New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1913-03-09
An Englishman's Letters
MAiL"-sACON E D. W.
righteousness PUFFs.

London. February !.


the second series IS now republished
from The Daily Mail" They were
ANONYMOUS as they appeared in thai
paper: they are anOny NOUS now in
book form. but il is known that The
author of them is Mr. Charles Whib-
ley. II is known also that Mr.. Char >
whitley is the writer Of those Mus
inss Without Method in "Blachvood 5
Magazine" which are among the most
pungent and Lspiriting contributions
10 periodical on which the stamp OF
literature is permanent. There is, per-
haps. an advantage in the anonymous.
but one cf Its advantages is in its slim
illus 10 a curiosity sure some day TO be
gratif1ed Macaulay's articles in the
Edinburgh Review" won him an inn
mense fame. The whole question Of
ANONYMOUS writing in periodicals has
lately been raised in the "Athenaum,
journal Of literature and other
things in which anonymity was once
the rule: g rule now sometimes broken
So was il the rule in the quarterly
and Edinburgh" Reviews. ana in them
also it is now broken and is a rule no
longer.
But Mr.. Charles whitley is known III
literature under his own name; and o
we'll known that his name would add
10 the attraction Of the writings 10
which II vas signed. He is scholar
with range of thought far OUTSIDE
mere scholarship. He is a writer with
STYLE. and The style. like all goou
STYLES. is the expression of the man:
clear, convinced. emotional. eloquent
You read him for the pleasure of read
ing him. Agree with him YOU often
will not. and his countrymen will not.
His is a temper TO which the prevailing
apathy among English Conservatives g
abhorreflt He cares not for popularity,
nor whether his is the voice Of one
crying in the wilderness. He scourges
his countrymer. The lash is with him
an instrument Of rhetoric tie belongs 10
what is now known in public life as the
new school; which is in reality the old
est Of all schools: prehistoric and prl-
meval lie has passions and he does
not hesitate 10 appeal TO the passions
Of other men. Convinced that this is
Period Of decadence, al methods oil
awakening them who sleep are 10 him
good methods Whether in politics. in
art. in literature. the condition Of Eng
land seems to him condition of dan
ger: only 70 De averted by making the
danger visible and terrible.
He dedicates himself to that service
He would revive the old spirit He ~
an idealist to whom the ideas ana
ideals Of the past are sacred. Wriung
in the most widely circulated OF all
English newspapers. he writes as II
The Daily Mail" were "Blackwood
and he writes in "Blackwood' Is II
"Blackwood" were The Daily Mall A
weak man who tried that experiment
would come TO grief in both. a strong
man uses these two widely different
media as servants Of the same faith;
as. indeed. IL essentials they are " is
in their methods. not In their aims ana
views that the differ. In each his IL
diyidualitv speaks for itself; and is al
lowed 10 speak for itself though GER
tainlv not always for the great paper
or the great magazine through which
he reaches two unlike publics.
1t is probable that, in these circum-
stances. and reckoning the two TO-
gether. the alonymous serves MI
Whibley's purpose best; and serves also
these two organs best. And, after all,
how can you appeal 10 Engllshmen bet
ter than as an Englishman? ] VIII
venture TO say that he will be OF use 10
Americans for the same reason. In
these DAYS when. alike in England and
in America. the voice Of the Progress
siye is everywhere heard, and in each
country the example OF the other IS al
legged in support Of revolutionary opin-
ions II is we'll 10 be reminded that the
forces Of Conservatism and the re-
sources Of Civilization are not eX-
hausted. Probably, even though DOR
mani. they were never so strong. The
strensth Of their enemies begets
strength in them. Mr.. Gladstone 8
famous phrase about the resources OF
Civilization was used at moment
uhen the weapons Of arbarism welded
bv Irish Nationalist hands seemed
potent for disorder and disaster. IL
needed but strong will and strong
hand 10 wrench them away, and 10
nsralvze. for the time, the hands that
grasped them.
II is the same to-day. II Will always
be the same Society IL not organized
for suicide. The instinct OF self-pres-
ervation is Just as strong in the state
AS in the individual. The passion Tor
change in so far as ii touches the foun-
dations Of the state. is experimental
and transient. This Englishman seems
sometimes TO doubt il. and TO dispe-
lieve in the permanency OF anything
There ! part company with him. am
as Conservative as he is. ] would take
TEN norris ocii for d motto just as readily
az he But a. one OF those who think
that Radicalism works it's own cure
not always swiftly. but surely. And
look upon this Englishman with his
7 .tters. which each week are read by
q million or two Of other Englishmen
as one OF the forces which strike, not al
IN. svmptoms but at the causes Of that