New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1891-08-09
PERSONALITIES.
SIR CHARLES FORSTER-dR. WIlISrLER-MR.
uowELLS AND THE BRITISH CRITIC
MIR. RICHARD HARDING
DAVIS


There Is a kindliness in the references to Sir
Charles Forster's death which is, as / have said
before characteristics of English public life
fear IL must be displcasing TO the great American
| mean Observation-Disclosures OF feroclty III
politcs but this kindliness docs still TO certain
extent exist in England. Sir Charles Forster
was himself one Of the most amiable OF men. The
House of Commons liked him for two things
He gave good dinners and he never spoke lhese
two titles to the general good will of his colleagues
were the chief, bat he had Others He was an
excellent man of business. AS Chairman OF Com
mittees on Public Petitions he had important
duties which he discharged with diligence and
ability. Either by virtue Of this office or other
wise for these are obscure matters-he had charge
also of what is called the Private Business OF the
House They are laborious pusts demanding pa
,ience tact. good temper as well as power Of con-
tinuous work The public-that general public
which provides majorities now for one party, now
for another, never hears of them.
II the public ever heard of Sir Charles it was
often enough through the kindly mention OF him
by Toby, VI. p, who used TO depict his frieno as
ever in quest Of his hat, wandering restlessly ABOUT
the House. They heard of him in connection
with Mr. Gladstone TO whom he bore an I'M
questioning and never-failine fidelity lie followed
him through all changes followed him without,
into Mr.. Parnell's camp. How long ago that
sounds. Yet it was only in 1885, not much more
than five Years have passed since the Great Con-
vert took that ever-memorable plunge. 1t was
the delight of Sir Charles Forster's life to give
dinners to his Leader and there used to be parties
afterward where the adorers might oiier their
homage and burn their incense. l don't THINK III
ever occurred to the host to doubt that whatever
his guest did or said was wise and right, or that
any act of worship could be more reverent than
he deserved There is something touching In
such loyalty.
So was there in the loyalty of Sir
Charles FOrster's friends and constituents
the terms arc almost intercbangeable-to lin.
He had been member for Walsall for al
most forty years Few indeed in these changing
times are the constituencies which change not.
Wolverhampton offers an example even more
honorable than Walsall, having chosen Mr. Charles
Villiers to be its member at every election since
1885. The electorate Of Walsal has undergone
many changes, like every other electorate Ill this
rapidly changing country. But whether the MD
die class or the workingmen were in the majority,
there was always majority for Sir Charles Forster.
The Tories seldom thought it worth While 10
challenge it. There are 10000 electors a Tory
has once succeeded in getting as many as 5000
of them to vote for hm-not an experiment which
good a man Sir Charles Forster was how high his
place in the counsels and confidence of his party.
A Tory journal so far Americanizes itself as to
say that in the House of Commons ne was an
institution: and so he was The stranger would
be sure to remark him; short, heavily bullt
man. with q stoop; of amiable face, looking not
more than half awake; walking slowly, with very
short little mincing steps, as If uncertain oil Ills
foothod There beat few kinder hearts than MS.
Mr.. Whistler has had the courage to tackle
the picture dealer, a parsonage now all but su-
preme in the world of art. lie writes to the press
that the canvas shown O completed work OF
his by Messrs Dowdeswen, representing three
draped figures in conservatory, is o palnung
long ago barely begun and thrown aside for
destruction Il think it not only just to my
self" adds Mr. Whistler, to make this state
ment, but right that the public should be warned
against the possible purchase of picture III no
way representative, and, in its actual state, alb
solutey worthless" These be brave words, my
masters. The firm in question is what is called
respectable firm not of the highest rank, II
rank is to be measured by the greatness of the
sums they habitually bid at Christie's, or by
resolve to drive all private purchasers away from
the auction room, and compel them to come to
the dealer himself, and pay the dealers price
That is not the speciality of this particular ilrm
But they are important enough TO make Mr..
Whistlers defiance of them an act very credltabic
10 him. They have often exhibited for him in
times past theirs is the gallery where people
might naturally expect to find such an artist as
Mr.. Whistler.
He no more cringcs 20 them than he did TO
the great men of Edinburgh who some years
since, talked of buying his Carlyle. That
admirable portrait was then on exhibition in that
city The price of it was $1,000. The worthy
Scots who had the matter in charge wrote the
artist that they were prepared to buy the picture
hut must not be understood giving their sane
ton 10 all Mr. Whstler's views or theories OF
art Mr. Whistler sent his answer by telegraph
thus: The price Of the portrait oil Carlyle is
$1,000 The Edinburgh Baillics may have un-
derstocd him, may not They did not buy the
picture Ii went back to Mr. Whistler's studio
and remained there unsold for years; remained
till the notices. excellent Baillies Of Glasgow be
thought themselves they wanted a portrait Of
Carlyle and were advised TO buy this; and did
buy il: at the price TO which the Baillics Of
Edinburgh had, all involuntary. caused it to be
raised.
As Mr. Howells does not like critics, fling
him two Of them to tear and rend if he be 81
minded. One, reviewing Mr. John Fiskes
American Revolution. remarks: We havt
seldom seen this complicated period of history
better treated, even by our own historians
The emphasis is on the last five words. Another
finds himself called upon TO make some remark
about the Essays of Francis Bacon. and he says
1T is difficult TO imagine young man of TIT
present generation taking them down from thu
shelf, except for purpose, and yet he might d.
worse even if mere entertainment were the oh
ject" 1t is difficult 20 say which Of the tw
parts of this deliverance be the more admirable
whether it be more wonderful thing 70 Sc
Bacon patronized by an evening critic, or {
hear il said that he had passed forever into tn
limbo of dust and neglect: the authors true in
feno. But perhaps the young man of tn
present generation is not. after all such Phil
istine as his critic would make him out. Fey