New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1877-12-17
.1OHY GREEyLEAF WHITTTER.

nal and snirtuol IMPRESSIONS to the Influences OF
nature and the utterances of inspired men,
which. even then. separated him wholly from
his Youthful companions. The simple lie OF
his father seemed to be destined for nm, as
of theirs for them, but the quiet boy was poet
and hig feet had already turned aside forever
from their paths. When he was only eighteen
wears DID, his first poem was puDllshed III
Newburyport paper then edited by William
Lloyd Garrison 1t was called 1.-The Sea ne
has never reprinted it in his works, and has,
probably, wholly forgotten the lines. len
years afterward another boy, eight years Old,
found them in an ancient, tattered newspaper,
and has kept this first stlnza securely III his
memory:
Unfathomed deep unfcttered waste
or ncyer-cnding wayesl
Each by its rushing follower chased
Through unlumined caves,
Beneath the rocks. whose turrets rude,
Even since the birth Of Time;
Have heard amid their soltude
The pillows ceascless chime.
This is remarkably finished verse for
boy of eghteen-even though that boy was
John Greenleaf Whittier. 1t indicates sense
of harmony and proportion, which was after
wards partially suppressed by his oyerrullng
conscience and zeal Il R"torner and has
only rcappearcd in his later poetry. We have
no circumstantial records OF the transition
period between his twentieth year. when he
was still working on his fathers farm, and his
twcnty-third year. when, in conjunction with
George u. Prentice. he BEGAN TO edit the Ner-
Ergiapd Weekly Rerie5c, published at Hartford,
by John j. Phelps. Ii was undoubtedly Il time
Of trial and uncertainty; and then, when his
name as poet, was beginning to be favor
ably known, he took the daring step which
for many years thereafter seemed TO shut him
out from n place in his country literature.
His peaceful Quaker garb covered soul alive
with courage and ever ready for righteous
battle. About the year 1892, he became i'm
pressed with the great wrong of Human
Slavery, and threw aside all other aims Of his
life to join the little band OF despised and
prosecuted AbolitlOnists.
Whtuer's poetry suddenly, ard even start
lugly, changed in character. The entire force
of ms conscience, the fire of bis moral iudis-
nation, and the intensity of his feeling as a
man and patriot, were poured into his verse
until il pierced almost like Il cry to the very
hearts Of his readers. He became the Voice
fer which few had been Wc0lily waiting,
yet which cXlspcrated and terrified the whole
country. To those few, therefore, Whittier at
once became q prophet; to the many, an OBJ
irct OF utter detestalion. At a time when the
influence OF the South was predominant in our
National councils, and when the South still
uosse.sed some Of her great men, 1t was the
extreme of dcflnre to i,uH Against Governor
NcDuHie, Of South Carolina, such sca,hing III
yectiyc as this:
King OF CIrullna hail.
Last ampou OF Ogpression'7 battle.
Lord of rca-tiercr ald cotton Dac,
o, sI,ar5oy and human c,,te!
Even as late "a 1911, Poe, in his paper on
"Aut0graphs Of Authors did not dare to speak
of Whittier except to succr at him. For four
years-flom $50 to 1SlO-thc poet edited The
Pennsylvania Freeman, in Philadelphia, and
then retired to his home in Amcsbury, whore
ne has since lived quiet but not a secluded
life. Whenever Il strong word needed I'd be
aid, icryent protest to be uttered, or good
cause TO be helped by an appeal which had
the force and ling of a prayer. his voice
has never been silent. lie is the only Amer
lean poet who ms ever narrowly escaped per-
sonal violence mt the h ndS of a mob, AMI yet
who has lived to be almost embarrassed by
the measure OF affection and reverence poured
J
him is source of THANKSGIVING to all his
couHtrymcn. Had he died twenty-five years
ago, ii would have associated his memory with
It C.r.an sadness and regret. For our own
sake As for his, we rejoice that he still lives.
Ii Is wei, also fog his literary renown, that
ne ma, been allowed 10 iiil the P>almIst's
allotment of years. Although, after the year
1850 his circle ol readers was steadily grow
ing and his permanent place in our literature
WAS secure, he could net be- called q popular
poet until the publication OF his " Snow
" Bound" ia 1866. This pocm which seemed
like the work or some bloomfield in higher
sphere OF intellect and Imagination than the
English, opened to him every door winch had
been previously closed. Since then he is
known to all, Is once to the few. The tributes
spontaneously offered to him by his brother
authors, in advance of this seventeen birth
day, are such rs no man in America has
ever received. And they speak, moreover,
for thousands, nay, millions, who are silent
We have learned, fortunately, that the age
thus commemOmted is not that where tne
poets prOluctyeAcss ceases \ greater age
fills to mar the grace Of Bryant's hand Long
fellow, nearly year older than Whittier, has
written few poems of such vivid and pie
tIrc,quc beauty as his last " Leap of ROushan
Beg" and the same number OF The atlantic
00ih.y contains "A poem by Whittier himself,
which shows all the Thythmical sweetness
AID spiritual suggc,tlvcnc,s Of his best years.
Long may he live to enjoy the last fortune
which comes to poct-the knowledge that
la mn. al. 4