The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1874-04-09
4 Poet Senator.

In the general desire to be funny over the
Senatorial contest, it has been found to have
a humorous effect to associate the names OF
men like Emerson and Whittier with the
word Senator. Whether or not there has
been a serious purpose on the part OF any
body to make ''Senator' Whittier and 'oen-
ator'' Emerson anything more real IMAM
curious coocatlon OF words Is uhoe '"'"'
But it would be difficult to tell why such men
should not be raised to positions OF poiitlcal
emipence. Enthusiastically cultivated itera-
nv tastes and especially literary fame are
almost perfect safeguard against lapses
from right conduct in official position. The
Bancrofts, Franklins, Tom Paines, Motleys,
Marshes, Hawthornes, and other American
writers who have in different capacities
served the State have uniformly been con-
spicuous for their perfect freedom from the
suspicion of corruption. Indeed any tenden-
cy toward literary pursuits seems to be a sin
gularly efficient adjunct of public virtue.
The Summers, Stewards and Wilson's, who in
an amateur way have written books, have
never fallen into those grave mistakes and
1rEemeQldDIG WuiSu nav p'io"oSN W
many other promising careers. To be man
OF cultivated mind, extensive reading and
well stored memory, and especially to be
man of high repnte as an author, is better
protection against the assaults OF temptation
than wealth and, as has been found in Our
late American experience, than piety.
Nor have literary men failed to exhibit a
surprising degree of executive and legislative
ability when clothed with power. France
has had no ADLER nor better public men than
Guizot, Theirs an Lamartine. In England
nearly all the leading men make literature
their means of relaxation. Disraeli is pro-
life author aid Gladstone has written Juuen-
tus Mundi. The last Tory Premier, Lord
Derby, made one of the very best TRANSACTIONS
of Homer. And has Parliament had any
more upright and able members than Tom
Hughes, Fawcett, Forster, Mill and the Duke
of Argyle?
1t would be almost new experiment, 10
be sure, to put poets into the political har-
ness. Mr.. SAKE has once or twice been a
candidate for Governor of Vermont; but
then he isn't poet. No doubt the idea of
Longlellow or Bryant, coming with his sing
ate with MerrImon from the ''Piney woods or
the roaring Texan Flanagan, or the Machia-
vellian Cameron, there to discuss the finan.
ces and intrigue for reelection, excites in the
mind curious sense Of incongruity. But
poets are not necessarily deficient in hard po-
litioal ~ fav Cd ~
Milton who to-day turn away from Paradise
Lost and Comus to read the Incompatible
prose works in which the rights of man are
described and resistance to tyrants justified.
There was no practical politician whose
speeches showed a more thorough apprecia-
ton of the real nature of our contest with
Mexico, and afterwards with the slave power
than Mr.. Lowell in his unapp-oachable big
Glow Papers" And let it not be forgotten
that the services of the great poet last mem
TONED. as well as those of Longfellow, Whit
tier and Bryant in the overthrow of slavery,
were quite valuable Clavsos " GoAnl,Sx,
Chase and Wade. Woe to that cause in be-
half of which no bard can sing, but against
which he must lift up his sacred voice and
prophecy! 1t is doomed-it is already dead!
Nobly did our American poets fulfill this i'm
portant duty-boldly and eloquently did they
chant their fierce, unrelenting measures, in
which the damning sin was held up to ever
lasting execration. And it would not be an
altogether inappropriate recognition of the
services of the MUSES. in the confused and moi
sy but still glorious field of politics, to elect at
some time, somewhere, one or more of their
votaries to important public station. Whitti-
er, sitting in the Senate with his placid Qua
ker face, with mind purified from all human
dross by lifelong communion with high ideals
why, he might by the very sight of him,
still the brute elemental forces that are rag
ing there and what t.psy western ''warhorse"
could rise to utter his inarticulate rant, with
the calm eyes of the divine Emerson looking
at him from neighboring seat?