Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1875-08-01
MEMORIAL TO BYRON.
EBg giEnO's National Honor TO the Mem.
Org OF the POeG-HeetinE Of RO3a-
bIes ta London.
DIsTReII's TTtbUte 30 ths Author of
"Chiide BarOIG'-speeches by
Earl stansope aud
Mr. 6. A saIa.

DisEael'B TTtbUte 20 the Author al
'ChIlde KsrOlG"-speeches by
Earl EIansope aud
nr. 6. A saIa.
7 London Times, July I7th.l
/ Yesterday afternoon a large and in
: tiuential meeting was held at WiIiis's
rooms to consider and determine what
means should be taken to sound a na-
tiOnsl memorial Of Lord Byron, the IL
I lustTious poet. Mr.. Disraeli was called
( TO the chair, and among others present
! were Ear Of Mslmesbury, Earl Of Love.
| lace, Earl Of Bradford, Earl of Rosslyn,
| Earl StauhOpe, Lord Houghton, Ioru
/ Claude Hamilton, NJ. P, Viscount Sid
mouth, General Sir William COdrington,
! ATchdeacOn TrOllOpe, Sir Walter Stir
ling, Sir Rige9ald Graham, Mr.. Bailie
Co3hrane, NJ. P, Colonel Gourley, MI ,,
Mr.. Edward Irelawney, MI. Matthew
Arnold, General James Grant Wilson,
Of New York; Mr.. Fredrick Locker, and
many other persons OF note. The large
hall Of the building was crowded to ex-
C5s5.
Mr.. DISRAELI'S SPEECH.
Mr.. Disrseli, on rising to open the
proceedings, was loudly cheered. He
said:
LADIES AND GENTLENIEN-I am
happy to meet for the first time the
members Of the committee who have
before consulted on the subject which
will engage our attention to-day. But
before we do 50. wish TO take this op-
pOTtunity of attempting to draw your
minds to the contemplation of the real
OF ject which we have before us. In the
twelfth year OF this century poem was
published by q young maa who instant
ly commanded the sympathies of the
nation. THERE'S no instance in literary
records OF success so sudden and so
lasting. To use his own words, he
"awOke one morning and found himself
famous" From that time for twelve
years he poured out q series of complete
inventions, which are not equaled for
their number and their consistency
Of purpose in the literature OF
any country, ancient or mod
ern. Cheers. Admirable for
many qualities, for their picturesque
ness, their wit, their passion they are
most distinguished by their power OF
expression, and by the sublime energy
OF their Imagination. [Cbeers And
then, after these twelve years, he died.
He die l say, in the fulIness of his
fame, having enjDyed in his lifetime a
degree Of celebrity which has never
ia jen to the lot of any other literary
man-nOt only admired in his own
country, but reverenced and adOred in
Europe. Cheers ! How is it then,
that, after half century has elapsed,
we are met here for the fist time in pub
lie meeting to devise some means of a
national expression OF admiration and
gratitude to qualities so transcendent?
1t has been said az some reason for this
strange and dark neglect that the pri-
vate character of this poet was not ss
iliustTiOus as his public one. When half
q century has elapsed private character
is scarcely an element OF literary
genius, [Cheers. But of his priva te
character it may be said that it was am
bigu0us, and that CT it little is clearly
known; and there is 10 man in this room
aye, would say even in this country
that upon that SUI ject can presume to
give 8 definite and precise opinion.
Loud cheers. But then it was said, as
another excuse, that his works were de-
ficient in morality, AMI that he INDUCED
in too frequent speCulatiOns on those
subjects which the human mind can
never penetrate, but which it is organ
ically formed to reverence. And yet it
must be remembered that he was born
in al age of contracted sympathies and
restricted thought, and that much which
he then questioned has since been sur
rendered Cheers. If he fell, which
he undoubtedly did, into many errone-
Gus conclusions upon divine subjects, it
may be urged for him that ne was very
young. | remember once Lord Lynd-
hurst discussing the character aud career
Of MT. Canning, and then asking some
one who was present what was the pre-.
else age at which Mr.. Canning died. !
He was tOlG that he died at the age of if |
ty-siX. What, said Lord Lyndhurst, |
then advanced in life, but yet in the !
fullness Of mis- complete capacity, "OnIy !
ffty-5iX? Why, he was mere boy" |
\ laugh. But we must remember that !
when.ByTOn died he was twenty years
younger than Mr.. Canning, and ia any |
speculatiOns upon his character and ca |
Teer this element in that wonderful |
character and marvellous career should |
never be omitted. It should always be |
remembered. say that we are specu-
lating on the life one who, like those |
whom the gods love, died young. !
[ Cheers During these fifty years that
nave elapsed. aud during which no pub. |
lie meeting has ever been called to re-
cOgniza his merits, chorus of poetast- |
erS have unnecessarily worked to decry |
his abilities, and ultimately to even de-
ny his genius. Cheers. No one who
has ever tTaveIed in Greece can ever |
question for moment the place of By
ron as . poet Of the highest class. He
has Impressed his mind on that country !
more than any poet who has existed
siBce Homer. Cheers There is not a
cape, prOmont0ry, or q column that he |
has not touched with the fire or sutfused |
with the sweetness OF his song. II you
follow him il his Italian residence, you
Will find that Italy was to him a source
of scarcely inferior inspiration. But the
does not depend upon local
1t will remain, as it IL
now recognized, an uuexampled picture
Of human nature and q triumphant eff
fort OF the English tongue. Cheers.
We are met here, then, to-day, at last
10 do some justice to one Of the greatest
Of EDgland's sons. Cheers What
form your feelings should take it will be
for you to decide. You know, and you
will know more as these proceedings
continue, what has been attempted. |
can unaffectedly apologize for not hav-
ing taken any part in the previous pro-
1eedings. My life is a busy and an ur-
gent one, and l could only lend to the
the depth of my sympathy.
Cheers. But when saw in the move
nent respecting a tablet that it was
sanctioned by the presence and the act
we interp0sltiOn OF one who had the
nearest and ,pTOudest claim to interpose
n such business-I mean the soG-in-
aw Of Lord Byron [cheersl, who more
han forty years ago was my companion
II that Albania which Byron celebrated
I felt that it was under the influence of
kindly and able cOunseIs. For myself,
hOugh l presume not to dictate to this
assembly what form their feelings
IhOuid assume in this respect, 1 will ex-
Jress my individual desire to see in
Ome public place 8 emblance Of this