The independent press. (Abbeville C.H., S.C.) 1853-1860, 1859-02-18

~ VIZ '"Hh VI IeSp"uulhS lul
the poet. 1t is weighty burden, indeed
that have rashly assumed, and anticipa,.
III advance a necessary failure to the under
taking. The love of the poet must he my
'nSP'ra,'on-it is my only excuse for III,
attempt to answer for him. The name q
| the poet ab"ishes all national distinctions
overleaps all BARRIERS Of creeds, and keeping
pace with the progress of time, makes idl,
the diversity of race and class, aud country:
and assembled in his name and Of Burns
we are one-a band Of brothcrs-vutarics
ut h,s shrine, the altar Of Humanity and
Nature. tits something. indeed, fora a coun
try to have produced a great poet-it is the
rarest of all distinctions. Hc is of thos.
who give rank to nations, not of those 10
whom nation can give rank. Like the
sun in the heavens-a fountain Of original
l'ght-he is sufficient to himself I'm the
fullness Of his rays his country is glorified
and humanity itself is brighter in his beams.
lie IS Of all times and all countries. and
like our Burns, is the companion Of David,
and Homer and Virgil, Of Shakespeare and
Gray, aud Schiller and Dante, and Gold
smith and Moore, and Bryan. All men
III all times repeat his words; all hearts in
all times will echo TO his piercing notes of
nature. We have all loved, and who has
told the tale Of love like Burns? We are
all lovers OF our country, and who has sung
the sacred transports Of patriotism like
Burnsa We are social all, and love as now
to gather round the festive board. Who's.
heart more than his was the seat Of all good
fellowship, of all social delight and iolli,y 2
We are all proud Of our country's arms and
the brave dee'!> of our fathers. Where ar.
the war songs which lik. his, fired as bv
the souls Of Washington or Wallace, in the
fury OF battle, are terrible as the clash of
arms, fierce and shriII, and piercing as the
cry Of victory?
Creatures Of sympathy craving it as
the ll@ht, needing it as the vital air-aIl
men turn to the poet as the hearts uuver.
sal ronfrsscr and friend, companon and
c"'niorIer. and find, rs in Burns. charmed
r'h" I" al! our feelings, sadness for our sur
rows. < badness for orr mirl h. and triumph
Tor our victories
But, Gentlemen. in doing homage to the
Poet aud to Burns AS a genius. let lis nat
forget Burns the man. Let us not forget
his glorious manhood. Gifted rs he WIS.
and famous for all time as he will he. let
It's today remember that, faithful as he WAS
I" the ten talents" The largest measure Of
mind with which his Maker had distinguish
ed him, he was faithful also TO still noblvr
trust, more valuable than the treasure of
genus higher than the prer"garives of birth
or the distinction of nffi lie wac faithfuI
I" truth. He never betrayed her. His
was the ardent soul to love her. his tho
hrro'c soul to defend her; his the svmpa-
thttlc soul to celebrate in death less strains
all who had done or suffered, or triumpheJ
IN her cause He was truthful and natural
and faithful in all things, in all relations.
II" 'everencrI his Maker with the humility
OF the publican. II" loved his country rs
if sh" welded the sc"ptre of universal en-
pire he honored his peasant father IA if born
to kingdom, and he respected himself and
his class as If Of the nohI.st of th. earth
Peasant as he was, he was too proud to he
jealous of peer. and he gIoried in his order
as the very pith and bulwark of his country.
and in the plough a. the symbol of heroic.
independence. the very type of an uns.inted
manhood. He aoas content in his humble
sphere to shine" and preserved "thc dignity
of man with soul erect" In him there was
no guile, no pretence, no assumption, no
deceit. 1t was this nature. so simple, low
ing. truthful and brave, that made him the
poet that he was, and sent his everv word
straight to the hearts Of all men: and il
was this nature, too, that makes US love the
man as much as we admire the genius that
make us love the man As much rs we adj
mlre the genius that enshrines his memory
in the hearts of his eounrrymen and the
world. In this hour, when grateful hearts
are striving to measure the debt they owe
him, and two hemi-pheres are uniting in
homage, one Of the humblest. most grateful
and devout of his adm irers, would, in his
name, and in honor of the immoral band
to which he belongs Of all ages and peoples,
give vou, as sentiment: .
1he Poet-UniversaI as nature, Catholic
as the heart of man-his pictures are unfad-
ing. and his song undying as his theme.
rs this your brother, PATTI
'Yis, SUR
ia he not older than you r