Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1892-09-15

NipHbu ClplltuGb anu StCuIGN lbl INV
motion unanimous vote. After Lin.
coins election Mr.. Curtis energy on the
latform aud the stump was directed to
so outstanding the victories of the war
that they should DO the victories Of
emancipation.
EDITORIAL LIFE AND WORK.
But before the war was over (1SG3) he
had become the political editor of Lidr-
per's Weekly, and thus secured "a door
OF utterance" much wider than the plat
form of the lecturer had afforded him.
Through it his word went far and wide,
for no editorials were more widely
quoted than those which he wrote, and
in this way their direct influence in the
Weekly was steadily enlarged, They
often gave the cue to sluggish minds,
and strengthened coward hearts. AS
clear and quite as forcible as any of their
| time, though with less of noise and shout
ing than some others, and not without
singing satire where occasion called,
they were always dignitied and calm,
and never failed of generosity with his
enemies or sincerity with his friends. In
the reconstruction period they were
always for making the freedman a free
wildcat financiers. In 1869 he was. ur-
gently invited to assume the editorship
of the New York Times, Henry j. Ray
mond having died. Many have felt that
here was the most splendid opportunity
he ever had, and he put it from him as
u forbidden thing. But those who knew
him best were not aware that he everre-
| GREETED "thc great refusal" that he made.
| ~ Mi In #
as one who abandoned literary career
for one of politics and reform. But he
did nothing of the kind Ruskin assures
us that all rivers have their deep and
shallow side. II may not be so; most
likely it is not; but Mr.. Curtis had his
| deeper side in his political activity and
a side less deep, where ms mirth and
humor played in and out among the
social topics of the time, among men
books, as the sunlight plays among tine
leaves and pebbles of u rivers shall
lower side. The literary impulse Of
his youth was continued in the
essays of his EASY Chair and SINH
larly in his "Manners upon the Road, :"
III Harper's Bdzar, and it was not in the
least impaired by the more strenuous
activity of the political editor and re-
former. For if now and then an easy
Chair paper took on graver tone and
became critical not only of the social
follies of the time, but Of the political
abuses, it was not in the manner of the
political editor, but III the habtual man
ner of "The Easy Chair" And while
this manner was that of man in love
with Addison and Steele and Thackeray
and floated or a little of theircolor now
and then, especially Of Thackeray's in
its kindliest vein, it had no Initiative
quality, it was his own; it was himselii
the style was once again the man. Moth
ing is more charming In these papers
than their "reminiscences of men and
things of great speakers, actors, singers
and the like. AS one reaGs the sketches
of Everett and Phillips, how they looked
and spoke, sharp regret comes in be
tween the lines that no one can speak
of Curtis with such measured truth and
perfect fitness as he spoke of them. As
we read his "reminiscences of balls and
fetes, of actors and singers, and player;
of the piano and the violin, we think h,
must have been forever on the SO aftei
such folk. But, in truth, he lived q
quiet life after the great burden had
fallen from his back. A week or two o
music and the theatre was generally
enough for him each year. Only he saw
and heard best, and his ready sympathy
at once converted it into material for in
definite allusion and unfading recollec
ton and delight.
The essays were not editorials and tn,
editorials were never the superiluout
products of his Easy Chair" 1t wa
remarkable that two lines of production
, could be kept so perfectly distinct TO
thirty years. Especially did the clear
cut editorials impress one by their differ
enCe from the essays, so vague Of out
line, so tantaizing in their Indirect ex
preston. But Mr.. Curtis had in al
these years, and especially in the con
Guiding score, a third instrument Of us
, and power, the Grafton, in which tn,
strength of his editorial writing and IN
beauty of his essays both found expreS
, sion, while there was scope for othe
, faculties which these did not employ
i something architechtonic, which evolve(
/ their structure into a noble symmetry,
i Swelling up loudly
, 10 climax and then dying proudly"
: THE CHARM OF HIS oRAToRY.
In these last years Mr.. Curtis wrot
but few lectures in the manner of thos
| earlier ones which delighted both tn
/ town and country mouse, but he wrot
, and delivered many orations, and thei
! structure was quite different from tina
e of his lectures. The Grafton had 70
A him its own law and ordinance not Il
q be lightly disobeyed. 1t must be writ
5 ten speech, written with an audienc
(. ever in his mind; it must be no essa
Q read, nor disquisition slillfully rcmem
. bered. His orations were generally read
+. but they had not the effect Of reading
o and when they were memorized, as Il
/ the laying of the cornerstone of tn
1 Washington Arch, there was no crea
D of the memoritGr machine. They wer
r neither packed with thought nor wit
!. details, but were expansive in thci
( treatment; few characteristic event
!, and episodes were carefully elaborate
) and made as vivid and impressive as tn
/ speakers genius could effect After til
4. death of Everett he was universally re
c garded as the last survivor of schoc
1 TO which they both belonged. 10 Eycl
: EFT was granted a more imposing phys
+ cal appearance; but the "heart
i which Curtis missed in hin
S and in that missed so mucl
G he did not himself lack, nor the sim
S plicity and reality which are the best G
II all. He was the ornament of man
n great occasions; municipalities and state
e were always seeking him for their grca
a commemorations and to honor lhci
J. illustrious dead. His culogcs upo
i Sumner and Phillips and Bryant an
@ Lowell We're all significant and admire
: bic, each subtly fitted to its spccig
1t theme, that upon Lowell 1889 fill