Ellsworth American., 1877-11-29
A New Definition Of Man.
ny WILLIAM CULLEN BRYANT.

ny WILLIAM CULLEN BRYANT.
At the reception rendered by the Goethe
Club to Mr.. William Cullen Bryant, the
venerable poet made a pleasant speech, in
which he accounted for the attention
which was shown 10 him, by q Few aud
amusing theory. He said:
II cannot accept the compliments which
have been paid me as il they were justly
my due, and n could not parry most OF
them and put them aside l should have
reason to stand abashed and confused in
your presence. You will, therefore, allow
me to ascribe the kindness which has
been shown me this evening to cause
which you will admit to be sufficiently OBJ
vious-namely. to the long life which /
have led-the late old age which | have
reached-an existence prolonged consider
ably beyond the common lot. One who
has passed rather inoflensively beyond the
milestones which mark the stages of life up
to fourscore is looked upon by the reft of
mankind with certain compassionate
feeling. He cannot do much more mis-
chief they naturally and justly think, and
therefore pay safely be praised. His furth-
er stay upon the earth Is necessarily short,
and it Is therefore II charitable thing to
make that short stay pleasant Besides,
he has become, by reason OF his very few
coeyals, a sort OF curiosity-a rare instance
and rarity often gives value and price to
things which are In themselves intrinsically
worthless. Let me pursue this thought a
little further. There have been various at
temps to give a concise definition of the
term man founded on some peculiarly
which distinguishes the human race from
all other animals, our fellow inhabitants OF
this plaaet. Some have defined man as n
talking animal. Notwithstanding the In
stance OF the parrot; some "a laughing
animal, although there is a laughing hy-
ena; ahd some as cooking animal, the
only animal that roasts ctestnuts, over
looking the ancient tradition Of the monkey
who used the paws OF the cat to draw the
nuts from the fire.
II Will venture TO give another defni-
ton, to which think no objection can
well be made. | would define man as the
animal that delights in antiquities No
other creature gathers up the relies of past
wears and deposits them Ia museums and
guards them with care and points them
ont 70 the wonder OF others. It is only
mau who GiIS among the ruins Of cities
destroyed Ion. ago, In order 70 unearth
the domestic implements and personal
adorumeuts OF the human race when IL
was yet IN it, infaucy-as Schliemann aud
others are doing, thiuhiug themselves
fortunate In proportion TO the rudeness
aud ciumsiness. in other words the autil-
uity, OF these objects. Ii we were TO hear
ol monkeys turning up the earth among
old tombs IN search OF the earrings aud
necklaces OF those who lived In the time of
the Trojan war. we should be struck with
amazrnient, and word would at once be
cent 70 Darwin by his disciples that here
wa> 3 now proof OF the doctrine of evolu-
tinu. But older than Priatn aud 4 Agamen-
non are the remains OF the lake dwellcrs of
a distant period OF the worlds history.
when men lived IN hahttAtions built on
wharf- over the water aud used only i'm.
plcmeuts of stone, the u-e ot metals not
being yet discovered. Stone axes aud
stone spear heads have been h>hrd up
from the mud OF these water~-the token,
ui time WHEN warriors hammered ,acn
other u dratl with rude weapons OF flint
and granite. These have been diligently
collected and daintily handled. and laid up
in cabinets OF curiosities, and gazcd at and
wondered al, and mad" the subject OF
books and elaborate trcatises and lighter
magazine articles. All their value consists
IN the many years which have elapsed
since they were made by the worknen Of
a rude and simple age. Offer one Of these
stone axes 10 voodmsn 10 De used IN his
vocation, and he would reject Il with scorn.
He might by great effort brui-e down a
tree with II, bat he could not be sad 10
cut II down. Offer il To butcher that he
may use il In Telling an OK, and he would
laugh At the clumsy instrument and de-
manl an axe OF metal. Rejected as it
would be for lack OF utility in ministering
To our necessities or our comfort. il Is vet
nude much OF; it is written about and
talked about. aud men see in il whole
chapter Of the history OF mankind | have
thus shown how natural II Is that those
who are LEFT 10 grow very old become by
that circumstance alone the objects OF
Kind a,t.ntion. For such testimonials Of
Til, kindness as | have received this even
Ing return. alone with my acknowledg-
ments. my good wishes afso. May you
all who hear me yet become antquities-
not amer the fashion OF the stone axes
which have described, nor after the fash
ion Of him who has described them; but
after the manner of the pole star, which
century after century has guided by it,
useinl light the navigator on the sea and
the waLdrrer on the land. May you be-
come antiquities like the venerable noun
tains which attract the clouds and gather
the rains into springs and rivulets. and
send them down 10 give lite and refresh
ment to the fields below May you berome
antiquities like the blessed and ancient
sun. which ripens the harvest of the earth
for successive generations Of mankind,
and al the end of every day leaves ia the
western ky glorious memory OF his gen.
ial brightness"