Word: ossip
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Dates: during 1870-1879
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...this "Ossip," adapting our illustration, replies : Hollis Holworthy " avows his intention" of getting drunk. We, "whose opinion is not asked," " intimate delicately but intelligibly that he is gabbling like a gosling." [" Ossip" here implies that we advocate the blurting out of this truthful criticism. He seems not to have noticed that we said "intimate."] We do not, continues "Ossip," hereby " rescue" H. H. from "ruin." We admit that we only expect him to reflect upon the sally of wit; and our "only motive in speaking must be the assertion of our own principles of morality, and our oracular opinion." "Ossip...
...Ossip's" reply that we do H. H. neither harm nor good we can, in general, assent. But he implies, by saying that the expression of our disapproval establishes our reputation as a meddlesome character, (1) that H. H.'s language is none of our business, and (2) that the expression of our disapproval effects no good at all. The truth of the first implication evidently depends on the truth of the second, namely, that nothing is improved by our expression of disapproval. This is the point to which we object; this is the point against which we propose...
...Ossip" says, in his first article, that the independent man blurts out his opinions "in the face of established and recognized principles," and in his second, that we, being an example of that kind of independent man, are blurting out our opinions when we disapprove of H. H.'s foolish talk about drunkenness. Does he mean that he considers foolish talking about drunkenness in accord with " an established and recognized principle" ? If not, what does he mean...
...Ossip" thinks that our sketch of true independence shows that we are an example of the kind of independence he opposes. This we fully understand; but we beg to decline to meet him on his own ground of personalities. He says, further, that we twisted his words from their meaning and misconceived his aim. This we endeavored to avoid, and we believe, as regards the general spirit of his remarks, with success. Those errors which we may have committed were generally due to the obscurity of his meaning. None of them vitiated our defence of true independence. For example...
...Ossip has such fine feelings about exactitude, he should himself have been more exact. We did not (though he so asserts) "admit" that our only expectation in censuring H. H. was to make him " reflect upon the sally of wit," and we have shown (contrary to "Ossip's" statement) that we have good reason to express disapprobation. Again he says that because we do not "look upon popular men as manly " we do not admit that "the popularity which the independent man professes to scorn is the esteem, the respect, and the friendship of manly men." The reason he assigns...