New Orleans daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1851-1866, 1854-05-25

thAu hon az id9e o Atlty pldce
And then he died! Behold befora va A --7
Hunanity's brief sum, and story, ~
Life Death, and all there is of-Giory.
44 --z-=- III i5
Death Of James Montgomery, the Poet.
James Montgomery, the poet, breathed bis
last on Sunday afternoon, April 80, at his resi-
dence, the Mount, Sheffield, England, aged 81.
The London Times gives brief summary Of his
biography as follows: &&
James Montgomery was born as long ago as
November 4, III, at Irvine, in Ayrshire His
father was Moravian missionary, who, leaving
his son in Yorkshire to be educated, went to the
West Indies, where he and the poets mother
both died. When only twelve years old, the
bent Of the boys mind was shown by the pro-
daction of various small poems. These indica-
tions could not save him at first from the fate of
the poor, and he was sent to earn his bread as
assistant in general shop. He thirsted for
other occupations, and one day set off with
3s cd. in his pocket to walk to London, to seek
fame and fortune. In his first effort he broke
down, and for while gave up his plan to take
service In another situation. Only for time,
however, was he content, and second effort to
reach the metropolis was successful, SO far as
bringing him to the spot he had longed for, but
unsuccessful to his main hope-that of finding q
publisher for a volume of his verses But the
bookseller, who refused Montgomery's poems ac-
cepted his labor, and made him his shopman.
Fortune, however, as she generally does smiled
at last on the Jealous youth, and in 1872 he
gained post in the establishment of Mr.. Gales,
a bookseller of Sheffield, who had set up d news
paper called The Sheffield Register. On this
paper Montgomery worked con amore, and when
his master had to fly from England to avoid i'm
prisonment for printing articles too liberal for
the then despotic Government of England, the
young poet became the editor and publisher Of
the paper, the name of which he changed to
Sheffield Iris. In the columns of this print he
advocated political and religious freedom, and
such conduct secured for him the attentions of
the Attorney General, by whom he was prose-
cuted, fined andimprisoned; in the first instance
for reprinting a song eommemorating ssThe
Fall of the Bastile;' in the second case for an
account he gave of riot in Sheffield Confine-
ment could not crush his love of political Justice,
and on his second release he went on advocating
the doctrines of freedom as before in his paper
and in his books. In the lengthy periods be-
tween those times and the present, the beliefs
which James Montgomery early pioneered in
England have obtained general recognition, and. /.
as men became more and more liberal, our poet
gained more and more esteem. He contributed
to magazines, and, despite adverse criticism in
the Edinburgh Review, established his right to
rank as poet In 1897 he published ssPrison
Amusements;' p in 1906, the g ocearp;' in 1906,
the fWanderer in Switzerland;'' in 1909, THE
West Indies;" and in 1872, ssThe World before
the Flood" By these works he obtained the
chief reputation he has since enjoyed. In 1919
appeared &c Greenland, poem in five eantos;
and in 1928, THE Pelican Islarrd and other
Poems.' In 1851 the whole of his works were
issued IN one volume, 8vo, and of which two
editions are in circulation and IN 1858, Sc Ori-
ginal Hymns, for Public, Private. and Social
Devotion" This venerable poet enjoyed well
deserved literary pension of ESQ year.
--A=x=
The fILIBusTERs AND CUBA.--The New York
Tribune of the 18th inst says:
We presume it is understood al, Washington
that the hl1buster preparations for the invasion
and conquest of Cuba were never more active
and formidable than they now ar e, and that
Sidells move in Congress for re peal or sus-
pension of the Neutrality laws, so far as they
restrain our citizens from fitting out or embark
ing IN military expeditions against Spain or her
dependencies, was q part of the game We're
that repeal effected, Cuba would not, remain in
Spanish hands three months longer.
The hhbusters feel sure of the pro found sym
pathy of the great body of the Cub an Creoles.
but they will never more run their necks into q
moose by relying on the active aid of those pru-
dent patriots, as they did in the expedition
which proved so disastrous to Critttendtsn, Pra-
Soy eiia ei1Sli SVluphuliotS. Lucy now uluer-
stand that the Creoles will help them ju st when
ever they are able to do without help, and not
before Hence they are collecting arm.,, NUM-
tlons, money, vessels, ETC., on a scale nd with
a secresy and caution unknown to their former
operations, They will not move until t hey feel
confident of their power to meet and bea all the
Spanish troops in the 'sever faithful sland in
q pitched battle, with the advantage of position
against them, Yet, unless adverse ciroum-
i1ot1 III
atoat within a few weeks. And if the elegraph
should announce that Gen. John A. Quitman
lex-Goyernor of Mssissippi is at the he ad of the
invading force, our readers may understand that
they go in to win.
"WDDERs. Gen. Smith, ss the hero of Cha
pultepec,' has surrendered to widow-so did
julius Cesar, so did Belisarius, SO did Marlbor-
ough, so did Washington, so did Napoleon, SO
dld jackson and Madison-these we remember
we do not add the cases where literary gen-
tlomen have been deluded by soft hands that
smoothed their pillows, and soft eyes that wept
over their poetry. We give a few cases which
occur, to show how, from the days of Hercules
and Omphale, the sword has yielded to the dis
taft. The elder Weller-himself u wictim''-
has declared with uneducated sag,aeity, athat
he can't remember-though he has heard-how
many single women one widder is ecul to in pint
OF comm 1t over n man, We wish the gentle
men of literary leisure would prepare some sta
tistieal exhibit on the subject and scientific
association would deduce and publish the normal
relation between relcts and spins;ers, for the
instruction and protection of the public. [Bal-
timore Patriot.
1cE IN THE ATLANTIc-The steamship Allan
tic in her recent trip from Liverpool encountered
an unusual quantity of icebergs. Gen Webb,
of the n, Y. Courier, who was among the pas
sengers, says:
During the whole of W Wednesday,, We contin ued
to pass mountain after mountain of ice; and
when l inform you that Capt West and the cid
est seamen on board declared that they ne. yer
saw SO many or such large icebergs, you will be
able to form some idea of their magnifeent &c
The weather was exceedingly cold, but clsa r;
and with brilliant moon at night we were il
no danger, and quite at liberty to enjoy enc o
the rarest and most magnificent sights that al
be imagined.
Loss OF THE SHIP Black HAwK.-The shin
Currituek, from Antwerp, arrived at the. New
YORK quarantine on the 18th, bringing Il Ie pas
sengers and crew, 800 souls in ALL of the clip pei
ship Black Hawk, from Liverpool for New York
The Black Hawk foundered at sea on t be II tt
April. in gale.