Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1854-09-02

creatures and it is for this combination Of pOetical
genius and humor and earnest philanthropy that
his name has grown up to become as 1t were q pro-
verb for a gacat wit, united with deep and solemn
sympathics. We recognize ladies and gentlemen,
these rare merits of Mr.. Thomas Hood in the pro-
duction VI his mature life, such as The Bridge OF
Sighs, and The Song of the Shirt'-verscs 'thich
appear occasionally and only occasionally, in lite
nature. and which seem like products of the acme
of the human mind-such products as the prison
song Of Lovelacc, the elcgy Of Gray, tEc sea-songs
of Campbell, the Burial Of Sir John Moore and
the May Queen of Alfred Tcnnyson-poems
which, though they cost their authors much less
trouble than many Of their less successful works,
are, nevertheless, the anchors, so to speak, of their
world wide fame. These beautiful poems of Mr..
Thomas Hood have had a deep moral effect on diff
fcrcnt classes ofsociety. If there are among these
poems and others of Mr.. Thomas Hood some ex-
pressions of stern indignation-f there arc some
passages which may seem almost exceptions to the
general amiability of his character, it is that he
wished to enforce the moral that
evil is wrought by want of thought
"As well as want Of heart
| do not think, therefore, that there was any leyity
in his character because he w0s'a humorist. | do
not think, because you find in his works that with
his rich wit and his great possession of language
lac delighted to play with words as if almost they
were fireworks, there was a want of gravity or
seriousness in his composition. In u poem OF his,
which is n perfect repeItorium Of wit and spirit, he
seems conscious of this himself, for he writes to the
effect that
However critics may take offence,
"A double meaning gives double sense
And there are, no doubt, certain subtitle faculties
about us which enable us TO find such pleasure in
the combination of this agility of diction with Sc
robustness of purpose. Ladies and gentlemen who
have raised this monument, | was informed By a
friend Of mine, and IL dear friend of his, who re-
manned with him to the last-Mr. Ward-that Mr..
Thomas Hood was in very great disease and SUI.
fcring, that he was laboring under seine pccuniary
diiiculties--that his mind was not easy on those
points, and that it would be II great rclieft to him
to obtain some assistance, if he could do so by any
honorable means, for he was determined to employ
no other.
II went on that occasion to Sir r. Peel, from
whom | met with the most perfect sympathy as
regarded the object | had in view; and it was to
me n most interesting fact that that great man,
governed the destinies of this mighty nation, and
engaged as he was in the gravest pursuits, could
nevertheless be drawn, by the force Of human SYM
patty, to take a deep interest in this simple man
Of letters. What was done on that occasion was
sufficient for the purpose. | will ask you there
fore, in locking upon this bust, to regard it as a
memorial, not only of the interest of his friends,
but as a memorial Of national interest for q ma
tional name. 1t consists, as you perceive, Of a
plain bust upon a pedestal. | have always thought
that Il mans bust is the best monument which could
be raised to BIN it is that which is most calcula-
tod to show people who come after him what he re-
ally WAS, aud it is less dumb and less vacant than
the monuments which we see mostly around us. II
is perfectly true that, generally speaking, we find
that busts represent the dead, when we could wish
they represented the living it is perfectly true. al
so, that in our every day walk among living busts
we sec men of genius, whom we do not recognise
and whose services and virtues We do not honor
and after all this may, perhaps, be but a poor ac
acknowledgement of the worth of the poet and humor
list but still here it is, and we have raised it, and
trust all will feel that in so doing we have not done
honor to him, bat to ourselves. | remember that
at the time Of his fatal illness | was very mucl
haunted with the recollection of some lines Of his
which | dare say some of you remember. The,
are contained in n little poem called The DeathGcd
cove watch'd her breathing thro' the night
Her breathing soft and low,
As in her breast the wave of life
Kept heaving to and fro.
$50 silently we seemed to sneak,
So slowly moved about.
AS we had lent her half our powers
10 exc her living out.
Our very hopes belied our fears,
Our fears our hopes belied-
We thought her dying when she slept,
And sleeping when she died.
"'For when the morn came, dim and sad,
And chill with early showers,
Her quiet eyelids closed-she had
Another morn than ours
Thomas Hood has now another morn than ours
may that morn have frightened into perfect day!
May his spirit look down with qualification upon us
who have raised this modest homage to him-may
he look down with pleasure on those he has left he
hind him, and who inherit His honor and his name
and may We all bear home with us the consoling
reflection, that the fame Of which a wise and hon
est man should be ambitious is not that of acquir-
ing wealth, power, or even earning clamorous ap-
u Olause. but the attaininr of SIlch honn a. nc ,yn ,Tn
now paying to one who among us was a brother
and a triend-onc who may make us at the same
time thankful to the age in which it has pleased
p Providence to cast our lot, and grateful to the race
4 and country Of which we are common citizens and
E men"