Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1853-1862, 1859-02-15
Boston correspondence.

BOSTON, Mass, Jan 81, 1899.
To the Editors Of The Union and American:
The last two weeks have been most emphatieaily
eOmmemOratiOn weeks. First we had the birth day
of franklin to celebrate in becoming manner,
The medals which are annually given 10 the best
scholars in the Boston public seheols, suggest to
every enc The rrOPriety of celebration by these
who have been the fortunate recipients Of the honor
The idea carried into execution, aud an Grafton
was delivered before them and others, By Edward
Everett. supper, Of course, followed, ct which
the substantial was followed by more ETHEREAL
banquet after the manner Ct The Auglo-Sazon race
EVerett's address was received with marked atten
lion. To deliver The address these anniversaries
is yearly more and more difficult. Even if the sue
ceeding speakers are men Of no more than average
ability, they naturally suggest seme new idea in
connection with the man or topic about which they
/ feel bound TO speak. Franklin has been so often
made the subject of elaborate dscourses by able
men, that Mr.. Everetts triumph in presenting him
as " Boston school boy was all the more marked.
The in order was the festival in honor of Daniel
Webster. Here was to be seen the noble spectacle
of men assembling to do bsnOr TO the name of one
WhO u, only few years before, they had opposed
l
fecs ard which earpiug critics have discover
cd in the political moral character Of Webster the
people of New England still revere his memory
The brilliant rhetoric of Choate, no less than the
more solid elcquenee Of Cushing, are but outward
indications of their deep seated respect for his
mighty il tellect. They will never forget his eee-
brated defence o. the honor and fame of the old
Bay State.
Lastly, and chiefly, was the celebration of the
huudreth anniversary of tn birth day Of Burns.
The arrangements fer this celebration were under The
auspices Of the Boston Burns Club. The occasion
which appealed to all classes OF society,
that it IS not in the lea.t strange that the demand
for tickets exceeded the supply. Among the literati
who both graeea the board by TIER presence and
added to their own reputation by their speeches,
may be meniiore Ralph Waldo Eucrsou the trans
cendentalist, Hon. George s Iilard. of tie Boston
Courier, Hon, Josiah Quincy. Jr., n. p Willis the
'Autoerat," Holmes aud Jas Russell Lowell The two
latter read poems which were received with great
applause. Whittier sent note and poem but was
not present. Mr. Emerson Iesponded so eIoqueDhy
to the toast to the memory Of Burns, that cannot
refrain from giving you the concluding part of his
speech:
''And as he was thus poet Of poor, anxious, cheer
full, working humanity, so he had the language of
low life. He grew up in rural district, speaking
patois unntelligible TO all but natives and he has
made their lowlaud Scotch Dorie dialect of fame.
1t is the only example in history of language made
classic by the genius of single man. But, mere
than his he bad that secret of genius TO draw from
the bottom OF sCeieiy the strength of its speech
and asionish the ears Of the polite with these
aress words better than ari and filtered Of all
Luther that the devil should have the best tunes:
he would bring them into the churches; and Burns
knew how to tase from fairs and gypseys, black
smiths and drovers, the speech of the market aud
street. and cloth it with melody.
But l am de aiming you too loPg. The memory
of BUrns,-I am afraid heaven and earth have taken
too good care of it, to leave anything to say
The west winds are murmurng it. Open the win
doWs behind you, and hearken for the incoming
tide, what the say of it. The doves perchiBg
always on the caves Of the stone chapel opposite
may know something about it. Every name in
broad Scotland keeps bis fame bright. The memory
of BuIns.-eveTy mans, and boys and girls head
carries snatehes of his songs, and say them by
heart, and what Is straDgest Of ALL never learned
them from book, hut from mouth to mouth. TIE
winds whisper them, the birds whistle them, the
corn, barley ard bulrushes hoarsely rustic them;
nOy. the music boxes at Geneva are framed aud
toothed TO play hem; the Eaad organs of the SaYO-
yards in all cities repeat tkem. and the chimes Of
bells ring them in the spires They are the proper
ty and Inc solaco Of mankind"
There is thirg indicated by this universal
celebration that has escaped the notice of many
1t is that we have strong and indisputabe inherit
ance in English history aud in the great poets aud
thinkers Of the English race. The conquersrs at
Cressy and PartieIz the noble defences Of the lib.
critics of people under Charles the first the brave
deeds of the virgin Of Elizabeth, ''of happy men,
ory" are ours by birth right So, too, we claim an
equal share in the domain of letters, and it is net
an ignobe but an honorable pride that gives us a
feeling Of satisfaction when We remember that
Shakespeare and Milton, and Johnson and spenc T.
and the host of other worthless spoke anu wrote
with the same words We employ.
But wbiio sIeak of these pleasant incidents in
our months history, must not neglect TO mention
an event which viii cause severe regret wherever
literature is studied and appreciated. William
Ainckling Prescott, the historian died Of apropexy
OF Thursday last He was ,rn in Salem, in l796,
and graduated at Harvard College, in 1914 An
accident deprived him of enc eye, and owing 10 ex-
cessise use, the other was so much injured that he
has never been able to use it with perfect freedom
His works in relation Spanish history secured for
him European reputation and an election to
many gesrued societies. The third volume Of his
history of Philip IL, has just been published.
1t has not been made public how nearly the re-
maiuder is in manuscript We hope, however. that
the larger portion, end that it will soon follow its
predecessor. WARRINGTON.