New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1871-01-25
ROBERT BURNS,

| q household word. not only in his native
Scotland, but wherever the Enyish IAN
guaga and literature reaches, or true
genirs j, appreciated.
Proud Of their gifted poet, ir,t II a
country singuiarly fertile Of the poetic
spirit, and Of great names in every de-
par.n.ent of literature of science and OF
art Scottish men III all quarters OF the
globe are wont 10 assemble on the BIRTH
day Of Burns and celebrate it with apnro-
pirate homage 70 his memory and to his
genius.
And % i is that he:e. n city W hich.
at.ha brit, Of Burns. had existed little over
generation, and VAS yet unknown 20 the
world 4. large, the tine-honored and
patriotic custom is always observed: and
til, evening the New Criean, St Andrew
Society will meet to celebrate the birthday
festival of the great Scottish poet.
Robe,. Burns was born in Ayrshire,
Scotland. Oh the twenty fifth day of Jan
uary. 100, and died at the early age Of
th;rty-seven, on the twenty day o!
July. 1916. His life was not q happy
one; FOR it seemed to consist OF one long
struggle, continued from early childhood
until the time had come for his struggle,
to cease. when he asked {, LADY friend if
she had any commands, for the Aext
world" His early struggles were with
gallnt and stark poverty. With tie defect,
OF education; later with desires and as
niratioHs the attainment q which Was
not to be: struggles with the i:lean
and mind-crampiiig m:serie,. and
bitterness of hear. that extreme poverty
engenders: struggles with a sense of ,inap
preciated merit, or with stinted and tardy
recognition of hi, genius and its claims.
There were other struggles. too, with
the :houghtless folle,." the offspring of
strong and uncontrolled impulses. But
with this we have naught to do: or, il we
think Of them at all we must couple tne
thought with the poets own words:
What done partly may compete.
Du: know not what . resisted.
The thoughtiess follies" have passed
forever away: but there remains. and
always will remain, the bright impress of
his genius exerting an auelioratins iu!iu-
ence over the minds of thousands.
There is perhaps no other poet whose
works bear the impres, of hi, own char
ac:e- So thoroughly as do the poems Of
Burns. The unselfish regard for the vel
fare Of others, the lofty scorn of every
thing mean. superstitious Or hypocr:tical,
the sense Of rational religion and appreci-
alton o. virtue. coupled with kindly
huinor. and an exquisite sense OF the
ridiculous. 1t has been charged against
MIN :.la: be was \ scorle. of sacred
things. b,:. 40 charge can be more unjust.
He never wrote a line against true
religion: but the SHAFT, o: Ii, satire were
ieve.ed against pharisaicai hypocrisy
alone. Those who will compare what
he has written with the account, ot him
by friends and contemporaries VIII admit
that all his writing, bear the impress of
hi, personality; OF the imam whose jUdS-
ment clear could others teach the course
to steer" of the man ''qliick to learn and
wise to know" who ''keenly felt the
friendly glow and softer fne."
The rank of Burns as 4 poet Ia, beea
fixed years ago: and not only by the com
mon consent Of mankind. bu. by the
Judgment of fellow bard>, o.
Byron, Scott, Campbell, and host Of
others. Hi, poetry has been made TIE
subject OF learned discussion. of critical
analysis. Various minds and varieties of
intellect have bestowed attentive study on
his works, and the dicta Of all may be
epigrammatically expressed in the phrase,
1.-The poet of nature"
Although it has been frequently nd
verted to. it may not be out of place to
mention here that one Of the strongest !
evidences of the genit., Of Burns is, that |
taking a provincial and, to English ears,
III uncouth sounding dialect, as the We
aicle to convey his poetic thoughts. he in
vested it with classic dignity and clothed |
It with euphony not exceeded by any
modern language, not even by the musical
Tuscan itself
There are high poetical names among |
his countrymen. but none of them COM
pare with him. Two of them, Scott and
Campbell, have worldwide renoun: not
Is Scottish, but as English poets. OF
hose who have used the Scottish dialect,
,ut two have ever approached his guile
ess, natural paths james Hislop and
William Thorne; the former the author Of |
he "Cameronian Dream" and the latter
he writer of the ''SIitherles, BARN" Moth
.rlesS Child. These two genuine poets
esemble their great predecessor in the
circumstance of humble origin and carly
struggles with poverty, a, well as in the
circumstance that the effect of these early
struggles has impressed itself upon their
poetry. Nobody but one who had been
'een taught by sad observation could have
written the 'Mitherless BARN
rleu a ither BARNS are h,shed to their nam.
~ aunty, or cousin. Oh f.ccky grand dame, |
ha stands last an lanciy an sairiy iOrfairn'
lis the puir do~e laddie. the mther!c,, BARN.
1t las been frequently spoken of q, a
natter of rcornt that R1,ruc hac NOT loft |