National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1872-12-12
ROBERT BURNS.
scorLAND'sc GREAT POET.

Ills IIOe and Genius - Ills Virtues and
Fauits-Lecture by George Macdonald.
The large and very intelligent audience gath.
,red In the First Congre gational church last
night tested the utmost capacity Of the edlnce.
Gen. sherman and the Rev. Mr.. Rankin, pastor
Of the church, occupied the pulpit with the lee
turer, and after the singing Of "God Save the
Queen and ''The star spangled Banner" by
full choir Gen. Sherman introduced the lecturer
and hla subject by few "reminiscences Of a visit
to Scotland and the home Of DR.. Macdonald In
tvongarry; OF the beautiful loch near Iyonness,
and the castle Of the ancient MacdOnalda. He
spoke Of the extended honos which centre IN
general Of the name, and Of Flora Macdonald,
whose devotion TO her rghtful king Ia historic,
and whose defendants live now IN North Caro-.
lima. In conclusion, referring to the lecturer and
10 Robert Bnrns, the General repeated poem Of
the great poet, beginning
For gold the sailor ploughs the main"
In Geo. Macdonald, as he rose and advanced
to the desk, his many readers saw a scholarly
and ga h o. srg sIn 9S y, KY
mutual power and deep feeling which have
characterized his works and rendered them 80
attractive TO the constant readers OF the present
In voice OF considerable power in modula-
ton, although not loud, he commenced by saying
that he everywhere found people eager to hear
him talk about Robert Burma. Burns was man
more than the work appointed for him. AZ the
time Burns appeared, some one was wanted.
some one Ia always wanted TO put thlngs right
generally appearing from an unexpected quarter.
We cannot tell where our next dellverer may
come from. When literature becomes dozy, re-
spectacle, and goes In the smooth grooves OF
fashion, and copies and copies again, something
must be done and TO give life TO that dying
literature a man must be found not educated
under it, influence.
The alRe OF the heart makes a pOct-the brain
not At all. The poet partakes more Of human
essentials than others. The power OF poet
gIits p6ssessed by an are found in the poet IN
more hamonized quantities.. He ia the big
brother OF all humanity. Because he has more
humanity than 1IheIs ne ~, on vow nS gHs
him oat meal for meat dress him In corduroy,
harden his hands with labor and burn his skin
with the hot sun q HARVEST , You Viii hpd
hard times. II ia no easy thing to be a poet.
God does not spoil His children. In Burns cot
tage was hlgh-hearted but poor man, who
would shrink from and scorn mean thing In
splfatlon comes to man with heart like Burns.
To him every creature In the folds, every blast
In the trees, every uplifting OF sunrise, every
sense stealing over him In labor, all played upon
his heart He was open, exposed like living
nerve Of the universe, to feel all its changes.
Was he TO be pitied with his thirty or forty dol.
lars a yearf MOI nature gives 70 all who will
receive. For such q man no pity, but the highest
envy. with humor TO the depths OF laughter,
with pathos to the depths Of tears, this man be
came conscious Of force moving within him
urging to utterance. He perceived, and made
Others see, that poetry lies all about US. lie would
not sing about the great mountains, hut about
the little stream running past his door, the Rrl
washing therein, and the daisies that grew on Its
banks.
You may talk Of the golden age in the begin.
ming Of literature, Of the millennium 70 PEI o.
poetic heart would he, hut II you have not found
the poetry Of the life where you are, you VIII md
4 nowhere. Do strenuously the WORK oi t o-iay.
Burns, thinking what he would do u reduced to
beggary, wrote the poem commencing ITO lie In
barns y &c. It's what Imam Ia, and not what he
knows, that determines his rank, he taught US
in the poem that "A mans man for a. that"
Have we outRrOWn the need Of these lessOns7 II
Burns helps us to learn this he helps To great
end. lie taught well the love OF native country,
and that love Of country enables a man TO love
all who love their countries.
A right national song produces a unity which
nothing else can do. Next TO great war IA q
great national song TO Join people together. one
Of Burns songs Of conquest refers to the battle
Of BannOckbun, In which our English brothers
are well satisfied we got the best Of II. Although
a ScotthmAn the words OF seottS, VIVA nae"
&C., are supposed to be such as he would have
addressed to his countTyman on that occasion.
Here the lecturer repeated the poem, after re-
marking that there Is power IN the words OF a
Ills "Tam O'Shanter" is fun Of pathOs and the
knowledge Of humanity, and that abandon Of
genius and high night over the schools, which
on. Here the poem was repeated by DR.. Mac
donald, much 10 the delight Of the audience.
As a specimen Of Burns later song-wrlting he
repeated the humorous one OF
"Ohl whistle and III come TO you, my lad,"
and the pathetic song Of "Nanuies AVA"
The man born (he proceeded who does his
work half az well as he might II to he praised.
We cannot think, loving burns as we do, that he
might not have done his work bettsr-not that
any one else could better It, The lecturer would
not admit any accusation against him on the
grounds Of religion, though admitting that GER
tain phrases were too rough and daring. He
never wrote against Tellgion-only pretended
religion. The clergy Of his time were not those
to take a wanderer by the hand. When he wrote
"HOly Wlllle's Prayer he was full OF Just lndlg-
nation against hypocrisy.
There never was fTst-rate poet who was not
drawn toward religiOn-neyer one, not even
Byron-who had not a great sense Of something
wanting that only God could give.
In regard to his drinking he would he honest,
hut cdndemnlng the vice, he would not be unjust
to the man who commits IL. To call him q
drunkarl would he unfair. The vice was not
uncommon in his time. He had not then, as we
have now the restraint which comes from the
censure OF the respectable. His books were well
kept In his unCOngenial occupation, and though
often forced to borrow, he left no debts behind.
This was not like dTunkard. Would
charges could stop here. God never put a
great gift In a mans hand without giving
him strength TO guard u. When master
spirits come to this earth clothed In singing
robes, and cannot keep them white, alas for theml
Alas Tor him, whose conscience must accuse him
that he has not protected the weak nor been his
sisters keeper When he looked at hurnsi life
and words and works, he knew that hal he been
a purOr aud nubler-minded man like his father,
the work he has left behind him would not CON.
pare with the work he might have left
In no mans history were the conflicting forces
Of good and evil 80 strong. He did not yield up
at last, but kept on trying. one blessed COM
mAnd il that Judge not" Show II to Him who
Judges fairly. man will fall except he aspire
II seems God would not look on AMI see the
struggle In his heart, and took him aEay al the
age Of thlrty-seyen,