mystery Of his
Baconian cryptogram. Perhaps the
most interesting part of the interview
to the ordinary reader unlearned in
Shakspsarean literature is that in which
he goes for his cipher critics. We re-
produce the following spicy paragraphs
for the deIectation Of Our Minnesota
readers:
FAIR PLAY.
But why, in heavens name, cannot
this discussion be- conducted without
all the yiruleace that has been imported
into it? Shakespeare is not running for
President. He did not found a ro-
ligjon. Hel is certainly dead, at least
he has been under ground nearly three
hundred years, and that ought to con-
vince even q Shakespeareolator. We
have the plays, anyhow. No one seeks
to destroy them. If had written a.
book to prove that Edmund Burke was
the author of the ''Letters of Junius"
or "Iliad" was originally an Egyptian
poem NO one would have called ME a
lunatic, Or an imposter, or charlatan,
or naountebank. The scholarly world
would haye conscientionsly examined
my proofs and my arguments and pro-
nouncsd it's verdict without heat or
passion. Why should it be otherwise
with the question Of the authorship OF
the Shakespeare plays? Did the man of
Stratford leave any of his money to
these men VINO are now tearing their
garments and risking apoplexy in his
defense? Iias anybody paid them to
blackgnard me? Au not entitled to a
fair hearing at the hands Of my own
countrymen? DO they propose to hang
me for uttering my own opinions upon
a grave literary question which has
been under debate for thirty years! An
English paper the other day regretted
that ly ynching was All American not an
English custom. as otherwise they
might have the pleasure Of ending the
controversy by numbering me for dis
turbing John Bull in the stolld sleep OF
ages. Let John be comforted. There
is still hope that may be lynched in
tbe land OF my birth. And for what?
What is my crime? That have sought
to wed the greatest works on earth to
the greatest genius that ever lived on
earth; that Z did not believe that the
MOST magnificent emanations of human
industry and intellect could come out OF
the sodden brain of a dlssolute and
depraved man, who began his recorded
career with one drunken spree and
ended it with another; who was often
imprisoned anu publically whipped for
crime, and who has left behind him not
one tradition OF kindly Or a generous
act or noble thought; nothing in fact
but the record of numerous lawsuits
against his unfortunate debtors, and
four ignorant signatures, every one Of
which appears to have been spelled diff
ferenJly.
When you can make me believe that
nasty crow laid an ostrich egg, or that
subtarranean rat gave birth to a mas
terful hon, you may perhaps persuade
me that ignorance, viciousness, sordid~
ness and drunkenness could produce
the greatest, wisest, loftiest, noblest
and most learned utterances that ever
delighted the ears of men. Rut until
that time comes the pennv-a-liners,
most of whom never read ten pages of
Bacon's works, and the petrifed peda-
gogues, who are incapable of new
thought, can howl until they split their
throats. Isimply defy them, 1 appeal
'sfrom Philip drunk to Philip sober;;'
from the shallow creatures who have
temporarily gotten possession of the
newspapers Of America, as reviewers Of
books, to the great million-large audi
ence OF thoughtful and honest readers
of the mighty Republic.
INTELLIGENT CRITICISM.
The very men who have condemned
my book haye many of them never read
it. A Manchester paper the other day !
ended up an abusive review by the dec
laration that the cipher theory was an
absurdity because it depended upon the
capital letters in the text. Now, as
there is not a word in my book, from
cover to cover, about the cipher depend
ing upon the capital letters, it is evident
that The critic had never read the book |
he was reviewing. Another critic over
.whelmed me with abuse, and wound up
by saying my book contained 700 pages,