New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1892-06-13
..orp cyirVCEyr CRfTICISED.

Y Il ~
OF all the multitude of public men on view
whose prominence provOkcS cnV! ana ihN
detrac,on there is probably not one VINO sheoS
il more as a duck docs water than our 'i''''
cev- People who rate his greatness solely ny
his versatility his intellectual resources MS
readiness for occasions. his promptltudc III
emergencies his wit, his eloquence or AWNING
in tho ouality OF his mind or his intellectual
continent or in the whole combination 'ha'
molScs him always so welcome to an audience
make the mistake Of leaving out one q''ahN
that comes not out of training or education or
experience, the quality of absolute good nature
That is horn in him. Amid stormy scenes no
one is more unruillcd in hot disputes none
coolor: in angry controversy none more con-
ciliatory or considerable. Defeat even OF his
own ambitions has never meant discontinue
IN him in the meI1iincnt of his victorious OPP
ponents his laugh is always loudcst and never
with any echo Of holowpcSs. Neither does
succcss disturb his even posc. The citation OF
his triumph has no sting in it for anybody. lie
is to-day the one cheerful hopeful hlSh-
spirited, emncnty good-nat1ncd. unr'illlcd con-
.pcuous American citizen. II he has an enemy
anywhere it must be some lncal descendant OF
the A,hcnian who wcaricd OF Arisiides De
cause all men praised him.
II is not strange however that so conspicuous
public man should be closely followed and
his u,teronces subjected to rigid if not I'M
friendly criticism by the great newspapers whose
mission it is not only to guard the Liberties OF
the People and maintain a high standard OF
morals in the community. but to see 10 II ~
we'll that no false note should enter INTO our
literature. no bcmiSh of inaccuracy stain or
record Of scholarship and sound learning IL
was doubtless with this high purpose that the
MINNEAPOLIS correspondent OF our scholarly
and classical contemporary 1.-The World,' III
the course of bright and lively account Of
the late convention, tool, "Our Chaunccy' 10
tas, for attributing 10 Caesar the somewhat
famous remark which Virgil put in the mouth
Of Aencas when that hero was making 1t
pleasant for Dido by telling her what happened
i'm Troy prior 10 the advent OF the present char
man OF the Democratic state Committee MI
of which saw and great part OF which was.
The correspondent says: The discrepancy IN
Mr. Dcpcw's historical notions WAS pointed ont
hv n proud cololcd man from the south Now
this would not have been a fatal break II
Chaunccy had actually made II. But the
colorcd man upon whose knowledge oi the
classics the correspondent bases his criticism
listened carclcSSly and did not hear correctly.
What Chaunccy did say was this, a VIII he
seen by the published report:
Caesar when he wrote those Commentaries which
are the history Of the conqucsts oi Europe under his
leadership. modcsily took the position Of Acncas
when be said "Thcy arc tho narrative Of events
the whole OF which saw. and great par, II which
/ was
We submit that the criticism OF the CORE
spondcnt based on the classical attainmentS OF
the colorod man falls 10 the ground. The
coorcd mans scholarship was all right but his
hearing was defective.
Ernboldoncd by having. with the help OF the
colorcd man. caught Chaunccy tripping III the
classics, the correspondent proceeds 10 pick mp
the orator on reference 10 the younger Pitt,
which he calls "anoih,R. alluSion to ancient
tines: from which it would seem that the
critic himself is a little cloudy a 10 historic
periods. He says that in this allu>lon B" the
fates as usual accompanied Mr.. Dcpcw and
made him speak Of the younger Chatham when
he meant the younger Pitt" Even this slip
would not be disastrous to Mr.. Dcpcw'S rcputa-
ton as "A scholar or orator; but turning again
to the authorized published report of the speech
we find it very plainly printed thus:
There Is but ore distinguished example Of
| nr,t overcoming the limitations imposed by the pre-
emiuent fame Of his father. and then rising above
| it-and that was when the Younger Pitt became
greater than Chatham.
We submit that in this case also the criticism
| falls to the ground for the Obvious reason that
| Chaunccy did not say what the critic says he
| said.
| We understand, of course. that "Thc
| Worlds; criticisms are made in Il spirit Of
| Kindness and solely in the interest Of pure
| literature accurate scholarship and sound learn
| ing. But we venture 10 suggest that it should
not hereafter lean so heavily on the classical
| attainmcnts of colored man with a defective
| sense of hearing. Also, that its correspondents
| should post themselves as to the period in
| which Chatham and the younger Pitt figured
| 1t might be well, too. to warn them against
making Interpretations to fill space. Otherwise
| the accuracy OF "The World itself may come
| to be doubted. We shuddcr TO think what
| would happen then.