The daily phoenix. [volume] (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1878, 1870-06-16
COLUMBIA. S. G.
Thursday Morning, June 1e, 1870.
THE Lnto VIM. Gilmore slmms.

The Lato VIM. Gilmore simms.
We have already referred, in general
terms, to, the character and genius of this
eminent son of our State. We desire to
pass in brief review his life and services.
Mr.. Simms, we are informed, was born
in Chasleston, April II, 1906. He was
thrown upon his own resources. Or
phaned while yet child. his self-reliant
qualities were put upon an early de-
velopment. His fondness for study and
his ambitious spirit led him to the edu-
cation Of himself by his individual cf-
forts. MIR. Simms first turned his ut
tention to medicine, and next to law,
but finally hereached the more congenial
field OF general letters. Then began his
Sbusy and fruitful literary career. His
works in the departments of history,
poetry, and prose, are numerous. In
":the living Writers of the South" Mr..
Davidson has enumerated Mr.. Simms'
works. They number over sixty distinct
productions, and embrace poems, novels,
history, criticism, reviews, lectures and
addresses. We do not propose to en-
gage in an analysis of these works. AS
! to Mr. Simms' poetry, it covers the en-
t: tire field of verse, being descriptive,
dramatic, lyric, legendary and contem-
plative. "Norman Maurice; or the Man
of the People," is the chief of his dra-
matte pieces. His principal poem is
-1'Atalantis. "Areytos; or Songs and
Ballads of the South" deserves notice.
We think that the author of ''The Poets
and Poetry of America" is correct when,
In alluding to Mr.. Simms, he remarks:
s'His poems, like his other productions,
are noticeable for warmth Of feeling and
coloring, and vivid and just displays of
the temper and sentiments of the South
ern people, and the forests, savannahs
and all else that is peculiar in Southern
nature. He has sung the physical and
moral aspects and traditions of the
South with the appreciation of poet
and the feeling of a son. His verse is
free and musical, his language copious
and well-selected, and his fancy fertile
and Apostle.
This is just criticism. The following
lines from Mr.. Simms' "Changes of
Home" confirm the views of the critic,
and are illustrative OF Mr.. SIS animaus:
"Well may we sing her beauties,
This pleasant land of ours;
Her sunny smiles, her golden fruits,
And all her world of flowers;
The young birds Of her forest groves,
The blue folds of her sky,
And all those airs of gentleness
That never seem to fly;
They wind about our forms at noon,
They WOO US in the shade,
When parting from the Southern heats
The The woodman seeks the glade
They win US with song of love,
They cheer US with dream,
That gilds our passing thoughts Of life
As sunlight docs the stream
In fiction Mr.. Simms is entitled to
marked pre-eminence. AS Mr.. David
son has suggested. Simms has done for
the South what Walter Scott did for his
native land. Mr.. Simms has set forth
the manners and customs of the South,
and vindicated her principles and senti-
ments. He has portrayed her virtues
and upheld her claims. He has described
her scenery, and invested with the bright
hues of romance her swamps, her hills,
her valleys, and her storied battle-felds
And we may add, that to the virtues of
the gifted pensman he joined the devo-
tion of loyal son of South Carolina.
BE was eminently patriotic and public
spirited, and now, that hoi gone hence,
and been laid at rest in Magnolia Gene.
&ery, in his loved "City by the Sea" we'll
may we lay upon his grave the garlands
due one who was brave, earnest WORKER,
q busy THINKER, sound TEACHER man
in general of TEEMING BRAIN and KINDLY
SOUL, and obedient to the calls of DUTY.
This country ought to be pretty woll
governed, when tue estimated expendi-
lures for the current year amout to
S299, SIG, 1892. This is q sum so enor-
NOUS as not to be readily comprehcndod,
yet experience shows that as the cost in
creases, the advantages which should be
derived from governmento1 eypendituroc