The Portland daily press., 1877-12-17
The Bard of New ENGLAND.

io-uay, tne seventeenth OF december, Is a
notable day in the annals of New England
literature and human freedom, as the seven
tieth anniversary of the birthday of John
Greenleaf Whittier. He has lived seventy
good and useful years-years filled with help
fulness of his kind, devotion to principle and
service to his God. He has been all this time
the true and active friend of good-the un-
sparing scourge of evil. 1t is specially fitting
that he should receive the tribute of praise
from us of New England, as he is the poet
who most perfectly typifes New England, in
the traits of sturdy independence, loyalty to
conviction and tenderness of heart, of which
the expression is concentrated and deepened
by the habitual reticence peculiar to his sect
He Is poet of the people, interpreting them
to themselves in verse-not intricate, blind
or confused with clamorous striving after new
manner of words-but simple, luminous and
ineligible in its nobly poised beauty. The
silence and reserve of the Friends, and the
quiet OF his surroundings were favorable to
the growth of the gift of Mr.. Whittier, allied
by nature to its circumstances. He waits for
the moving Of the spirit and speaks only as
he is led to utterance; his silence is the pre-
lude of his song-and never had heavenly
speech mortal Interpretation more crystal in
its absolute clearness, more utterly forgetful
of self and surrendered to the spirit, mighty
upon it.
In the days when to be an aboltionist was
to be regarded with aversion, suspicion or, at
least, ridicule, Mr.. Whittier was foremost in
advocacy of the cause of humanity. He saw,
made vivid with a poets imagination, the
wrongs daily and hourly inflicted upon an
oppressed and enslaved race; and felt for
them the keen pity of one whose religion was
that of love for God and friendliness for
Gods children, his brethren. Peace put a
sword in his hand; his voice was trumpet
through which the breath of the spirit blew
with certain sound, call to war that makes
for peace. A poet of peace, he sang the
songs of war; and the sweetness of his verse
that had won him the love and confidence of
his people, was strong to lead them to up
hold the just cause. Like bard of ancient
days, he was in the very thickest of the fight,
inspiring the chiefs, melting the people by
the vividness and strength with which he
sung the wrongs to be redressed and the
glory that waited for heroes of BATTLE His
appeal and incitement were not cried to deaf
ears; slowly but steadily, public sentiment
arrayed itself on the side Of right; and the
triumph was completed at the moment when
Abraham Lincoln signed the Act of Eman-
cipation. The external conditions of liberty
for the colored race are given them-their
acceptance of it, in its entire meaning. is
still before them and depends upon them
selves. The chains are struck from their
hands and feet, free motion must come from
their own volition; and what wonder if.
stiffened and weakened by their long-worn
bonds, they use their new liberty timidly and
clumsily. The sense of freedom is gradual
growth; mere knowledge that he is at liberty
to come and 60 is not enough for the black
man until the spiritsof freedom fills his being
and replaces in his mind the sense of slavery
that held him from independent thought and
action. 1t may reasonably be hoped that
Mr.. Whittier will live to see this final crown
of the good for which he so earnestly prayed
and labored-this silent working of the spirit
of liberty, become possible only after the
physical contest. John Greeneaf Whittier
was a noble chief in troublous times: and
when the need for stern warning and war
like counsel was over, he gladly went back to
his quiet home-life of Amesbury, singing in
praise of his country-trom which he had so
powerfully aided to lift shameful and crush
ing notwithstanding of its fields where man
is free as the birds, and its hills over which
the winds may blow warm from the South,
but bear no more cries of tortured men and
women, enslaved.
To some men is given the orators gift, to
enlighten the mind, convince the under
standing, assist the judgment of their fellow
men. They rise up and speak of danger
and mems minds are tremulous with fear;
they incite to the contest, and they that hear
them feel the fierce delight of combat; they
declare righteous things and lead men to put
them into action. To others, again, is given
the good gift of song, to mould by its persua-
sive music the mind of the people. Without
show of logic, argument or setting forth of
any judicial reason-poetry has, since earliest
times, seized powerfully upon the popular
mind. The poet OF people is he who sets
their best impulses to music. In John
Greenleaf Whittier the orator and the poet
are made one; in him righteous reason and
heavenly instinct labor together. May many
fortunate years yet follow one another in the
happy and honorable life of the man who
made the songs of the nation which have
become its laws.