New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1893-04-14
NEW PUBLICATIONS.
MR.. WINTERS TRIBUTE TO TIE MEMORY OF
CURTIS.

CURTIS
GEORGE WILLIAM CURTIS. A Eulogy Delivered
Before the People Of staten Island at the Caseton
=. George. February "a. 1893. BY William Win
ter. PIP. 113. Macmillan Co.
Mr.. Winters tribute TO the memory of his life
long friend is not a task done periunctory. Mani
testify his heart inspired the words that he
spoke. The verdict Of the future respect
Ing Curtis's rank as an author, as
man of letters, as an orator, and as citizen, can
hardly he made up without reference 10 this
tiny volume. For il cmbodies from the expert
ence and observation of clear-sight"d contem-
porary summary OF the moral and intcllcctual
forces that cnvroncd Curtis from his youth up.
II shows that a thorough-going biography OF the
man would mean history OF the literature and
politics of the Nation during most important
period The most picturesque incidents OF time
not without its eccentIicites-for example the
Brook Farm episode-form a part of the early life
Of Curtis Realizing in himself the ideal Of
Tully-that of young man with something of the
craybeard in him-he as youth tho COM
panion of the men who created the traditions Of
American literature, and he to the end Of his
life the impersonatiOn of ideas which belong TO the
age when the intellectual life Of the Nation was
dominated by the culture Of the New-England
States. The stream Of National If" may have
been moro shallow in those days; it was certainly
more Iimpd The obstacles that had Ia be over
come wore q more distinctively moral aspect than
those which hinder the progress Of the present
generation The fiery contest over slavery had
the value Of sacred in training the con-
ecience Of the people That was an age when the
whole American world was east of the Mississippi
and when the material possibilities of the country
had only begun 10 he forcshadow"d. lIcnccforth
the simplest questions will be complicated in
1ybi tha last
conceived
In contemplating the present and the possible
tics Of the future Mr. Winter. who is himself. as
Curtis was a loyal son Of that beautiful New
England past, cannot repress some forcbodngs
lie sees that coming problems are very numerous
and very difficult. and that the processes or sol-
lion must be wholly different from those that were
eficacious in the past. lie hardly seems to share
that serene confidence in the people which he at
tributes TO his friend "Curtis" says ne, was
controlled less by his imagination than by his
moral sense. He had ideals but they were based
on reason However much he may have loved to
muse and dream, he the world "a fact AMI
not az a fancy. lie was often saddencd by thr
spectacle of human littencss. but, broadly and
generally, he was not disappointed in mankind,
and he never became imbittercd. The belief IN
human nature with which he began remained his
belief when he ended Nothing could shake hiS
conviction that man is inherently and intrinsically
good He believed in the people. lie believed IN
earthly salvation for the poor, the weak and the
oppressed. He believed in chvalry toward woman
He believed in refinement, genteness and grace
He believed that the world is growing better ana
not worse lie believed in the inevitable and
final triumph Of truth and right over fasehood and
wrong He believed in freedom, charity, Justice,
hope and love" An admirable creed and one well
x..1l.- 81 dark
foreboding Curtis does not to have made
the mistake which is made sometimes in the delii-
cation Of social and political organisms at the
expense of the people for whom they were created
and by whom they subsist.
"The Story Of Malta" by Maturin NJ Ballou,
published by Honghton Mifn Co.. is charac-
teristic book. Mr.. Balloons books Of travel, al
ways readable, nevertheless remind one OF the
device. rare though not unknown in newspapers,
by which information that cannot be obtained Is
discounted with such writing as happens to he
available The author ia continually abiding TO
things that a more careful traveller would have
been sure TO investigate and the reader rises from
the perusal of the book with the conviction that
aside from some bright slimpsrs Of scenery. he
has learned little that he could not have gathered
himself in good library.
"The Statesmans Year Book for 1898 shows
some important changes from the volume for the
preceding year. For example, instead Ct the Ia
blcs showing the population of the earth, the
money of the worll. the forest Of Europe, the
partition OF Africa are now presented tables on
the great cities of the world, the worlds wheat |
crop, its product Of gold and silver, its merchant |
shipping the Pamir question and the external
trade of Africa The growing Importance OF Africa
politically and commercially is attcsted by large |
folded map, in which the limitations growing ont |
of recent treaties and agreements are traced. Mr..
j. Scott Kettle, the editor, expresses his gratitude
TO contributors all over the world who have aided
his work
Volume XXXIV Of the dictionary Of Ma |
tional Biography comprises the names from the
apparently unpronounceable Llwyd, numerously |
represented in Welsh poets and heroes, down to
Mccartney, General George mccartney. of whom |
one example was sufficient to satisfy the English |
race for long time. The verdict Of Maccart |
ney's bographcr, H. Manners Chichester. appears |
10 be that Swift's accusation that he was the |
hired bravo Of LORD MOhun and the murderer Of |
the fourth Duke Of Hamilton is not sustained |
But Alaccartney was an utterly reckless character
and his prohigacy made him most painful |
scourge in the hands of lbs opponents for the |
party to which he belonged.
REUNION.