LITERARY MEN V. JOURNALISTS.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 781, 2 April 1910, Page 9

LITERARY MEN V. JOURNALISTS.

'Three important group's of 'French journalists, celebrated on. a recent evening their entente cordials'by a banquet held at ' a' famous Paris restaurant. There were many and graceful speeches, including a long and charming one by M. A. Brisson, who compared the work of the leisured literary men with that of' the journalist. The latter, ho said* had dreams and visions of plays' and' poems, romances and ess'ays which he might write if he only had time. "But he has to leave these projects over till to-morrow,, and.again till to-morrow, till weeks.'and months and';years:have fled, and Ijis hair; turns.; grey; and ;his activity." lessens,. and ambition turns to resignation,- ■ \- . ■• ■'.-.; aiid : . the little -flame dies .''rV.'- : . and poetry, and,art give way ',to "the' prosaic/.tnsk of, the. day." i.nd? so. : the. journalist,' continued ;'4l. Brisson, becomes 'the"- 'Wandering Jfe'w of literature for ever,on -the"move'.?.' Perhaps, the eloquent orator observed, this picture of themselves :drew ; tears , from the'eyes of the : banqueting journalists, for having shown them', in this melancholy aspect,; he'turned, round and depicted them m a light which surely must.have inspired even the most fainthearted and dejected with a'now pride m his profession: '.-J . "But the journalist (said M. Brisson), if he is fi'led with the right spirit, is also a Eol'iier; he only writes to fight for, to defend the cause which he considers just, (vhether;that cause be literary, political, or .social. .Between; two battles, he turns to literature. Ho 'cannot give his exclusive efforts to her, -but he love's her with a passionate loye, end seeks the society of those .who,

like som.e of the guests assembled here, aro placed, in'tl\e happy position of devoting themselv.es entirely to literature." • . ' . :

M. Brisson ended by pointing to works of literary men which aro imbued/, with tho same spirit which flows through [■ the articles of the journalist warrior.' "There are books which aro acts of faith, and novels Which aro crusades," ho said, and so men of letters and journalists are all "one in spirit." ), . '

Maitro Barboux then rose, and if parts of M.,Brisson's speech still rankled in the breasts of hero and there a .hyper-sensitive journalist, tho honey of this talented lawyer's words must liavo been doubly sweet. For ho reminded : the bariquetecrs that the-very memory of orator's words vanishes: "like smoke in the air; his words flutter like ■faded leaves to the ground, whereas: — f "Y<ur write.'' You give -to your work' that- which man most lacks—namely, fixity'and duration. ' You are historians who listen to'the-past speaking , to the future. You are philosophers,' trying' for ever, to get at-tho heart of things;] you battle with angels, and your defeats are almost as glorious as your victories. You are dramatic authors who dare to appear upon tho stage , where you fearlessly face great shadows. You journalists, indeed,- can lift up our souls or. cause-than to grovel in the dust; but whatever, you do, all your thoughts and all your work is alive and will live."