The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1850-01-31
For the National Era.
1.-THE POET OF THE POOR

Ii is not seldom the case that while the world is
paying its supposed debt of praise to the promi-
nent and direct instruments of some great reform
the abolition of the slave trade the reducing OF
complicated and highly restrictive tarifs, the
positive enactments that shall do good for the
masses, and the negative enactments that destroy
what has done and would continue to do harm
while, we say, the world after long struggling
against the heresies Of Reform, at last veers
round, IN by no means uncommon occurrence
and applauds the men who are in at the death of
abuse, or at the birth of improvement; q farther
sighted and more exquisite Judgment would leave
all who receive this applause, and rest smlingly
upon some one or two comparatively obscure per-
sons, or, perhaps, upon some poverty marked
dwelling, or some unnoticcd grave. The men
that first rose above precedent, and thought in
defiance of social or political organization always
have had hard task Luckily, men of such
powers are almost invariably enthusiasts, who
fly high above the heads Of the crowd.
Ebenezer Elliott, the English "Poet of the
Poor the "Corn-Law Rhymer," who died on
the first of December last may be ittingly spoken
liz was among the earliest OF those who denounced
" the accursed bread tax" the Corn Laws, lately
in effect repealed 10y the British Parliament.
For many years, with unhagging zeal, he poured
out argument, sentiment, appeal, and invective,
on this subject lie never grew tired, never de-
serted his colors, never sheathed his sword, as
long as the enemy laughed in pride from the cit
-. . q .aG
class of art. possessed much beauty, truth, and
passion, he brought new and powerful weapon
to his aid. He was of those who gave the start to
that great reform, and it would be idle to say but
that his writings have penetrated the popular
| mind for years, and that the flowers OF his
| thought, having turned TO seeds deserve mention
among the worthest causes Of the good fruit.
But Elotts claims to remain awhile in the
| Walhalls of manknds memory of the good,
| spread wider far than his opposition to great
| and deldly restriction. He was deeply moved by
| the wish TO improve elevate, and refine the poor
to make their burdens less heavy and the light OF
their lives less dark Hear what he says Of himself
| in one of his own articles
at is now about forty-six years being then
thirteen years old since ! quarrelled with my
father because he denied that one Eaglisamsn
| could thrash FIVE Frenchmen. His little preach
ing parlor The preached for love, not money was
adorned with squatint prints OF Oliver Cromwell,
Israel Putnam, John IIsmpden, and George
| Washington. and the glorious victories OF Lex
| ington and Bunker's Hin. The good man The
was an old Camerouian and born rebel did not
fail to tell me what sort Of victories these were.
Still | was slow TO believe that ne did not win.
n | am ffty-eight years old and have been
forty-tbree q scrbbler since 1877
| do not remember the time when ! was not dis
satisfied with the condition OF society. Without
ever envying any man his wealth or power, have
always wondered why the strong Cypress the
weak -----
IL Il not beautiful when a man who has seen
sixty years ia the selfish hustle OF this conserva-
tive and formal world can talk So Must not the
well be deep, and waters pure, which nearly the
appointed three score and ten Of lifetime have
been unable TO exhaust and all the cheats OF So
ciety and the shams of Government have failed
to misanthropze in the leastl II is evident, too,
that there was ectation, nothing morbid, about
this man, Elliott Simplicity was the twin OF his
sincerity. Listen TO the last lines he wrote-how
sweet aud unelaboratel He wrote them while
upon his death-bed, and left them 10 his daugh-
ters as pleasant memorial Of himself to be twin
ed through music In their minds, and thus make
him identical with the twilight Of the evenings
when the song should be sung and with the
smooth and solemn sweetness Of the verse, and the
thoughts that would naturally follow
|Thy notes, sweet Rohin son as dew,
Heard soon or late, are dear to me-
To Music could bid sdien
But not TO thee.