The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1866-12-25
Yhq Daily Ae,us*
TUESDAY MORNING, DECEMBER 26 1865.

TUESDAY MORNING, DECEhBER %, 1865.
CHRISTMAS.
WAR POETRY OF THE SOUTH.
. have already drawn attention to the beautiful
volume of the ssWar Poetry Of the South, : which
We owe to the editorial oareof Mr. srifzs; but we
have scarcely done justice to the volume--to the
superior character of its contents as ex-
hbitng poetry per sc, the beautiful play ct fancy
and imagination, it's utterances Of patriotism, or it's
just and sometimes profound philosophy. The
editor has evidently exercised certain degree OF
method and design in the arrangement OF his ma
terials; His preface states his objects simply,
and justfes them foroibly. he opens with poem OF
Mr.. TnRoD, very happy and graceful performance,
which exults in the birth OF o new nation-a ma
tion based upon Justice and right principle,
pure in it's conception, sending abroad doctrines
Of peace and purity, eschewing strife, war; and all
ideas of the ACKNOWLEDGEMENT Of the one nation over
any other. The doctrine is simply that each shall
work Quit own deliverenoe, in it's own fashion;
not making any vain pretence Of such superior vir-
SN
1ule oyer other nations. In this poem Mr.. TMRoD
is 1t once just in thought and feicitous in its ex-
preston. s5s.s4
A "Prayer for the South" follows it, from the
pen OF, an accomplished Marylander.
zs "A spirited and quite original poem succeeds to
this, from the pen Of lady of Missie sppi. The
*southern Gross, by another writer, illustrates the
Gag edopted by the new nation. The Act Of seoes-
sion by South Carolina is the subject Of eulogism
By Professor DICKSON. Promptly following this
are poems which refer to the necessity Of seces-
sion. We then have vail Of lament over the
usual fate Of all the which have ever
exibted ;2al destroyed by oupidity and lust--all
oyerthrown by vanity and the greed Of conquest
in .brief, by the insane passions and appehtes Of
men and states. After these preliminary poems,
the collection proceeds to illustrate the events OF
the war which followed from the attempts Of the
North TO ooeroe the South into . uolunta,y]
Union-a war which repudiated every American
prinoiple-which denied to the governed the right
Of making their ohn government and butohered
brothers, in order to make moro perfect brother
hood Our condition now happily illustrates the
false pretences under which our country vap in
radea, yar property destroyed, our people alan,
our liberties usurped. : ~ z
Eais volume Of vat poetry illustrates thia,1hole
hsfosy. y sSaluable, accordingly, az History.
indicates leading events, and illustrates
them in bursts Of passionate feeling, grief or ex-
ultation, the sense of pride OF the modification Of
defeat. There is, perhaps, not single phase OF
change Of popular feeling, hope or fear, in the
whole progress Of the war, which has not its ap-
1,ns,n
music, one Of the most natural Of emotional modes
oflutterance. You may, in these pages, follow all
the fluctuations Of the popular mind In the South,
through all the caprioes of her fortunes during the
war. -.
. But our purpose in this notice is not critical
review of the volume, but simply to borrow from
it's pages those pieces which seem to us suited to
the season. In publishing these Ne shall, per-
haps, do as much to show how well the collection
illustrates the war; by the several selections which
We make from it Of the season Of Christmas.
Christmas in the South, in former days, had o
grand reputation Of it's own. All parties were
gladdened by it; and even the negro exulted in it's
blessings and it's privileges. It's usual mode Of
celebration on Southern plantations is now des-
tined to sink into tradition. There is no longer
q O0Tl6tluass bucA aS A1o AosAAoAo n4oH, w WIG
planters of the South.
The brutal and bloody war waged upon us, in
spired by a savage lust, and an equally savage
vanity, has killed off the ancient Christmas Of
Carolina. There is q mournful presoienoe, as well
rs painful experience, in the poems which we
select from this volume devoted to the eeason.
They we're written by different hands during the
several years Of the war, and each belongs to q
different year. .zsz ..5i.==.. .s==
The first of these is from the pen Of one Of the
most brilliant Of the young men whom South Caro-
na hiss given to the country during the last twenty
years-Professor JNo. Dickson BRuNs. It is to the
great loss Of city that he has been taken from
us by New Orleans. A man Of fine natural parts,
and Of large and varied acquisition he has need
only to concentrate his gifts on any ono pursuit 10
achieve the most triumphant success. he has our
prayer that he will do 80. The reader will readily
note for himself the fine force and fullness OF the
strain which follows:
OUR oHRrsrhAs HYMN.
III JoHH DICKSON BRUINS, H. D., or cRAnIxsroH, q 9.
Good win and peace peaco and good win
The burden Of the Advent song, S. 4=6izs
What time the love-ohlmed waves grew san
To hearken to the shining throng;
The wondering shepherds heard the strain
Who watched by night the Numbering fleece
The deep sAtes echoed the refrain,
'Peaoe and good vill good viii and poaoel"
And wise men hailed the promised dgn,
And brought their brit. .gifs nom tho East
Dear 10 that mother ~ the wine
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