MR ARCHIBALD FORBES. TO THE EDITOR.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 6503, 15 December 1882, Page 4

MR ARCHIBALD FORBES. TO THE EDITOR.

Sir,—Whence all this enthusiasm about Mr Archibald Forbes?, Is it the matter of his discourses, his eloquence, or the pictorial illustratrations to his remarks; or is it a commendable appreciation of his heroic achievements as . a war journalist that has chained the people of of the»Southern Hemisphere to his chariot wheels ? Without wishing to detract you from his merit as a clever descriptive writer of war incidents, and a brave man, I must enter my protest againt the good folks of Dunedin going into raptures over an exhibition such aa I witnessed last evening at the Garrison Hall. Hia facts are doubtless true, as they are merely a rehash of the old familiar tales of our youth— a " resunection pie,'*in fact, and it is always .interesting to have ono's early reminiscences revived. But what of the speaker's style ? It is simply atrocious. In the hands of a Mursell, Chailes Clark, or Mr Bellew such a themo would glow, and carry away an audience by tho simple impetuosity, enthusiasm, and ardour of the speaker; but a more humdrum, mechanically-delivereda'ddress than last night's I have never listened to. It was "up and down, up and down," every sentence, _ just like'a machine wound up to go a certain time iv a given way. No enthusiasm, no fire, not even an attempt at eloquence. ' Whatever Mr Forbes' merits may be as a war correspondent, he is assuredly no platform orator. Don't you think, Mr Editor, that there is a considerable amount of toadyism underlying this excessive adulation of the famous war correspondent, and that it in a great measure , arises horn his having come into personal contact with crowned heads and great men ? It is curious to observe how people of the most pronounced Liberal, I may say Radical or evon Quaker principles, ostensibly ignoring royalty, aristocracy, or "blue blood" in any form, crinse and crawl and become subservient .the moment they find themselves in the presence of great, and especially titled people—they will treasure a glove or a handkerchief, or any the meanest trifle if it only once belonged to a lord or other great (or small) man. Thomas Carlyle wrote a book in his youth called " Heroes, and Hero Worship," in which he unmistakably showed his natural bias, and although the cynicism and biting sarcasm of his later writings might deceive the multitude, I believe he was a Tory at heart, and sensitive in the Jast degieo. Sturdy old Sam Johnson was a man moro in my way. In spite of his strong prejudices, bigotry, and narrowminded Toryism, he was a man of a proud, inde-, pendent naturo—aa witness his treatment of Lord Chesterfield under provocation, and hto respectful yet dignified demeanour when intro- i duced to George IV. ".' All honour to Mr Forbes ! he has done what few men could in similar'circumstances; but while applauding him,'do not let us stultify and make geese of ourselves. Rsmomber Robbie Burns' example —in 'his extremest poverty he always retained hia independence and manly self-respect.—l am, &c, GUABDIAN.

December 13th. [As Mr Forbes has now gone, this comes rather late.—Ed. O. D. T.]