New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1869-01-26

FESTIVAL AT THE METROPOLITAN HOTEL.
A dinner in memory or in honor of Burns,
must necessarily be much out Of harmony with the
lions with which reads the productions or contem
plates the life Of that great poet The festival at the
Metropolitan Hotel last evening exception to this
guile There two ways Of keeping Burnss birthday,
as there are two ways Of keeping Sunday. 1t may be
kept solemny a Puritan Sabbath, with song and
clatter like Sunday afternoon In Catholic country The
celebration the Metropolitan aimed to be both and was
neither The dinner was gOod-better, probably than
Burns The company as good as any Burns
sat down with The ladies, perhaps, inspired a
feeling like that with which Goldsmith imbues bis hero
in "she stoOps 10 Conquer" Fancy Burns
citing his Z" Jolly Beggars" 70 themi They were
about thirty in number decOrous and stately At Y o.
clock they retired and not before did the dinner the
aspect Of Burns Anniversary The interval was essened
by arwo hours tardness the commencement Of the
exercises. The music was not such would excite
to ecstacy who had heard anything meodious
than bagppes before The toasts thirtythree in
number and diverse IN design the bones In the hui
man skeleton Mr.. David Dudley Field presided with
grace aud elOquenee Having safely launched the Pres
dent Of the United States and the Queen Of Great Britain
and Ireland gave the third toast The Memory Of
Robert Burns"
. His was the gift wi magic power,
To SasE his sS ver SSg wy k S1R dyye hour
o fancy sweet."-MCNKII.
IS Rriebt VA the fame In scotia,s isIe
Sissat b.r6 where MANY a r,,,oi 80
orr hSd,st fbou waK'd the tear and smile
As soft thy harp melOdious rung "-NcNEII.
This responded to by Mr. James s. Thayer Of Boz
ton, es follows;
SPEECH OF JAMES s. THAYER.
In COMMUNICATING the that Ill the calendar OF the
year do think you frame In youranguage asen
fment that would penetrate deeper ybrate more widely
through the circle Of human ympathes and regards than
the one you, Mr. President have just announced" Inc
memory Of Robert Burns There no depth or feeling
The power OF his genius did athOm there is pas
sion or emotion in the wide and varied experience Of
human life that its rays did reach and illustrate from
the ,her Of the ocean Of life on which We are tossed
The waves that bear US on wear softer ana brighter
tint, richer and a warmer glow from the star that
years ago the humble birthplace or Robert
Burns than from any OF those majestic ana fulorDod
that burn in the highest heaven fpOcrY AppauSe
II Is often said that those whose Office IL is 10
instruct and guide US IN tho paths OF re-
hgious duty fan 10 their duty because their
teachings far removed from earthabstract doc
trinal aud transcendenta; they do not come down TO
the everyday walks aud wants Of life 1t IS everything
III religion bring home % every human heart It's hopes
ana consolation Is II not something In poetry TO APP
universal heart Of Inaul And was 1t not marvel indeed
that the hard rough hand Of powman the first 20
gather w ana weave into bond Of cable strength ali tho
strong and delicate threads Of tho heart aud by tho
spraQn q bis genius 10 send round the circuit Of all
humanity that electric thrill that untes In brotherhood
OF feeling and thought all who read and speak the
English tongue lCheers Robert Burns did this-that
his power that nothing that is foreign 10 his
own nature was the argument on which he built Be
hold the structure As the eye ranged along the sides Of
The mountain sacred 10 tie muses., there are the
l0tuer temples, aud beneath the swelling dOmcs and
gtterng spires that surDOunt them the anOined kings
OF poetry enihrOned, ana hold their court and their
Ieyel They shine IN purple all their own and bear uIr
disputed sway In the domain OF epic and dramatic verse
But the yoaes who thrOBg these nights do rot pass un-
visited the mpcrishabe fabric Of our bard III is not
the ancient models fe Images ana worFs of cns Se
an ana beauty do not line It's pOrticOes or crowd lts
h1yIh 10 Was Nor Is II planted that grand summit
where you can look out breathe In tho face OF he
S9p' bu1 you can do better than this. You