The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 1850-1873, 1871-02-17

sIhe PRESIDENT OF the aSSOclatiOn the /
introduced DIR. r. l.. c. White, Of the
Lebanon Herald, as the poet of the
evening, who recited the following |
Poems 1IGfl~lEl .tEi & sa
Erst when the suitry Summer sun poured down |
His fiercest beams on this devoted town,
And eversthing was hot and fall and'dry,
An august body mct-though twas July.
A noble band Of martyrs they. in truth,
Kni shts of the pen-somc errant knights, for
Blu. mem ssn'ai Of metal all type Me.ap who.
II asasr ss! 9ss ss. srd esad Hy' sy fss
And tilt tourney with the very best
Called members Of the press to ears polite,
Among the hoi po'loi 'ink-slingers were their
nish'. 1850 tSs aiiHi
They same-thcse magnates from the East and
These '.wisest, virtuest, discreetcst, best"
They met in state; and Boyers took the, chair
What beauty blent with grace presided there!-
They talkedIand talked like brave men. long
And so at last in this way it befel q = 4
That one poetic, meek-eyed youth arose., Il
Qic who, from where the western shadows
Sends forth brilliant San that Shines for
all,1
And scorninc tho dull trammels of mere prose,
Asked, Isn't il pitiful -5i
That neat whole city full,
No. to say State full. of editors we've got,
And, alas for the hiatus, 60
In the divine a62dfns,
There isn't poet in the blasted lot?"
Then this youth, slenderly
Fashioned and tenlerly. f
Delicate azure-eyed, young and so fair,
Speaking thus. fingers.
Running his fingers,
Jcwclcd and white, through his perfumed hair.
Smoothing his tresses,
While wonderment gucsses.
"Haye the MUSES. no place in the Tennessee
Have VIC no brother,
Somewhere or other, -lH.
Who can get up some kind of rhyming al
And now begins the Had of my woes.
For here a certain heavy man" arose. j.
"As some tall clif that lifts its awful form.
Swells from. the vale. and midway leaves the
So he the solemn silence boldly broke.
Lifted his awful form. and syelled and spoke:
poets qISOtha rsEei tne large
Sir, tits related. that the first white man
Who stepped upon the soil of Michigan
Exclaimed when he beheld l on every sayd hand
In Latin (of the canine dialect
The following words, or words to that effect:
If you are on the hunt for frst-ciass ground;
You'd best stop here, and take a look around:
So, in the language of that pioneer,
81 Quaris poets, 'cireumspice' hcre!"
And, challenged thus. of course they looked
But-need 1 say it?-ne'cr poet found,
In all that crowd Of genius gifted men, ss-'-
Those potent weilders of the potent pen.
These Simpsons OF the press-newsPaper Tri-
Among the minnows," intellectual Titans-
tight tbe eame saTds
Who swayed at will the minds of countless
readers,
Among them all, alas. there WASH t one
Could write n line of verse, saving, alone,
The heavy man. HIS call none Of the MUSES..
However shy or yillfuI. e'er refuses; ,,o
Pegasus like Quartermaster's mule; =,
His name will Sound adown the distant ages.
The laureate of countless album pages! =,
But he was coy, and would not be persua led.
The curious gaze-''Indeed, he really couldn't",
And whispering. II will ne'er consent he
They thought him wax-,hey found him hard as
steel.
Needless Of threat, im-Purvis to appeal. 7.
To make the story short, the general voice
Conferred at ~, last on me twas Hoosons
For. though no touch of Mount Parnassus' FIRE
Hath been vouchsafed to my poor, bro
Its chords discovered. musicless and
| Bearing no kinship to Apollo lyFe- l
Though my Pegasus be sorry beast.
| Hardly qnaster-nag. to say the least;
|
| With countless cockle- burs in name and tall,
| With ey5ry equine ill in him combined,
Spawned. string halted. broken Iwinded, blind
| Being not poetry but the reverse
Though the machine from which in former
times
| I ground few disjointed, halting rhymes
Upon OCCASION, is Of late, l fear,
! Rusty unoiIed and sadly out Of gear,
| Nathless. Of all thej journalistic guild
| am alono in rhyming not udskslled,
And so, perforce, to this strange dignity aspire,
| Of all tho editorial corps the only tyre!
This being thus, they chose me there, mem. con !.
Preferring half a loaf of bread to none,
| Better than prosc-hiae ais tack-rhyme-r
1t is no easy berth. l must confess:
| Poet in ordinary to The Press,
Rhymer-in- -Chief-Verse Generaiissimo-
My "blushng honors" very heavy grow.
But, let me say, all persiaage aside.
Pride that my honored brethren OF the quill,
The craft for whom. through good report or ill.
The warmest pulses Of my bosom a6s; beat;
Deem ME not all unworthy to appear
Their representative, tonight, and here;
And double diffidence-for that. although,
The shi,nmerine stars mayRap attract the sight
When he appears, in radiant brilliance bright.
And midway in the orbei sky aspircs.
And so might even have hoped. perchancc.
To gain at least transitory glance,
Perhaps q kindly slance.bat ali too soos
|
How can I hope for aught but PITY.
A feeble star-when suns are in the sky.
Why proffcr empty rhymes to you. intent
Wba% Tme ., hek with as with
Whose brow hath scarcely room to bear his bays
. Who brings fresh proof, with every WRITER
, How far "the pen is mightier than the sword;
Who gives new meaning to ths poets song
, When Guilt and Fraud and Tyranny ant
Ifheedless Of the pine tree withered branch,
, At least "bewarc the awful 4ratanehe
. And dinident, again, that should seem
The Snnsi champion of 50 grand aseheme-
, Of Truths own valiant bodyIg%ardt t sublime
D FEARLESS and true-THE PRxss OF TENNESSEE!
youchsafe assistance now, Genius of Brass!
sing TIE CoUNrRY EpIrOR-alas!
The times are fallen in indeed. that Fate
I Grant such theme no better laureate!
I Notice the adjcctivc-I sing alone
l | The eowstry editor; although. I own:
I'd like to Join another's praise with his:
|. The editor of the metropolis!
3 But. Al his wreath another hand must twine-
Such fights too great for feeble wings hk
mine So -,
= And learns may not approach the sun!
!. And So unsuns by me must be his Praises,
HIS vlIt9eS3 CneinAos cSSoAiPAASA>ASA'@- -
= 7 NAV net chant the prowcss of the hand :,
= Which waves brilliant Boaaer o'er the land
i That genial. gifted, fortune-favorcd wight.
e Who daily proves the saw at least half right
!, | Which says BE virtuous and be happy"-thus
s lie. being Happy, may be virtuous!
3 Nor vet again, that vigorous intellect,
: Skilled to persuade and potent to direct,
:. Whose pen impales the folIics OF the time.
2 And In whose presence Error, Guilt and Crime
!. Scarce hoping to elude his rigorous search,
y CoVer ike trusnt school boys from the Burch-
= These, and the rest ofthat high-favorcd crew,
!. THE City Press" must go unsung-adicu.
q So. RAPIDLY to other themes pass.
: Behold the country editors masse
z | Az they convened in solemn state to-day. .
e 1.-THE lively, the severe, the grave, the gay,
l. A motley crew it was, in very sooth- ,
:. Grey hairs, and middle age and caliow youth
A few old stagers-yeteran pioneers
)e Who blaxed the path for us Of later years,
u Relies of golden days that come no more:
,a Of '.coon" and rooster Forty and Forty
four, =, ~,
IS Who bore their poke-stalk lances with the res
n Or skyed their caps for Harry of the west,
a Whose batt,c-cry rang clarion-like ahd clear
~ Through fhe whole State, fro:a Shelby TO Scvic
Te Long may their faces in our midst be seen,
r And, when they die, Lord. keep their meinoi
"a green! y,
SO And one there was, the oldest of them all
er His age, in fact. was quitcapochrypnai: