The New Orleans crescent. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1866-1869, 1869-01-27
ROBERT BURNS.
THE ONE HUNDRED AND TENTH ANNIVERSARY
OF HIS BIRTHDAY.
Banquet by the St. Andrew Society.

| human nature whose possession "makes the
whole world kim" bat is also a demonstration
that he who exhibits it has heart filed with
sympathy for his fellow.men. and with that love
| which the poet has declared to be the best
| prayer. But when this love of country is shown
in q strange land far from the scenes of our boy.
hood and the recollections of our youth, il is
doubly beautiful, as evidencing that absence
cannot chill affection honorable to its posses.
sor and so honoring to its objects. These thoughts,
| or such these, Monday evening last
brought forcible to our mind by our presence at
| this banquet given by the St. Andrew Society of
the city, the occasion of the l0h anniversary of
the birthday of Robert Burns. The St. Andrew
| Society is an association of Scotsmen and men Of
| Scotch descent. who, although far away from
their native heather have not forgotten the hills
| of Scotia, and have joined themselves together
both to keep up that spirit of clanshness and love
| for each other which is so peculiarly Scottish,
and to be better enabled to give to their fellow
countrymen who may need it, that substantial aid
which is the best evidence of kindly feeling in the
heart. 1t has now existed for many years, and
as each succeeding year has rolled by it has in /.
creased in numbers and in wealth, until now it is
an institution well known, both from the social
and business position of its members and the good
that it has done.
Each year it gives banquet on its anniversary
which is st. Andrews day, and also one on the
25th January, the birthday of Robert Burns Ii
was our good fortune to be present at the ami
versary supper laRt December, and the recolec-
tions we carried away from that affair were such
as to raise our expectations very high it was
therefore with the keenest anticipation of pleasure
that we on Monday evening bent our steps towards
Richelieu's Restaurant, whittier as the invitation
sent us told, the banquet was to take place.
Arrived there we found a table extending the
length of the two rooms, groaning with everything
edible that can be imagined, while here and there
were scattered evidences that the st. Andrew
Society believe in drinkab!es as well AS edbles
Around the table was seated the members Of the
society and the wives and lady friends of many
of them, together with some of their friends
forming company in which was every clement
necessary to most pleasant and convivial meet.
ing.
After grace by the venerable croupier, Mr..
Sinclair, the company attacked the viands set
before them with gusto that proved their enjoy.
ment. But the solid portion of the entertainment
much as it was appreciated, was only prelude
a very pleasant one, it is true, to what was to
come. As soon as the table was cleared, and
two mighty bowls of punch-Scotch whisky
punch-were brought in, Mr.. Mckenzie, the
president of the society, who presided at the
head of the table, arose and called upon Mr.. Pc
ter Ross, the well known builder, to give the first
toast on The list, which was " The President of
Is
Mr.. Ross discharged his task, and then the health
was drank with all the honors. Mr.. Mckenzie
then, in a voice manly, strong and well modu.
Lated sang the immortal poem poe a. Of IT,. the immortal
quick succession came the following sentiments
and songs, given by the gentlemen whose names
are respectively opposite TO them:
sentiment-"Her Majesty, Queen victoriaT--
Alexander Hay.
SoDg-"God Save the Queen'-Compsny
Sentiment-"The Memory of Burns''-Mr. J. B.
s. Dimitry.
Song-"Ye Banks and Braes o. Bonny DOOM
Company.
Seniiment-"The Land of our Adoption
Thos Murray.
song-"Hail Columba"-volunteer.
sentimen,-"City and Trade of New Orleans''-
W. c. Anderson,
SOng-"Away Down the Mississippi Floatng'-
Volunteer.
seniimept-"The Lassesn-D. Mcdonald.
Song-"Green Grows the Rushes"-Mr. Nc
Kenzie.
Sentiment Poetry of Burnsr-Dr. Burns.
Song-"My Native Heather Hills"-A. G. Bell.
Sentiment-"Scotlsndr- Mckay.
SentimeDt-"The Press''-John Roy
SoDg-"Wile Brewed Peck o. Maut"-Mr.
Boyle.
Gaelic Song-W. R. Bell.
Recitation-"Tam 0'Shsnter"-Dr. Mckay.
Gaelic Speech--D. Sinclair.
Song-"Doon the Burn DaVie Lad'-B. McKen-
1ie.
Song-"A Wee Drappie O't"-D. Mckay.
Song-"scots Wha Hae',-Mr. Mckenzie.
SoDg-"Bonnie Wee Widow'1Mr Boyle.
Song Babin Tampson's Smidy''-James Muir
ray.
Song-"Heres to them that's Awa'-volun-
teer.
Rectation-W. D. Taylor.
SoDg-"Aul6 Lang Syne",Company.
1t would be of course impossible for us to even
attempt TO reproduce all the good things that were
said, and it woud surely be SO to Try to impress
our readers with an idea Of the manner In which
they were said which doubled all their beauty so
would 1t be TO eDdeavor to tell how the songs
we're sung, how the broad Scotch accent rang
through the rooms and seemed to thrill the very
hearts of all who were present, and how the |
faces of the Scotsmen present hghtened and |
beamed at the sound oftAe old familiar words |
and the old familiar tunes, which perchance they |
had heard for the first time while rocked upon
their mothers knee, under the shallow Of Ben |
Lemond. |
The sentiment, "The Memory of Burns, y had been
Intrusted to Mr.. J. B. s. Dimitry, who discharged
the trust in a manner worthy of it. His address
was a rapid and well told summary of the excel |
lencies OF the bard, graceful and earnest tribute
TO the greatness of the man, and beautiful obla-
tion upon the tomb of departed genius, which yet |
lives for ever. Our attempt to describe it falls |
far short Of expressing its beauty, its power and
its tTuthfulness.
Hon. Thos Murray, who has lived here, as he !
himself said, for more than aquarter of century.
gave the sentiment. " The land of our adoption
HIS address was full of humor and overfowing
with anecdote. he paid justly deserved Gas we
tnnk) tribute to cur State, the fertility of her
soil, the saubrity of her climate, and above all
the nobleness Of her citizens. Upon this theme
Mr.. Murray dwelt long and lovingly, describing
the chariiableness-the great beartedness of the
people of New Orleans IN manner that showed
that he, as one of them, had a heart warm with
| owe and sympathy for the suffering.
Er. Andersons survey of the growth of New
Orleans in population and commercial greatness |
was made very interesting by the number of fg- |
uTes showing her relative position in different |
years, which he had carefully collsted; DR.. Nc |
Kay's sentiment, Scotland" was q finely COM |
posed eulogy of the land o. cakes, and so thickly
bestudded with jewels culled from the works Of |
her greatest bard that it was all through not only
8 tribute to Scotlands beauties but TO Burns's |
genius.
DIR. Jas. Burns, who had been selected to offer |
the sentiment, The Poetry Of Burns," delivered |
an address, short but very good. De attempted |
no critical analysis of the merits Of the poet. Why
should he? As he well said. Carlyle, Emerson, |
every critic that has touched the subject, has
held I'D so high the monument to Burnss genius |
that there was little to be added. But that little