New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1893-03-26
MIR. CLEVELAND'S WAY.
HIS IX.JfH1RlL ADDRESS, AND WHAT II
THOUGHT OF IT ABROAD, WITH RI
MARKS ON THE PRESIDENTS ENGLISH

London, MIrch T.
IL there were one point more than another which
;,,eresteI the Enelish in President CIcvclihi
inauoural address, il was his use OF me worn
na,ernalism He is here believed 10 be tn creator
OF thi. new part OF Anglo-Amcrcan speech ai'
though In fact he il not nobody has yet coni'
forward 10 challenge his priority OF invention ohc
of thosc critics who caVil at everything calls IL
decidedly barbarous and not conspicuousiy heH'-
sary word When | heard, though on do""'iui
authority ;hat il was barbai0us, icit sure II
must I've in The Century Dictionary 1t Is, ana
oass,cc in which the word occurs is quoted from
an English Review, The Contemporary not
periodical entitled to lay down laws for language
or to coin words.
The English papers which father paternali'm
unon President Cleveland seem to be familiar
neither with The Century Dictionary nor with
THE Contemporary Revew' The worl may
be barbarous: il may not be nccessiry
il is convenient, and 1T relieves inc
frequent writer from the necessity of saying 100
frequently Qrandmotherly government 1hat Is
a more expressive phrase, and IT Is not paroirous'
hut il il hackncycd. Novelty, assuredly. does not
excuse a barbarsm, but then neither l. the aSSer-
ton of shor-tempered writer In " Inc oa'ur-
day Review" a convincing proof Of baroari'm.
That periodical has an amiable way OF re-.
Qarding things on HIcr seamy side II they nave
"a seamy eide, the customary contributor 10 Inc
SATURDAY," may De relied on TO turn 1t out III
they have none he is capable OF creating one by
an effort of the Imagination. His definition Oh
naternasm is a case in point He holds it 10
mean government by wholesale bribery admin
istercd in the form of Protection. Is this an
example Of the influence of Free Trade manners?
There are many Others and perhaps more in
America than here. The American disciple feels
called upon to Guido his British master. The
definition OF The Century has less aspcrlty,
vet is quite strong enough excessive govern
mental regulation of the private affairs and Dusi-
ncss methods and interests of tho people.
1t is possible TO give President Cleveland credit
fer excellent intentions, and yet TO b, unable 10
admire his style. lie is not good writer He
is ambitious. and sometimes oven turSid. The
effect of an address to the whole American people
is, no doubt. calculated upon an average. What
Boston thinks pompous period may seem TO
Omaha tame. and lacking in rhetorical spen'lor.
But if il he true that political authority is
passing rapidly westward, reelected Prosi-
dent, seeking for the true centre of political
gravity may desire TO mark his abandonment OF
the Atlantic seaboard as decisively ds he knows
how.
He NAV intend his false rhetoric to be protest
against Puritanism and think Mr. Jefferson Brick
O. safer authority than Aristotle or Quintlllan.
What are Aristotle and Quintilian but mere lit
erary survivals of q civilization that has as
appeared from the face of the globe. Whereas
Mr. Jefferson Brick is alive. lie is product OF
the Nineteenth Century, and seems likely 10 i've
we'll on into the Twentieth. lie has had consider.
able influence on methods Of thought and speech.
His voice has been heard before now from the steps
Of the Capitol; its tones are not wholly I'M
familiar inside that noble etiiice.
Tie President had a message to deliver:
warning 70 utter and some wise counsel TO urge
ufon the attention of his felow-ctizens. Does
he really think these or any of these, would nave
been less effective had they been expressed sim
ply He is no doubt, man of more force or
character than culture, and simplicity is in one
sens the last expression of culture. But there IL,
Also such q thing as simplicity of nature. Inc
Qualities of sincerity and directness. whether OF
act Of speech, are not necessarily TO be eafheu
frcm books. / am far from meaning to say that
think they are wanting 70 MIR. Cleveland. lie
has shown in former days that he can address
great audience without having recourse to art-
fee, or to the bedzenments of speech with which
his inaugural address is decked out. The I'M
precision they make on the distant reader is that
he feels himself called on to play great part,
and that he has to make an effort to rise to the
height of his great theme.
lie Is almost everywhere emphatic, regardless
of the rule that the effect of statement is gen
orally in inverse proportion to its emphasis. The
sanction of an oath is sufficient if you omit to
call it a solemn oath. A pledge of devotion Is
binding without the adjectives unreserved and
complete. An adjective is a pitfall to tile I'M
practised writer Mr.. Cleveland seems TO doubt
whether his substantives can stand alone. He
props almost every one Of them with an adjective.
lie gives in single sentence, strong man,
sturdy health, sternest activities, constant labor,
UNDECIDED disease, sudden collapse. In another we
have utmost pride, rudest shocks, wonderful
enterprise, demonstrated superiority, free govern
ncn,. insidiOus iniirmity, national vigor. Some
of these are rightly used, many Of them are
superfluous, and the note throughout is that of
the superlative; form Of emphasis to be used
ut least as sparingly as any other. The tendency
20 eNaggcration is visible from beginning to end
Ct tie address. But if anybody can afford to set
an example Of soberness speech and temper
ancc of thought il is surely the President of the
United States. His position speaks for him, his
great Office insups attention TO his WORDS and
the more they are weighed the more weighty will
they he.
This inaugural address was cabled in full to
this country and printed in full If, for the
reason given above, il escapes public criticism,
the impression is none the less unfortunate. The
English, indeed. are not prominently critical
people. They DO not care too much about lit
eray form, or about style They consider the
substance They see that President Cleveland
means well, and that he feels called upon to
scrmonizc the sixty odd millions of people Of
whom narrow majority have chosen him to be
President. They see also that he feels called
upon 10 fattcr the sixty odd millions, and they
ask themselves whether the American people
really like their Chief Magistrate to assure them
that they are the greatest nation on the face of
the goie.
What does he mean when he talks Of the