New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1889-01-11
WAR ON A WHITE SHEET.
FREDERIC vILLIERs AS A LECTURER.
PLAIN BUT ENeRossrNG STORY OF AN

4 PLAIN BUT ENcRossING STORY OF AN
ARTISTS work ON THE BATTLEFIELD.
Frederic vfIliers last night related one Of the
nost memorable experiences of his ten years
campaiT ning to an immense audience in Steinway
Hall. lie lectured under the auspices OF the
General Society of Mechanics and Tradesmen OF
the CITY of New-Yorlx. The war-artist. whose
sle tches come straight from the field OF battle
Ia be REPRODUCED in the illustrated papers. must
be credited with O different courage from tnao
which impes him. armed with htth more than
his pencil. to tempt death in his pursuit. when
he takes the lecture platform and presents re-
Productions Of his hasty pictures TO the cam
Judgment of an audience which barely ecoliects
the occasion that first produced them. When
yercstcharin few weeks ago lectured on war;
surrounded. not by mere studies. but by the great
paintings which his first impressions had evolved
AS he dwelt ON them. the venture was not haii
so perilous But villiers. who left tho Academy
and its slow de, elopments to practise the very
shorthand Of realistic art achieves In exhio'uue
TO the public "war on white sheet no less
sucsess than that attained by the Russian artlss
Mr.. yilliers's lecture comes SO soon after NJ
v.r,stcbauin's that comparison car hardly DC
avoided. and it undoubtedly suggested Itseh 10
che minds of many present Netner oil inc h'eA
suffered by it But as contribution toward ene
qualification Of the peaceful Pablo an its desre
20 learn what war really is, Mr.. villierss lecture
al, he more ant than NJ verestchagins to achieve
popularity.
I'M PICTURESQUE COSTUME
The lecturer appeared in his campaign costume
and his handsome face and figure looked emil
nentlv picturesque He did not attempt to be
yI,etor;cal. He did not draw any moral from his
fole. He did not dwell in ornate SENTENCES on
Sbe horrors of war; but he told plain, straight
forward story, and allowed his hearers to draw
their own concl isons. But he was dramatic IN
snite os himself He interested his audience with
Ma first sentence; and they followed him win
,pt<nse interest to Plevna and Alexandria; into
,he arotcsoue carcature of Christian civilization
that makes Abyssinia peculiar among the coui-
terms If Africa: up the Nile with Lord Wolseley,
.cross she desert with Herbert Stewart In that
vsonderful march which al the military genius OF
purope has admitted to be almost lncqualled In
modern warfare. -.
Among the scenes from the Russo-Iufnsn war
thrown on the white sheet and descrioed py MT
villers, the most remarkable was 'he ps"'',
r,ann Of the Plevna Prisoners This march OF
.,,s ,niserable was also described and illustrated
-, veres,cha0;u. On whose heroically romantic
,,rsssna.,on it left on indelible impression Mr.
viil;erss sketch of the scene as he witnessed III
shows that Its horrors needed no embeilshmenh
Thousands of the miserable Turks goaded ana
jibed by their Russian captors, fell exhausted
a1ona the weary way and man from afar couia
discern the progress of the march by the piack
column of birds Of prey stretching as far as tne
eve could see that lowered overhead and pouncea
hy Tho dozen On the fallen before they had time to
diei
ON MORE PLEASANT eRoUNp.
Mr. villers treated Abyssinia. Egypt and the
soudan in somewhat lighter vein or course ~
was an fun and no fighting for the specials IN
Abvssinia. Mr. villiers did net underrate the dam
Eers Of the Egyptian expedition Neither alu
~ ralre l,pht Of the later desert war in which SO
m nc hrave lives were sacrificed. But be bright
p ,ar his narrative with many little incidents
which suggest that the hninors OF campaignas
are too little Recognized Dy PSp cssss ont Of ten
he Door soldier in the very midst Of his perlis
would be likely to reward such comm, serasv LIN
could he hear OF it, with q Joke rather 'i'h "''n
s'1 B"t the soldiers spirits never sink so low
as when his tolls are spent TO reap ont ialiuie,
Mr. Villiers described with spirit the ngnums o,
the the hill. He told Of its interrupted progress
how, when within sight of the water JOE Wlcp
they were longing they had TO ngnt tneir way
tb~oygb intervening thousands oil ARABS whose
nreeence was first annouSced TO the little army
by the distant beating Of the tom-t9ms Inc
Nile was gained, and all went We'll sno1 tbe
.sdaoa ns sns ns o men on 'f board and
8 few hours the whole camp knew the MEAN Mnan
'o 60 IL WAS after an the lesson Of the sorrows
Of war that Mr. villiers's words chiefly enforced;
and the great audience that had oeen tnrouenpu'
responsive to his pathos and ms w, aK sshr rs
slowed on the able lecturer loud anu ions ~io"oS
Of wellearned applause