New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1893-07-16
TWO ENGLISHMEN.
THE LATE REV. THOMAS MOTLEY OF
THE TINES. AND THE LATE
LORD CALTHORPE.
LORD CALTHORPE.
London, July |.

died last saturday week. IL seems an odd epltaph
and a very inadequate one. Inadequate also is
the obituary notice Of his in the Journal he served
SO long and we'll The Very type in which il is
printed is inadequate Seldom has The Times
thought il worth while to do justice to its own
staff. A curious chapter in the history of jour
nalism might he written this text. 1t would
be curious 10 consider why it is that the greatest
Of all journals seems to think journalism such
sorry business, and journalists only fit to be
hewers Of wood and drawers of water To the
superior persons who engaged in the serious
occupations Of life.
There are however, sentences in its biography
Of Motley which light up some of the dark places
in this huge newspaper Office. "Of Mr.. Mozley's
work for The lines are not concerned TO
speak in detail" Why not? Who else should
be more concerned TO speak Of il in detail? Then,
with compliment to his extraordinary literary
versatility'-a phrase which neither Motley nor
any otter good writer would have penned-the
biographer remarks " That is known in its fulness
and must remain known only to those whom he
served long Again one may ask why. Are
the jealousy guarded secrets of this great jour
nalstic prison-housc to remain secrets forever?
II has always been understood that writer on
"The Times" not expected TO say that he
writer, TO say what he wrote The
principle Of anonymity has been of late years
departed from in some respects. Experiments
have been made with signed articles for the
most part unsuccessful experiments. But they
were not tried on the editorial page. The shadow
Of impersonalsm still rests on that and now we
solemnly told that in the darker shadow of
the tomb the rule of secrecy is still TO be OBJ
served. 1t may be known in general way.
A writer who has contributed his best work TO
the paper during period of nigh fifty years,
.l.,.tx. o(,ar1 aafh
But the nature Of his work, its fulness, its sex
traordnary literary versatility these must not
be known, nor described, nor identified.
"lIe accepted" are told in the same
funeral tone, the conditions which required his
complete self-cfiacement' No doubt he did. Is
that why they who imposed them in
life should not relax them in death? His pub
lished books il appears, brilliant as they are
and characteristic in high degree give only
q faint idea Of that same extraordinary lit
erary versatility Reason the more why faint
idea of il should be given otherwise. His Letters
from Rome were not published till late in life,
and it only in quite recent years that
he "became well known in the literary world as
the anecdotcal chronicer O. of the Oxford
Movement"
Again and again his powers writer are
dwet on, and perhaps overpraised; he was "a
consummate master of the English language in
oil its variety, flexibility and power" And all
this consummate power was to be seen in the
columns of The lines" from day to day and
from year to year. 1t is we'll the world should
know this the highest authority The fact
tlight have remained unsnspectcd Ones admra-
ton for this great journal is not based its
mastery Of style, on those qualities of variety
and heXibty which Mr.. Motley is supposed 10
have possessed. 1t has sobrety and strength
and many other good things, but il is the slave
Of traditions and prefers above all things TO
walk in grooves, if not in letters.
Motley, perhaps, would have broken through
them. If he had had his way No able man likes
to submit to the limitations imposed most
writer's for the press If he submits. it is be-
cause, on the whole, he thinks he can in that
way reach q larger audience than otherwise and
can more surely and Immediately produce on
other minds the impression lie wants to produce |
An original mind, great face, man who can
wait till he has climbed into position from which
he can make himself heard on his own account |
and in his own way, may do without the press just
he may do without the pulpit. Newman did, |
whose brother-in-law Motley was. 1t is the |
fashion 10 say that Motley was as great writer
Is Newman, who himself was journalist after
fashion, and hardly ever wrote anything that
not fragmenaIy and occasional. Perhaps if they
had not been brothers-in-law 10 such remark
would have been made. The world, at any
rate is incredulous and rightly incredulous about
might-have-beens, and about unknown or mis-
understood geniuses.
Motley was q good if not great writer, and his
place on The Times is not likely to be filed all
at once or by any single man. He belongs to the
Deane period that Is, to the really great period
of the journal which has always been great in one
h.
world as under Deanes edtorship. 1t is better
newspaper, in the strict sehse of the word
than then, but that is different thing. Motley
is spoken Of In some quarters if he a sort
Of triumvir; he and Delane and Knox together
holding undivided joint authority in Printing
House Square. Nothing could be farther from the
truth. Delane was editor and he alone. Forced
he may have been, ut times, to submit to some
sort of proprietary interference with his editing
Share his throne with Motley or anybody else
voluntarily is what he never did. Motley wrote
the articles Of which Delane dictated not only the
topic but the character and the framework. IL
for no other reason Motley far too deeply com
promised In and by the Oxford Movement to have
been allowed to give a twist TO The Times
His existence was uneventful as the phrase goes
but he well deserves biography which should
give some true account of his intellectual life,
and of his real place in journalism.
Lord Calthorpe will do very well for a
trast TO Mr. Motley. This cpitaph Of him may
be read in leading paper " He died Sun
day. and he was well known on the Turf What
nobler testimony 10 usefulness in his day and
could any man desire | know well
how useless il is for me or for any one TO take
up a parable against the Turf. No institution is
more deeply rooted in England; none SEEMS to
be gaining more general hold upon the interests
of idle people in America; and | suppose of some
who are not idle. To have been the owner of
Safety which, say the authorities, wcud have
won the Two Thousand Guneas only IL did not
run i'm the racc,-is not that beautiful thing TO