The New York herald., 1869-11-04
LEIGH HUNT.
Tho British Memoriai-Lord Houshscn's
Speech on Hunts Genius and Politics.

Tho British Memoriai-Lord Houshscn's
Speech ON Hunts Genius and Politics.
From the London News, Oct. 2ol
Green Oemeterv 70 the memory OF Leigh Hunt was
uncovered yesterday oy Lord nongnton. Tne cere-
mony was witnessed By several o. 1s gen
clemsnt weather. From the same cause the speech
Chapel ape in instead Of from the iemporory platform
erected for the purpose near the tomb rne
Of Leigh Hunt very Rons ose noS
Hunt HUI "I. Mr.. DayTsl Hunt and sister, Mr: and Mss
Hail, Mr.. Alexander ireland tManchester|, Mr.. r. II.
Horne, Mr.. Gerald Massey, Mi. Henry Spicer Cheya.
Wa Ws,es es PScses COLONEL M r. % Western, Mr
Smith Williams Mr.. George Goodwin, +. K. s., MT.
Edmund olller, Mr.. and Mrs. Townshend Mayer Mr.
Mund Yates, Mr. ". ". stephens. Mr.; and Mrs !. J.
Chas. Gliddon and Mr.. De Wilde. Letters Of apol-
ogy for absence were received from Robert Brown-
ing Charles Dickens EAR Russell ns G Dr Wes
DOL, Right Hon. John Bright MP, Lord Lytton,
George Cruikshank and The Rev. Charles Kingsley
Lord HouGnToS said-My presence here to-day sug-
gests remonstrance and regret 1t Is strange tnat
man or letters whose acquaintance with MIR. Leigh
Hunt can only have been IN the later years OF hls
life aud who had no other intimate associations with
him, except from the circumstance Of having been
was deeply interested, should he addressing you
now, instead Of one OF those mature men who have
become the glory OF our English literature. an
tod tnat one reason why sucn person Is not here
ID that objections are entertained In some quarters
TO cerem onias like the present, can have no sucn
plea, because cannot see how such simple cereino-
niais as these be Injurious TO any one while au
sure they are useful to ourselves and to the eonmu-
nifty. tCheefs.) We ore not hero worshippna peo'
pie; there is no fear that such meetings would de-
generate into vulgar adalatlon. We are retlcent OF
our praise; we are careful Of our applause. Ihete-
fore VIII say cannot ADMIT that plea Tor the aD-
sence of such men. AT the time IL is matter OF
deep regret Dat among the great contemporaries OF
Mr. Leigh Hunt SO Few are left who could be present
at this ceremony. Perhaps the only one who might
be considered OF his generation OF literature ID MI
Proctor, known as Barry Cornwall, who, am sure,
would have been here topay had not the inirmltles
OF age prevented him. (Hear, hearl 1t Is true Mr..
Leigh Hunt represents the past generation OF our
literature, and that think Is all the more reason
why we should honor him to-day. The tomO which
we are about to visit will not stand alone IN the
association OF men OF letters. 1t VIII beckon many
an observer to the marshy shores or Greece where
the tumutuous spirit OF Lord Byron passed away
to the beautiful Roman cemetery where the autulnnal
howers are at this moment growing over me young
form OF Keats and the storm cast heart or shelley; II
VIII lead many one to those pleasant mus among
the Westmoreland lakes, where The placid fame and
frame OF Wordsworth rest; 1t Will take some Of us TO
the more familiar graveyards not far from this where
the witty tongue OF Charles Lamb ID silent and
tns busy bran OF Goerdga speculates ~ sots no more
Hunt was Recognized as a companion, ana by the
best he was beloved as TREND. This Is not the
INDUSTRIOUS company; but vii! say here and every
where that he was q true English poet. (Cheers) }
Not merely the faculty Of imaglnation not merely
The presence OF wit, not merely the great and sedu
lous accomplishments In our !iterature-not these
alone made him poet; he was born one and he died
one. tCheers.) There Is one sphere OF literature IN
winch think may say that he was absolutely emil
nent-I mean that OF poetical criticism. (dear
nes ia st IN eu s pag1 h moe bo so
eminent IN this was no less the acutenesS OF hls
penetration aud the tenderness OF his taste than tho
With him criticism, which ID too often an enemy
and detective, was gracious patron aud iath-
G TREND dna a ana na2s
over error and fault which he could not conceal
from himself, and rested upon everything that
was gracious ana beautiful. So in his contempla-
ton or the past he has brought lorwa ard and present
ed to the young man or ever the beauties Of Ger
poetic literature in manner VIVID, and III sy 10
so graceful, that 1t IS impossible to overrate Inc
value OF that contribution TO the intellectual cduca.
tion Of our country. (Cneers) Much as Mr.. Leigh
would have done, still more but lor the crcuin-
stances OF his position. HIS life was not that OF the
journalist OF the daily press. And this occupation
led him carly IN his youth to mix himself with the
ps o, as e se W harn tDp
They were the saddest times In which, perhaps
the politicians OF our country have ever lived
They were the days when the highest hopes
OF humanity, generated by the French rcvolu
| tlon had been crushed down and tramplec
| under foot with every circumstance OF cru
| city and indignty. 1t was bad enough fol
those hopes to be lost but It was worse to find tina
the sneers OF the malicious were all OF them justified
and tnat the prophecies OF the stupid did come true
In those days. therefore, no wonder that Mr. Leigh
Hunt got himself into political difficulties, and for AZ
| article In newspaper which now would have beeI
passed over altogether at the worst regarded e.
| moment OF bad taste he was, as you all Know
sentenced to Two years imprisonment and separated
| from his Fellows and his Kind. And this was no
ALL for after he lett prison he was followed Tor mani
years by a persistent ooloquy and Injustice, which
In these tunes, absolutely Incredible and whci
can only be explained by the fact that those wn'
wrote about him were utterly ignorant OF the man
He ,gas regarded as a rabia republican, tchile, i,
Gct, though haJ an american, he hdd a special dis
ike TO republics, and hod no objection tchatere
| to Me D,oneschial Jorm OF gorer1uaeat, except ma
| they acere capable u dong. U4aughIer.) liz
was regarded and held up to shame as oil
/ whose heart there came moving plety, spreading
| itself over all nature, ana in every channel III
In one Of his writings, In which ho says he never
| passed q church, Of however nnreformed a fatD
without an instructive wish to go into 1t aud worship
for the good OF mankind. And all this obloquy and
injustice, AL this social cruelty, never for moment
soured his disposition, or incted revengefui ieei-
ing In the breast Of this good man. He had, II |
may be allowed the expression o superstition Of
good. He was unwilling to believe in the existence
OF evil; and when II pressed upon hm, even In It's
TO be good tCbeers) with this character this dis
position OF life, surely we do well in nonoring this
man to-day. Surely IT Is something, that ten years
after his death there should have been men VINO felt
lt WAS not well out that there should oe sub
stanial memorial Of his existence, something which
could tell people more than the books that they were
reading that here had been In England such man.
In uncoyering the monument we are soon to see we
snail honor not only that man, we shall honor
the poetic intellect, we shall honor that de-
llghtfu faculty which gives to mankind It's ruresI
form of intellectual contemplation, and which, some
how or other adapting itself to the varied tempera-
ments OF mankind, always either Strengthens or
purifes or expands the minds OF It's possessors.
Thus IL Is that Mr Leigh Hunt. though man nat
uraily OF q tender ard, perhaps, tnid temperament
confronted the bad public opinion OF bis day with q
courage quite equal na OF either the angry Byron
or the enthusiastic Shelley. Thus 1t is he never for
q moment lost the cornection between literature
and liberty. (Cheers.j we. hlereore, shall honor
not only the English poet-not 61b the great essay
we shall honor the honest and brave pohtlsah; and
as man VINO has mixed himself up both III ntv.sa.
ture ana politics. icel am much honored IN being
allowed 10 pronounce these words to-day. (Cheers)
Ii IL not my business to enter upon the eircum.
stances OF Leigh Hunts private life. All we know