New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1904-01-12

search Of evidence for this proposition and gives
long list Of papers. The Times" at the head
which IN 1860 and early in 1851 condemned the
acts and policy OF the South. Even stronger
con0emnations." says Spencer. were expressed
after the declaration OF War'-a view in sup
port OF which calls to witness The Times
and other papers in January, 1861 II is hard
TO say what Spencer had in mind AS the dec
laTation OF war" South Carolina seeded. II Is
true in December. 1850. and the South commit
ted various OF hostility during the winter
Of 1S00-'61. But the shot against Fort Sumter
which brought the fired on the
morning OF April T. 1861. ana President Lin
coin first call for troops was on April II. Mr..
Herbert Spencer did not pursue his inquiry into
the tone or the English press beyond Fehruaiy
2, and he seems really 10 have thought that the
North Americans ought 10 have been grateful
20 the English for CoUdemntuE the south before
actual var. lie sent his extracts with cover
ing letter from his friend, Professor Noumans'
TO The New-Nork Tribune. hoping thus To miti-
gate American hostility" But Noumans ad-
vised him 10 withdraw the letter. and he did.
Many years later Nr. Spencer told me this story.
I thought IL Interesting piece OF history. and
told him I had no doubt The Tribune would
then he glad 10 publish II. He gave it TO me,
ana IL was published, though. as Mr.. Spencer
says:
There was an accompanying leading article
referring in a sighting way to the evidence II
contained. and. as l gathered. though some ef-
feet produced. it was but small. Demon
strAtion fails to change established beliefs
on this. as many matters having to do
with the practical side of life. Mr. Spencers
mind ran i'm quite different groove from other
mems. The power of taking detached views
which made him the philosophical thinker he
was proved of less use to him in daily affairs.
We though his demonstration" interesting as
far it went, but il did not and could not so
far enough. Mr. Gladstones admission and re
cantatiOn affected American opinion Iar Hloie
powerfully than Mr.. Spencer'S collection OF
newspaper articles, which showed If they
showed anything. that England sinned against
that better knowledge and conscience OF Whcn
these articles were the evidence. She gave us
her sympathy when II awaited not. Later, when
had ii but guided her government II couIo hase
shortened the by two years, II WAS VIII
held. The just resentment of the American
people. long cherished has passed away never,
hope, to return. But cannot thlnh thet
Spencer's well meant effort contributed much
to that happy end. I am far from intendlhg
any criticism of state Of mind when, Wna'I
ever else may be said of it. was a state OF
good win TO us. wish only 10 estaplIsn, VI
re-establish, the facts. For Mr.. Spencer per
sonally. few Americans ever had any olneI
sentiment than one of friendly ana auHILiHS
regard. My acquaintance with him stretched
over many years. and from time TO time saw
him in circumstances and in companies tend
ing TO bring TO the surface many of those best
qualities and traits which at other times were
less evident to the observer, though always
there. The impression offer you IS NANNY the
result of those meetings.
Mr. Spencer cared nothing for society in the
conventional sense and though ne was oIteII
TO be met at the AthenRum Club, went seltoIu
or never into the general world; perhaps least
of all into it's most select companies. He would
surely have been welcome there. since in that
the best in so many different walks or HE are
ever received gladly. But had Spencer cared lot
ii his health would have kept him a rec .lIe
He had much leisure but little energy to spare
He told me that never at the pesC u
times was he able to work more thah lhree
hours out of the twenty-four; often very lnuch
less and often not at all for many days to-
gether. The limitation makes the amount OF
his achievement the more wonderful Nor was
he I suppose, fitted to shine at dinner parties
and balls Even among his chosen associates
on his own ground discussing matters ne
really cared for, he was subject 10 nlooos oI
irritab ility. due TO impaired nervous Sys
tenn Argue he would. Controversy was IN
evitable since he was incapable of suppresslhs
his opinions when high matters were talked OF
incapable of compromise on any matter CON
corning which he had conviction tahd lhere
few. indeed. on which he had none)' anu
incapable of silence in presence OF error; IN
tellectually he the most implacable OF heI
It was as difficult for him to conform in sInaH
things in great; nothing was small TO MN
If it involved, matter how remotely a prIll,
ciple He would not attend Darwlns funeral
in Westminster Abbey because he telt hlnsen
unable to appear to acqulesce IN the aclh VI
=-yerence or even Of civility which the coca
sion demanded. Huxley, a much broader type
of man. had no scruple in going and IN ADJUST
ing his behavior 10 the ecclesiastical clrcum-
stances amid which he found himself, spencer
rebuked him backslider from the true Ialth
of the agnostic-a contradiction IN terms puI
convenient one-and Huxley endured the re-
buke smingly he did many others from the
same source. He loved Spencer, whose phll-
osr-9hy he nevertheless totally rejected, and he
knew that a discussion would cost his friend
nights sleep which the semblance Of a triumph
might assure to him. Tyndall, in a similar
plight, had less control over himself than HuX-
ley; the Irish blood in him ran too hot and
strong in his veins; the shllelah lay ever
ready 10 his hand, and he welded II with
sense Of duty which might have been religious
if L. had not been something else, Then you
would see SpenceT's face grow dark; the vertical
wrinkles in the centre Of the torehead STOOD
out, look of steel came into his eyes, the
mouth took a peryerse curve. and he plunged
into the strife regardless of everything but the
incredible fact that somebody was holding and
maintaining views which were not his. These
scenes were sometimes painful, and when Hux-
ley interviewed gently peacemaker he brought
blows on himself from both combatants.
All readers of Spencer must have shrunk at
times from the tone he assumed a tone OF as
perity as we'll of authority. To hear it was
much more distressing. He himself ex-
trernelv sensitive. He felt for example. and felt
acutely, the unmannerly attacks on him OF such
a charlatan as the late Henry George. Mr.
George was angry with Spencer because his
views on the ownership of land had changed
and because he exposed Mr.. Georges too
scrupulous attempts to invoke Spencer in sup
port Of his own theories, quoting Of present
authority passages from Spencer which Spencer
had disavowed. Writing / did at that time
for the most important journal in the United
States, L was, upon Spencers request, drawn
into that controversy so far as to state his case
in The New York Tribune, and therefore 10
expose the d shonest practices Of his opponent
and assailanf 1t not my business to make
myself Mr.. So ucer's anybody's champion.
but TO set fortA what I conceived TO be the
truth the rights aD' wrongs Of the controversy
impartially. But impartiality was offence TO
Spencer where he--or / will say where his cause
was concerned; and If I expressed indie
pendent opinion any point the lash fell
my shoulders too. But Spencer was, in sub
stance right, and he did we'll TO be angry with
Henry George If he thought it worth while TO
notice him at all.
1t was I own, difficult to feel enthusiasm for
one who presented so many angles to the world
and hardly fewer TO his friends. Even intel
lectually he had secheresse d'esprit which
discouraged any other kind of homage than that