New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1852-03-03

where there are sucn leaders, arc sure 70 press
close upon their footsteps, any country might %
prcud. But one want they had and although NOT
particularly fond OF pleading guilty 70 dencencee
Of any sort, they confessed It themselves the want
Of great poet OF elegant versifers there was no
lack doubt IT. for the fifty years that preceded the
frs, French Revolution, England herself had been
better of in the way OF smooth and polished rhyme
But they are ambitious race, these ransaaanrc
Kin of ours, commonly called Americans, they
like to have the best that can be obtained in every
department. and they do not dislike 10 vaunt OF tneir
possessions and now that their grea. literary want
IL supplied m the person OF Henry Wadsworth Long
fellow, they may gorify themselves TO their hearts
soIn under the red cro:s banner Of
or the stripes and stars OF the States will join the
general All Han
/ DO not know a more enviable reputation than
Professor Lopsfellow has won for himself in this
country-won too with rapidity seldom experienced
BY our own native poets The terseness Of dicsion
and force of thought delight the old the grace and
melody enchant the young the unaffected and all
pevadirg pery satisfy the serious; and certain
ilish, touch OF mysticism carries the imagr alive
reader fairly of his feet For my own part, con-
Tess not only to the being captivsted by all these
qualities mysticism excepted, but TO the farther
fact of yielding to the charm Of certain lines can
repeating to myself such hgments a. this:
81 give the first watch of the night
To he red planet Mars,
az If were still eighteen. am not sure that this
can be given.
Some gamesome traveller played of good
Joke on the too credulons Englishwoman in re-
lating the following anecdote which, she says,
is new to the English public. Quite as new
we imagine, TO Bostonians, and to the poet him
self:
Professor LODgfellow's residence at Cam
bridge, picturesque old wooden house, has belong
ing to 1t the proudest historical associations OF which
America can boast II was the headquarters oil
Warrington One night the poet CHANGED to look out
Of his window, and saw by the vague starlight
figure riding slowly past ,he mansion the face
could be dsting uished but the tall erect person,
the cooked hat, the traditional costume, the often
described white horse, all were present Slowly he
paced before the house, and then returned and then
again passed by, after which neither horse nor rider
were seen or heard Of
Could it really be Washington OF was it some
frolic masquerader assuming his honored FORM
For my part hold firmly to the ghosty side OF the
story, did 0y informant, also poet and an Amer
lean, and az worthy to behold the specter OF the
illustrous warrior Professor Longellow himself
can hardly say more.
The fair reminiscent describes an agreeable
interview with
DANIEL WEBSTER.
One Of the greatest, if not the very
greatest OF the living orators OF America, is beyond
all manner of doubt, Daniel Webster. That he 10
also celebrated es a lawyer and a statesman 10 .
matter Of course in that practical country, where
even high gift as that OF eoquence Is brought
to bear on the fortunes Of individuals and the pros.
perty of the ealth,Ro idle plaster placed
for ornament but SOLID column aiding to support
the building column indeed, stately and graceful
with its Corlnthlan capital, gives no bad idea OF MI
Webster OF his tail and muscular person. his mas
features noble head, and the general expression
Of placid strength by which he Is distinguished.
This is mere tanciful comparison but Sir Ausus-
tus Callcotrs fine figure Of Columbus has been
reckoIed very like him resemblance that must
have been fenutous; siace the picture was painted
before the artist had even seen the celebrated orator
When in England some ten or twelve years ago,
Mr.. WebsteI's calm manner OF speaking excited
much admiration aud perhaps little surprise, a
contTasted With the astounding and what rough
rapidly of progress which is the chief characteristic
OF bis native land. And yet that canness of man.
ner was just what might be expected from = coun-
try OF Washington, earnest, thoughtful. weishty,
wise. No visitor to London ever left behind him
pltassner ctlons, and hope that the good I'M
pre- ssion was reciprocal Everybody was delighted
with his genialily ard taste and he could hardly
fail to like TIE people who so heartily liked him.
Among our cities and our scenery he admired that
most which was most worthy Of admiration, pre-
fening in common with many Of the most gifted Of
his country men, our beautiful Oxford, whose wind
ing street exhibits such condensation OF picsnr.
esque architecture, mixed with water, trees and
gardens, with ancient costume, with eager youth,
with by gone associations and rising hope, certainly
TO any OF our new commercial towns and perhaps,
~ mere pictu;c 10 London herself and carrying
home with him. as one Of the most precious and
Characteristic memorials Of the land Of his fore.
fashers lHge collection OF architectural cngrav-
iDgs representing our magnificent Gothic cathe-
dTals and such OF our Norman castles and Tudor
manor houses as have escaped the barbarities Of
that style now but twelve years ago Il was his own
good taste, and not the fashion Of the day that
prompted The preference.
owe to his kindness, and 10 that OF my admira.
bic friend, Mr.. Kenyon, who accompanied him, the
honor pie OF visit from Mr.. Webster and his
amable family IN their transit from Oxford to Wind.
sor my local position between these two points OF
attraction has often procured for me the gratfca-
ton of seeing my American friends when making
that journey but during this visit, little eircum
stance occurred so characteristic, 80 graceful, and
so gracious, that cannot resist the temptation Of
relating it.
Walking in my cottage garden, we talked nasu.
rally OF the and pnks that surrounded u.s. and
of the different indigenous flowers of our island and
Of the United States. had myself had the salts.
faction OF sending TO my friend Mr. Theodore Sedg.
wick, hamper containing roots OF many English
plants familiar to our poetry the common ivy-how
could they want IVY no had had no time for ruins
the primrose and the cowslp, immortaliEed BY
ShakspeIe and By Milton, and the sweet soented
viole,s, both white and purple, Of our hedgerows
and our lanes that known the violet in America
(Mr. Bryant somewhere speaks Of it as "the yellow
violetD being, l suspect The little Wild pansy
t,oia ricolor) renowned the love. idleness OF
shaksperes famous compliment to Queen Eliza
beth. OF these We spoke and expressed an inter:
est in two flowers known to me only by the vivid
description OF Miss Martneau the Scarlet lily OF
NeT.York and of che Canadian woods, ana the
hinged gentian of Niagara. / observed that our
iIustrious guest made some remarks TO one OF the
ladies of his party but 1 ttle expected that, as
after his return as seeds Of these plants could
be procured, / should receive packes Of each,
signed and directed by his own hand. How much
pleasure these little kindnessss give And how
many such have come to me from over the same
wide ocean
We have glance of several American cele.
brties in our group, which unmistakably shows
Miss Mitford's kindly leaning toward this coun-
try, and her freedom from prevailing English
prejudice:
AMERICAN PROSE WRITER'S
In spite Of her apparent barrepness at the
late Exhibition barenness which probably result
ed manly from the actual riches of ina. vast coun.