New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1888-04-19
4 became associated with Tmx TRIBUNE in / sss,

abouo twenty years. lie WAS On editorial writer
book reviewer, and q musical critic, and for some
time after the death Of Mr.. Greeley In 672 he held
| the post Of managing editor. He wrote the Life
Of Archbishop Hughes" 1866; the Lifo Of Pope
Plus TX" C1s77j; a" History of the United States
ussJ; The Ring Of the Nibelungs-a Descrp-
ton Of its First Performance, In August 1870, at
Bayreuth' us70; and "A PickwiclSan Pilgrim
age" nssl). The two books last named were
made up Of chapters that he originally published
in TIVE TRIBUNE He was the representative Of
this paper at Bayrcuth in 1876, and his narrative
| of Wazner's remarkable exploits and success at
that time-certainly remarkable epoch in the
history Of music-is one Of fascinating interest,
and IL is Just as fresh and vital to-day as when
| It was written. Indeed, the sagacity with which
| he recognized Wagners colossal power and the
| precision and authority with which he fore
Swallowed the drift and triumph of that great
composers ideas and influence abide still, among
many proofs Of his pre-cminent competence and
superiority as musical critic. His PiclxwiclSan
Pilgrimage. was the result of stroll In England,
in the summer of 1870, chiefly in the track OF
Mr. Pickwick and his friends Mr.. Hassard WINS
an ardent admirer of the works Of Charles Dickens,
and he followed in the footsteps of that novelist
very reverently and with affecticnatc appreciation.
This book contains an account OF boat voyage
down the River Wye, from Hereford to Chep-
stow, which is perhaps the best single example Of
his best literary manner that could be chosen-a
manner in which the influence of Goldsmith and
Addison is clearly discernible through the writer's
own characteristic mood Of keen observation, d.
rect statement light, pictorial touch, and gentle
sentiment Another of his especially felicitous
works is little pamphlet called The Fast Print
ing Machine" QS7s) being simple narrative Of
mechanical dexteSity and industrial achievement.
but made as earnest as one Of the best OF Macau-
lays Essays, invested with the romance, charm
and interest Of fairy tale, and expressed in Ian
guase Of rare felicity and vigor Mr.. Hassard
was an occasional contributor to The Catholic Re-
view," and at one time he was the New-York
correspondent Of The London Daily News" but
that post he resigned when his health began to fail
few years ago. He was married, in s72. to Miss
Isabella Hargous His widow survives him. He
leaves no children. These few sentences recount
the chief incidents Of his lfe-scarcely event
full to stranger eyes than that Of the Vicar OF
Wakefield, with his migration from the brown
bed to the blue and from the blue bed back again
to the brown 1t is the old story of the brain
worker, the man Of thought, who stands apart
from the pageant of human affairs moralizing on
it as it passes and striving to purify and refresh
it at the springs of its incessant and tumutuous
food.
The actual and essential story of his life, of
course lies far deeper and would be found beneath
the surface, in the current of his intellectual de-
velopment and the analysis Of his literary achieve
ments He was not one Of the exceptionally few
who build monuments essentially great In itera-
ture, and thus strongly command and permanently
retain the attention and interest Of the world. He
was simply of fine talents and lovely char
acter, who devoted himself to the service Of his
fellow-creatures In the avocaton Of journalism,
and who made his mark in that field-broad and
strong and brilliant and noble. The great public Of
miscellaneous readers cannot perhaps, nationally be
supposed to cherish any very deep interest in such
personality for any great length Of time after
its career has ended. But 1t was q personality
that blessed many WHO never heard Of II, while
| those whose privilege it was to know Mr. IIassard
well and to know his labors and their value will
| eagerly and tenderly mediate now upon tho rare
qualities and beautiful traits of his mind, and
will be very slow to forget tlic charm of his COM
partnership and the lesson of his pure, blame
less, devoted and benefcent life He would have
been the first to reprove extravagant eulogy Of his
talents his productions Yet should be said that
he filled difficult and delicate Office with rare
ability and discretion, and that he taught
to the critics and journalists Of his time things
tnaC IL was well worm Cnclr Wnlic 10 learu-
Among other things he taught by his example,
the primal necessity Of being perfectly well ac-
quainted with the art discussed. He studied
constantly, he thought deeply, he worked con-
scientiously and with laborious zeal. His free
dom from conventional;ty and from prejudice
constantly evident in his writings-was q con-
tnued monition Of refreshing originality Of view
and justice Of mood He looked at every subject
with his own eyes, and not with the eyes Of the
past. The word that he spoke was the word OF
to-day and not of yesterday ana be never fell
into the error Of mistaking his own personal dis
taste or aversion for defect in the artist or the
work that he reviewed. He knew, with Cole
ridge, that the first requisite for good critic is
good heart, and he proved that he knew it every
time he took up his pen. His keen intuition as
to the relative Importance of persons and themes
was constantly manifested, and was still another
lesson of practical value For this journalist and
man of letters this devotee Of art and music, who
often sat alone for hours playing upon the organ
the music that he loved or that he was to dis
sect was also q man of the world. He possessed
the sense of proportion and fitness, an oldtime
courtliness Of thinking well as Of manner sense
of the right place for trlllcs, and very happy
faculty for silence. He was not envious and he
was not meddlesome. He never thought it TO be
his duty, when acting as musical critic Of IKE
TRIBUNE, to regulate the musical criticism Of the
other newspapers of this country. If he wanted
good criticism of an opera TO be printed he en-
deavored to write it himself instead of writing
ouerulous observations condemnatory of the criti.
cisms published in contemporary journals. 1t
was another of his admirable and exemplary
qualities that he perceived the critical duty Of
giving encouragement He looked into the future
of the artist, and he could be wisely lenient.
In the fulfment of his duty he thought of him
self last, or not at all while his dignity was of
that natural kind which is always present. From
the study Of his intellectual development and the
analysis of his writings much assuredly might
be learned This much meantime, is learned
and NAV be stated-that education and experience,
Gna incfin had faunht him