The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1859-02-07

lapsecA ~ Ralph waldo Emers ON n
the Barns CeIebTatiOn tn BOsfOn.
Nh. PsEsIpKsr AND GssrLxxsN--I do no
know by what untoward accident Il. ha
Glanced and forbear to inquire--that, II
this accomplished circle. il should fall to me
/ the worst Scotsman of all, to receive YOU
commands, and ut the latest hour, too, Il
] respond to the sentiment just offered, ant
which indeed makes the occasion. But an
told there is no appeal, and | must trust tc
| the inspirations of tho theme to make fit.
/ ness which does not otherwise exist. Yet,
sir, heartily feel the singular claims OF the
| occasion. At the first announcement, from
| know not whence, that the 18th January
was the hundredth anniversary OF the birth
| OF Robert Burns, q sudden consent warmed
the great English race, In oil its kingdoms,
colonies, and States, all over the world, to
keep the festival. We are here to hold our
parliament with love and poesy, as men were
wont to DO in the middle ages. Those ia
nous parliaments might or might not have
had more stateliness, and better singers than
we--thourh that is yet to be known-but
they could not have better reason. can
only explain this singular unanimity in a
race which rarely acts together--bus rather
fter their watchword, each for himself--by
he fact that Robert Burns, the poet OF the
middle class, represents in the mind OF men
to-day that great uprising Of the middle class
against the armed and privileged minorities
thai uprising which worked politically in
the American and French Revolutions, and
which, not in governments so much as in ed
ucation and in social order, has changed the
face OF the world. In order for this destiny,
his birth, breeding and fortunes were low
His organic sentiment was absolute indepen.
dence, and resting, As it should, on life OF
labor. No man existed who could look down
on him. They that looked into his eyes saw
that they might look down the sky - easily.
His muse ard teaching was common sense,
joyfully, aggressive, irresistible. Not Lati-
mer, nor Luther, struck more telling blows
against False Theology than did this brave
singer. The "Confssson OF Augsburg"
the 'tDeclaSation of Independence" the
French "Kights of Maj" and the "Marscil-
laise," are n0s. more weighty documents in
the history Of freedom than the songs OF
Burns. HIS aetirs has lost none Of it's edge.
His musical arrows yet sing through the air.
lie lie so substantially reformer, that find
his grand plain sense in close chain with the
greatest masterar -Rabelais, Shakespeare in
comedy, Cervantos, Butler and Burns. II /
should add another name, find it only in q
living countrynan of Burns. He 10 an ex-
ceptionable genius. The people who care
nothing for literature and poetry care for
Burns. Il was indiferent-thcy thought
who saw him whether he wrote verse or
not /; be could have done anything else as
we'll. Yet how true poet is he And the
poet, too, 81 poor men, of gray holden, and
~, Al L. l.~
given voice to all the experiences Of common
life; he has endeared the farm. house and
cottage, patches and poverty, beans and bar
ley; ale, the poor mans wine; hardship,
the fear Of debt, the dear society of weans
AM wife, Of brothers and sisters, proud of
Zach other, knowing 80 few, and finding
amends for want and obscurity in books and
thought. What . love Of nature, and shall
! say il? Of middle-class nature. Not like
Goethe, in the stars, or like Byron, on the
ocean, or Moore, in the luxurious East, but
in the homely landscape which the poor see
around them-bleak leagues Of pasture and
stubble, ice, and sieet, and rain, and snow
choked brooks; birds, hares, field mice, this.
ties and heather, which he daily knew. How
many "Bonny Doons," and ssJohn Anderson
my joes, and s.Auid lang Synes," all around
And his love songs still WOO and melt the
youths and maids; the farm work, the coun.
try holiday, the fishing cobble, are still his
debtors to- day. And at he was thus the poe,
of the poor, anxious, cheerful, working HUI
mainly, 80 had he the language Of low life.
He grew up in u rural district, speaking a
patois unintelligible to all put natives. and
be has made that Lowland Scotch a Doric
al 80 % II he ,f1 a H..
history of language made classic BY the
genius of single man. But more than this
lie had that secret of genius to draw from
the bottom OF society the strength Of its
speech, and astonish the ears OF the polite
with these artless words, better than arr, and
filtered of MI offense through his beauty.
Ii seemed odious to Luther that the devil
should have all the best tunes be would
bring them into the churches and Burns
knew how to take from fairs and gypsies,
blacksmiths and drovers, the speech OF the
market and street, and clothe it with melo-
dy. But am OBTAINING you too long. The
memory OF Burns--l am AFRAID heaven and
Ms anything TO say. The west winds are
masmuring it. Open the windows behind
YOU, md hearkcn for the incoming tide, what
the wayse say Of it. The doves perching al
ways on ~ ewes Of the stone chapel opposite,
may xKOW Gnln6IhIng ABOUT IT. Every nsms
in broad Seo1laod keeps his fame bright
The memory Of Bnrns-every mans, and
boy's, and girl's Mad csrries snatches Of his
songs, md csn say them by heart, and, wha,
is strangest Of Ill, uagef, learned them from
book, hut fron na91hk e mouth. Tn,
wind whispers thon, ~ bir1e whistle them
| fhe corn hsplav 40 hm1pmhhas hoa pnatv