New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1891-02-01
death to Houghton Carlyle wrote as follows OF inc
author OF Vanity Fair:

in IL threw me shower Of SITUATIONS looKeI
| mt was Thackcray with his daughter the laSI
,ipme was TO see him in this world. He had many
fine qualities no guile or malice against any
mortal; big mass OF soul. but not strong II PR"
norton n beautiful vein OF genius lay struggling
about in him Nobody in our day wrote, l snoul. i.
say. with such perfection OF style prenlcI %
! his books very much you do. POOR lhacKcIaS
-adieu adleu!
Not as a politician not as prose wrlter'-though
he wrote prose for thirty years, and his Lille Oh
Keats" and his Monographs, Personal ana Do,
| cial" will continue to interest the readers OF
many generations yet to come-but as poet Loru
Houghton is most certain of remembrance. lie
was not great singer, yet very sweet SINGER
with a charm Of his own he undoubtedly was
| Intense sympathy was the keynote OF his char-
acter: and his own sympathetic spirit was IN
fused into all he wrote.
Lord Houghtons widespread popularity IN
Great Britain continued until his death, with one
slight interruption, which will be OF particular
interest the readers of his biography on TINS sac
of the Atlantic For it was due to his ATTITUDE
in connection with our Civil War. am mae
feasiby Northern" he writes TO n friend, mainly
from the abomnable selfshness of the South in
breaking up a great country" And again. IN an
other letter: THE feeling about America is IN
tenscly Southern and !, with my strong North
ern sympathies remain in greater isolation than
ever | am in minority Of two or three, the
| House of Commons and society being all South
ern" The two or three" included John Bright
| and W. L. Forster, who were practically alone
| with Lord IIoughton in processing Northern
| syn pathies lie expresses at this period some
| mild astonishmcnt over a queer letter from lIaw-
| thorne, who writes at the opening OF the year
| 1862 that he could not have conceived any
thing so delightful as civil war" and deeply re-
gres that his youth was cast in a quiet time.
| ~ l. 49, tla mt nj
blood and treasure? Men must die even if not
pierced by bullets and gunpowdcr is the most
exciting Of luNurics. Emerson breathes slaugh-
ter as icrccly any of us.
Thirteen years later, when Lord Toughton at
length succeeded in putting into execution his
| ioug-dhershed project Of visiting the United
States he found that the people Of the North had
NOT forgotten his championship Of their cause in
England. The newspapers followed his footsteps
everywhere and announced his arrival in the
various cities of the Union in words Of glowing
recognition, not only Of his merits rs poet. but
Of his stanchncss as a friend. Public bodies,
| clubs. associations and charitable institutions
Joined in bidding him welcome. In the words of
his hographcr, Every door seemed TO fly open
nj the approach Of one whose name had long been
| known to American men Of letters and whose att
tude during the war had done even more 10 Sc
| cure the recognition Of the American people.
| At ST. Louis be entertained by General
| Sherman. who in letter to General Badeau.
paws n warm tribute to his refinement and
culture; while local newspaper described him
rs the Invest Englishman St Louis has ever
SEEM and recorded the opinion that. although "A
| Lord he was " as easy and plain as an old shoe.
| Lord Iloughton's experiences with the ubiquitous
| representatives of the press were amusing. and
there was one in particular which he was never
| ala nd
What strikes me about your press. he remarked
| 10 n reporter who had succeeded in gaining adj
mittance 10 the poct-pcers bedroom before he
| had got out Of bed and who had asked for his
views on the American newspapers. is the extreme
violence Of language you use toward your political
| opponents. / see in one paper this morning that
| President Grant is described drunkard, "a
liar and a thief Now supposing he were
! all these things-which do not even for moment
admit-do you not think that il would show more
self respect on the part Of his opponents II they
were to remember al least that he is the head
Of the nation and It's representative in the eyes
of the world. and that, consequently. any attack
upon him is virtually an attack upon the Re-
public itself?'
The next morning when Lord HoughtOn opened
the newspaper he was Mortified TO find the major
part Of the article concerning the interview de
voted to graphic description Of his appearance
in bed and appended thereto the following brief
statement: Lord Houghton is not inclined to
admit that President Grant is drunkard and a
thief and he thinks that even If he is the fact
should not he published TO the world in the
newspapers
Among the old friends who We'd with one an
other in welcoming him TO their homes were
Emerson. Longfellow. Charles Francis Adams.
Lowell and sam" Ward At Washington he
sat next 10 President Grant at dinner. and humor
ously talked SO much in favor Of polygamy that
the President remarked grimly: Il really
must appoint you 10 be the next Governor II
[ tab In Ncw-lork he formed friendships with
al the notable men Of the period. In all with
whom he brought into contact during this
visit. 50 charmngly described in the eighteenth
chapter Of his biography. did he create the same
agreeable impression and Uncle sam" Ward was
not far wrong when he expressed regret in "A
letter written in October. 1875. that Ulysses
as he wont TO call him. had not formed part
Of the Joint High Commission. " Had the Brit |
ish Government sent him here as Plenipotentary
with salary of f24. 900 per annum to win the
hearts of Jonathan Brothers, he could not do more
than he has done. and is daily doing. to achieve
that national purpose
1t was AT a banquet given in mis- honor on the |
eve of his departure by the Century Club under |
the presidency of Mr.. Bryant. that Lord Hough- |
ton brought his graceful speech to close with |
verses which may be regarded in the light of
farewell Injunction to his friends in this country
Beyond the vague Atlantic deep.
Far - the iurtlcSt prir.cS sweep,
Where mountain wastes the appal,
Where burns the radiant Western Fall.
one duty lies on old and young
With illal plety to guard
As on its greencSt native sward
The glory of the English tongue.
That ample speech that subtle speech,
Apt for the need Of all and cach,
Strong 10 endure, yet prompt to bend,
Wherever human feeling tend.
Preserve its force, expand It's powers
And through the of civil life,
In letters. commerce. cen In strife,
Remember, 1t Is yours and