THE ATHENAEUM INDEX.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 4012, 25 December 1874, Page 5 (Supplement)

THE ATHENAEUM INDEX.

TO THE EDITOR, Sir—There in an old adage to the effect that when one is worsted in argument a loss of temper often follows. It is only the recollection of that adage that can explain the tone and substance of. your sub-leader of to-day. If it had bera penned by that one Of the committee who expressed himself in a Tativer excited way at the meeting, its contents would not have surprised me; but, coming from the Times, its language seems peculiar Surely the acceptance or rejection of even "the Devil" might be discussed without an ebullition of temper, and without (syoking that spirit of bitterness and wrath under which the sub-leader writer evidently jabfturs. . - ' your sub-leador {a, however, very useful to thosp who arc free from that spirit which has eyidoutly inspired its writp*. In former articles, you justified the action of the Oomr jnitjice, on the ground that the booka declined were When a<kedby me to point out the immoralities, you prudently refrained from descending to the particular. You have now, however, made a fresh discovery. Dr Reville's novel, published by Williams and Norgate, and reprinted and translated from the " Mcvue (ks Deux $forides,'> cpukl not be termed "immoral, jxence tho need of a new farm to justify the Jndcx Committee's action. And what more classic than the "ragtag and bobtail '[ of literature, Does not such a phrase .evince culture? It tranecc-nda the definition of i "respectability" so satirised by Carjyle, < "ho kenps a gig." I presume that any book. " heretical" belongs to this new class. It ■foes really seem a pifcy that the liemw dea 4<MX Mqijdes should publish and tho Westminster Review .criticise such works, and stdl more to be regr.elit.ed that this " Index Committee" should' hayo allowed Pr Eeville's pamphlet in French to remain so long iv thp Athenaeum Library. I cannot accept the Bugoestjon that may be made, that the majority who excluded the work did not know what appeared in the. Revue dcs denx Mond's. , And now, tfs to the "martrydom, the ••liberty" and "free thought," your subleader deals with. I admit that the Athenaeum buys many heretical works. Tyudall s address and the Supernatural Keligion have f,epn o.ctmitt.ed. Thfs only makes the position of the majority tyo less aptensi.ble The Index Expurgatorius of the Gatno'.jc Church is a logical thing, this Index of the Athenaeum is without principle of any kind. For example, Dr Roberta's twelve lectures wore refused—why ? He wmb a iOhristaielphian! Mr James Smiths lectures shared the same fate. Why ? They had appeared in tho Maryborough and Dunnoily Advertiser I Dr Seville's \ ittlp book is ftko denied fldmitt.q,nce, Again, why_•? On, Mr Logan presented it { But »0.. Hot nntil the 24th December did the Committee of 1874 discover the reason, and it is this s— They are all of. the ragtag and bobtail kind o£ literature. There is another explanation of tlie majority's conduct, but it is not for me to give it. Some may say that they are accepting and rejecting books that they have nnt read, and do noi uuderstand. Whether this be bo or not, their, conduct surely requires soms explanation other than you have given. I have been, on many committees, Committees also that had gentlemen, such as Mr F J. Mobs, Mr Hislop, Mr Q. P. Abram, Mr Jago, Mr Bathgatp, R.M., Mr JJawthorne, &c, as memTJere, but pot till 1874 did p» Athenaeum pojnmjttee to frame

an "Index." It may be that the present Cammittee Lave a bettor knowledge of books than their predecessors possessed; but if so it w a pity that the principles that guide their selection could not be formulated in some intelligible way. It is after all a sorry thing to have to fall back upon your classical definition of " the ragtag and bobtail of literature. , .'

And now lot me conclude. I havo again and again brought this subject before tbe Athenaeum members, because I feel certain their good, sense will stamp out that theological exclusiveness and dogmatism that the majority of the Committee have lent themselves to. I may have to suffer such " martyrdom" as a Times sub-leader can inflict, but I am not afraid of that. I am sorry, however, that in my advocacy the Times should by its sweeping general statements include gentlemen who are on the Committee, and who have shown themselves free from any partisanship a3 favourers of the introduction of the "ragtag and bobtail" of literature. ThfSi who know the Rev, Mr Stanford and Captain Hutton wi11,.,! am sure, acquit them of any such intention, the statement in your sub-leader notwithstanding.—lam, &c, j Robert Stout..