New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1895-02-27
NOTES from LONDON.

heard of Mr. Ward McAllister's death Az
irving In London Only week before had seen
shim in good health in New-YcT. nave since
Seen notice or two Of the man, which can hardly
be said to the side Of charity or kipdhness.
Why should it be an offence in Mr.. McAinster TO
have held good social position! POSSIBLY no
overvaued the influence of society, as ne under-
stood it, and when he came to write on the SUD
ject he made such mistakes a man must make
TO whom writing is an unfamiliar business He
Is reproached with having fixed the social limit
Of New-York at Four Hundred. There must be a
limit. This may be too low or too high. l know
nothing about it, but II there be error 1t seems
very solemn matter. II remains possible that
Mr.. McAster should have been good fellow, an
honorable man, and one who devoted much OF his
time and energy to being agreeable to other peo-
pie. and to making their lives more agreeable
That is no despicable part to play in life.
1t is not the highest and 1t Is very far from be-
ing the lowest. Mr. McAlster underwent the in
fuences Of his time Everything is now special
lied and treated scientifically That is what he
did with society 1t is what the Yale captain
does with football, and Mr. Pierpont Morgan with
finance. and Dr. Parkhurst with the moralities Of
municipal reform. Each to his own taste or his
own department Mr.. McAllister was inoffensve.
ject He had an excellent manner and under an
excellent manner there is commonly something
excellent Of which 1t is the expression.
Somebody says he was the Beau Brummell Of
New-York Well. Beau Brummell also had his
good qualities. He quarreed with a King-that
ought to recommend him to the good Republican,
and after he had quarrelled with him he said one
OF the most singing things which ever reached
the ears of royalty The "Who Is your fat
frend?" was enough to immortaze anybody The
Beau Brummel OF New-York used, / believe, to
address audience OF kings through the col
umns Of one Of your contemporaries. Writing In
the press Is a humble industry, but is not In itself
proof OF moral obliquity; though some superfine
practitioners Of this art would have you think so.
On the whole, | do not see why We may not let
Mr.. McAlster depart in peace, nor why he does
not deserve good eptaph as II he had died
with some millions Of other peoples money in his
pocket He was poor man; let him at least
have the credit OF that in community where too
much honor is not always paid 10 honest poverty.
Art has now been impressed into the service OF
the least artistic thing in London; to wit. the
London County Council. For it Is apropos Of the
coming election to that amazing municipal body
that The Chronicle" most adventurous of English
nal And the artist is no less a person than Sir
Edward Burne-Jones. This Is ambitious
flight. The art Of Sir Edward Burne-Jones is OF
an elaborate and delicate kind, depending for no
small part OF it's effect upon some very subtle
qualities not easily reproducibe by the lightning
machinery OF a Hoe Press. The cartoon he has re-
drawn-for it Is not an original work-for the or.
gan of the County Council as a symbolic por-
tratLre Of Labor is the first untitled garden OF
the world. 1t is, in other words, a representation
Of Adam and Eve; the woman seated comforta-
bly, beneath the Tree OF knowledge, about the
roots OF which the man IS plying spade which
an American farmer would not look at. In re-
spectful Difference to the well-known SUSCEPTIBLE
ties Of eminent members Of the Council, Adam
and Eve are partly clothed. 1t may not be !
Scriptural, but it Is strictly proper. There are
two small cherubs. one Of them also girdled with
a waistcloth the other presented in a back view.
The whole picture Is intended to be an allegorcal
representation of the achievements OF the Works
Committee Of the Council. II is considerably more
allegorical than representatives. One editorial 10
mark with a touch OF originality, may be quoted:
We may fairly add that this Is the first time
that a great artist has worked for daily paper.
IL has been said that the artist who draws for the
Press continues the tradition of the artist OF the
Middle Ages The exhibited his work on the
wall OF the Church. the other in the pages OF the
newspaper But both had the same aim-that OK
making the widest possible appeal TO the whole
body OF the people.
That IS we'll enough put and would be better
were the conditions under which daily paper II
produced such as TO admit OF illustrations in
which the art H. not necessarily either sacrificed
or impaired And does art which has undergone
mechanical deterioration remain art? The
reader Of this paper who derived from this draw
frat poffO Of ne Z
ward Burne-Jones would not form TO himself
very correct conception OF that admirable artist.
His eulogist describes him, not perhaps too sweep
ingly. as having in himself revived the fame Of
English painting and added TO its great annals
name that will be spoken with the names OF
and Turner. Other men OF a diner-
ent stamp appear in following numbers Mr.. Al
fred Parsons, whose landscape oddly enough.
comes out better than Sir Edward Burne-Jones's
figures and Mr.. Joseph Pennell. An etching by
Mr. Whistler is announced-this also. not origi-
nal but q reproduction of one Of the most famous
OF Whistler's works, known as The Black Lion.
Some of the Conservative papers are rather act
lively engaged in casting stones at Captain Nay
lor-Leyland because he has changed his political
opinions and resigned his seat for Colchester
Some of the Radicals join in. These last. at any
rate, might be silent. One and all they nave
changed theirs. and some Of them several times.
Is 1856 forgotten. when the Liberals. before that
almost to a man anti-Home Rulers, became
Home-Rusrs overnight in obedience to the dc
tate of the greatest Liberal OF them all? After
that gigantic political transformation. the less
said by these gentlemen about political incon-
sstencles the betterI
But who is Captain Naylor-Leyland, do you
ask? He has a title to consideration in America
in the fact that he married an American wife;
one OF the most celebrated OF many cele-
brated American girls, Miss Chamberlain.
To that extent. at least he is OF interest
to us. and the more since it used to be
said that II was his wife TO whom he owed his
election for Colchester He owed It to her In this
sense: that. like other wives OF Englishmen de-