Spirit of the age. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1849-1865, 1857-04-01
ORIGINAL pARERS.
For the Spirit Of the Age.


For the Spirit of the Age.
"THE HIRELiNo AND THE SLAVES, CuIcoRA AND
OTHER PogMs, by William J. Grayson," Charles
ton, $. c., McCombor a Co., 1885.
The author Of these poems is gentle
man Of distinction in his native State, S.
Carolina He has been politician aud a
member of Congress, but has quit for many
years, we believe, these beaten paths, and
turned a worshiper of the MUSES. There
are two Poems in this volume of cousld-
erable length, but we think "Chicora,"
perhaps, the most successful 1t is GER
tainly superior in incident, and possibly
more felicltous in the manner of treatment
"The Hireling and the Slave" is a graph
ic picture Of slavery, placed in striking
contrast TO the Hirehna system of labor
now in use in England and other coun tries.
1t contains also many pleasing descriptions
OF scenery, related in a quiet, musing,
rythmical style. Mr.. Grayson has evident
ly been an industrious student, and we
venture to say, that those authors held in
most precious remembrance by him, are of
that number who express their sentiments
and emotions in direct, concise, manly lam
guaage At any rate, his own style is pure
and distinct the very antipodes of GER
tain school Of writer's, who display their
greatest ingenuity in curiously collocating
their words, and in concealng their mean
ing by ambiguous phraseology Nothing in
his language is hidden or internecinal. He
IS not very original poet, we should think,
perhaps more of an echo than real voice
But his versfication is vigorous aud not
infrequently melliduous and limpid and the
current of his thoughts clear and deep
His imagination is not of that exalted or
der which can transmit every thing into
the fine gold of art, but rather belongs to
that class which delights to revel in see
mic description; in portraying the deep
serenity and happiness which fills the life
of the just man in his quiet home, and in
exposing the despicable shams, and hollow
mockery Of those fond enthusiasts, who
would have you believe the negro ca.
pable Of being so transformed, by their
magical plan of amelioration, that Cuffy
with his wooly head and skin of ebony
existing no longer, would be changed int
being of light and loveliness, fit only t.
dwell amid the detachable shades of sgd
ney's wondrous Arcadia, or in the mysteri
Gus realms Of More's Utopia. He applies
the knife with microscopic skill to those in
Aated humbugs, who under the name O
philanthropy, vampire like, would fattel
on the blood Of their southern neighbors
who SOW broadcast the seeds of disconten
and misery, and who with Mephistophe
lean magliguancy and power use thei
tongues to plant diseord and engender civ
strife.
He is the constant and eloquent frien,
Of the negro, not like James Montgomer
in his West Indies" but the true frien
nevertheless because be sees the conditio
of the slave, Is to-day thousand time
better than that of the African, living i
his native deformity amid the dark Jungle
Of his home But we must give some e1
tracts that the reader may be enabled I
see whether or not the metal of our authc
has the clear, genuine ring of gold. A
merica is the land Of the oppressed, and I
our shores the down-troddeu nations {
Europe has been. So it is now, and So
. was in the past. Amongst other races til
Huguenots sought an asylum upon ou
western shore Their coming is describe
in the following beautiful and impressy
language
"To exile flying from periured state,
From royal bigotry and papal hate;
The Huguenot, among his ancient foes,
Found shelter ere and undisturbed repoet
Sad the long look the parting exile gave
To France Teceding on the rising wave
Her dasied meads shall smile for him no NOR
Her orchards furnish no autumnal store,
With memory's eye alone the wanderer Sc
The vince hills the old familiar trees,
The castled steep, the MONDAY village shad
The thin quaint garden where his childho
played;
No more he joins the labor of the fields,
Or shares the joy the merry vintage yield
Come are the valley homes, by sparkli
streams
That long shall murmur in the exile's dream
And temples, where his sires were wont
pray, .
With stern Farel and chivalrous Mornay
Scenes with long treasured memories rich
haught,
ereSully cOunseled, where Coligni fougl
And Henri's meteor plume in battle shon'
A beacon-lights 80 victory and 'hronc."
we think thoreader will JOIN with US
pronouncing this poetry, aud that too Of
superior kind To US the tread of {
Poe' In these 'erses is indeed majestic
cue more excerpt and we pass on to "CI
oiH .! tne ne Other long poem in the cole
uon' There are many other passages
uau marked, but our limited space "
hot allow Us to give them. We mnst q,
tent ourselt with the following n;ot,,
which every Southern reader x;Ii sa reo,
n'As a. no 'ss truthful than graphic
NO ehnui clouds no coming cares ann
NoF wants nor sorTows check thr Neer",s /;