The Republican journal., 1877-01-04


LYcErM. The second lecture of the Belfast home
course was given on Monday evening by Rev David
f. Estes. Subject-Our Own Poets. The lecturer
dealt exclusively with the poets of America, and
their claims to public favor and regard. He said
that the men who to give the enduring stamp to
the literature of this country have yet appeared
The great novelist the great dramatist and the great
poet yet in the future. We have poets to be
sure, but net of the enduring sort. They please to-
day and are forgotten tomorrow. The test of time
has yet to come. Our earliest poets have faded en-
tirely. The people have been too busy in shaping
a country to remember them. The speaker
gave high praise to Percival, and read from his
works. Brainard's Falls of Niagara, and Dana's
Buccaneer were spoke nhighly Of Fitz Greene H al
leck's Marco Bozzaris and brakes Culprit Fay
were alluded to as gems Of beauty-as was also Hal
leck's tribute to the latter
Green be the turf above thee,
Friend of my better days
None knew thee but to love thee
None named thee but to praise.
Coming down to the poets of to-day, or those just
passed away, he spoke with feeling of Edgar A. Poe
the hayward genius of sad life and sad DEATH 'swhen
the fever called living was at last" Keys Star
Spanged Banner is thrilling battle song. John
Howard Payne, Sprague, Emerson, and others were
in turn noticed. Religious poets We're alluded to-
Willis, SAKE, Oliver Wendell Holmes Aldrich Tay
lor, the sisters Carey Trowbridge, Hay, Mrs Priest
Elizabeth Akers Allen were each considered Walt
Whitman belonged to the school of poeical mon
strosites-and there was certain queerness about
Joaquin Miller, Carlton and Bret Harte Mr. Estes
then considered the four great living poets of Amer
ica-Longfellow, Bryant, Whittier and Lowell. lie
criticised each in turn, giving selections from their
writings, and ended with avowing preference for
Lowell who combined, in his estimation, the best
qualities of all the others-at the same time acknowl-
edgng that such would not be the popular verdict.
The lecturer shew great familiarity with the poets,
which must be the result of thorough reading and
keen appreciation ny one in love with his subject.
The next lecture will be delivered January Is. by
DIR. Elmer Small
THE COMMERCE or BELFAST EY SEA During
the eleven months extending from February LIST
1876 January 1st 1877 the arrivals of sailing
at this port numbered 7l3, and the number of de-
partures for the same time G9. Of the arrivals
Il from foreign ports, thus: l from Rouen.
France from Limerick, Ireland; 3 from Cuba
and 12 from the Provinces; the foreign cearances
were 49, each for Nassau, N. F., Curacao, Minatit
Ian, and Savinilla, South America, and IS for the
Provinces 1t is estimated that not far from 100 yes
sells have taken cargoes hence to foreign and south
ports, and probably not less than 1876 have been
loaded with hay by dealers for the southern
states and New England ports. Considerable ice has
been shipped to the West indies the south and New
York. That. useful and very valuable commodity
he potato, has received more than ordinary atten
ton, and many thousand bushels have been sent TIC
different localities, principally to New York. Phila
delphia and Baltimore. Also more or less business
has been done in lumber, slaves, paving stones
country produce, etc. OF the whole number of ar
rivals If were under British coors, the rest Amer
can. so far as is known, only one vessel with g
cargo from Belfast has been totally lost,-the sch7
General Meade, recently abandoned on Green Island
Reef, near Portland; and this case is probably the
only one where Belfast We sci has been seriously
damaged the past season. The most notable i'm
ports have been coal. corn, lumber, rags, paper
stock leather and plaster-rock. These have either
been distributed throughout the country or used for
manufacturing purposes. That our city is well
adaptedor shipping during the entire season is well
known, and our merchants not slow in taking
advantage of this fact; only in the very coolest Of
winter is the harbor closed to navigation and ord
narily there is not enough ice to ncommode vessels
in the least. We should not object to little severity
occasionally, since the exception is necessary te
prove the rule.