New-York tribune., 1878-12-31

e i'm The situation Of tue country but one supreme
He saw the system OF slavery entrenched IN vas
Interests traditions and Ir iudccs, ~ the spirit OF
party the umdiy of trade IN constitutional intel
pretaon the iduatry OF the UDlon and In q vague
aud universal apprehension Of tho Illnpitabe evil
OF resistance. He saw lts yast power. re ae
e1ped.eucy, every appeal 0f possible calamity: lie
naa deprecated agitation which seemed to hm only 10
eXaspsrate feeling and ryet bonds mole closely but
now he saw-mOt ~ n Democfai, not as NeV-Yorker.
not a sNOrtnerner-he saw as man that humanity
wa IN danger, where he could help lac saw as Am
America H. that America a. lmpcricd; he life
loug hbertY, that liberty was vitality assaled
declared In the spriug Of 1856. against toe extension OF
slavery, aud five years ner rvs whole political ialth
burst form one iudig uani peal OF patriotism:
"Our country calls-away. away
10 where the hlood sirs am bets the green
That Time in all his course has seen.
strike for thar broad and soocly land.
blow after bow, Il men shall see
I'5 hhd sgi sid. @nS as S&' teT SG a@ph an m 1e"u
But he renounced of his political principles, and
when tendency To more consolidated ana power III
centa authority was na urally developed 9y tine
according to ho atn OF lie he counseled the states
a'y llrnaird from tne Union could De surely
stored. aud equal rights most irmly secured only BY
feeling. 6y long patience and slow proc'sSos
OF healing. II was the same man, ine zane
pes. who. In 1882, praised Jachsons pr"elamal'o"
against nulihcau'u, anu IN loo summed ai tA.ct"a.
New-iork; who. IN 1868 sustained tue EMANCIPATION
Proclamation, ahJ IN $50, uenoniee3 the ne I ll,es
laturc OF Louisiana. Eut IS hc passed thTongh
parties 50 be- pas5,d o o. n @ .r Mp ,b 5n'IE hhers
IHng aud mcloNlUg influence a. tlmt he gIadAhhy o..
came 20, was aid uf Si Robert Peel, himself parry
lie n,id been - Fcderaist, Democrat. aud a puOii-
CAu uut all only names Ui le various uniforms
I'M vbcn lie served the same cause caGse OF his
yout aud of hs age tho of America and UT human
Ir,ant made his nth voyage to Europe IN 1857,
tf.vc lIug in spain aud Aelcs. ana hc puohcd vol
uuc OF 'irtrIs rOm sptin' upon his return he went
again ls61 dni loG5. seven tmes ~ an. H. was
duuug hls ab-cuce. 1853, that be was baptized IN
Napl-s. He had been reqousy bred In New whhgland
COugrrgauou4i-nI, hut winch he came To NcW-1orh hc
went TO the little Unitarian church In Caaubers-st.
near Broadway, OF vnich v Nilam Ware, the mid an'i
apostolic Antuor OF tue Letters from PaimJfa' va.
pastor. lie went Afterwards 10 tue Second
thu.eh, OF which DR.. Dewey ana Dr: .ii o.;
good were subsequently, p'iuist r. and he stayed
in that pansn unill 1868, when no found the
S,r ReS Si p BcoSs was pastor more accesbls in
that uar.sh renamed aud from that choreh ho was
,iy"s, @ VI i,, cuIy The splfit of iberiy Whcn was
tnc natlyr his sou fcrcd the celestial graces OF
faith hope aud charity. and he was, as his poetry aud
lie testify, IS entiAly iehs1nS mn; lhI poem poem
In May, 1858. communicates the recovery OF his
wife from "a serious Illness. 4 nttc time before. IN
The Rev. Sr Wnlersion, OF Boston, on tae shore OF
the bay n pies bc spoke "lth soened heart OF The
new beauty ti.t he frit IN the old truth, and pro
posed To his friend to baptizn him, Win prayer aud
hynn ana spiritual meditation litlle company OF
seven, saws Mr. Wa.er-on IN arSe upprr looni as ~
tue Christian story, p3rtook ot the Communion. ana
wh his good graz head bowed dowh' Bryant was BAY
"A 1 Il become "A
threcscole and tel Ine pleaSaht cl5 that he knew
shen be came 10 NrwYork was now the chief city Of
The Western Con mCnt, one of the great cities
of the world A; and the poet whose immortal dis
I tnefiun II was 10 have Wrt,n lhr hIst mt m
Orahle American poem, and whose lame Was part
OF the National glory the editor VINO, with periect
scld.bu6,s ana unsWerying drty, nad eAuOunued ana
defended great fundahrntdi pincp e. ot National pro-
ieSs and prosperity. became Patriarch, Mentor,
our mi consp p.cuoIs ciuzeu. Every movement of art
sought the aocoration oi his Ime. HI, prcsruce was
the grace 81 fostiya and although he tad always
Al Xlsl llel
iatc b,nignAnt for tc community aud to hs Ohet
distinctions added that o tho OCCASIONAL orator Yet MI
such associations were not only guided with tue
lustrc of his rcno"n; they h'd not ONLY
and yarioGs o6servatlop pu incrc was the stimulus or
his temperament and character. HIS coilpanlpus III
socrty and At tie club knew that his great literary
acconipishnc was absolutely without pcdantry
while II gave his CONVERSATION and writing the charm OF
apt ausion most lelicitous quot Ion; but they
knew alto how much greater was the than the
scholar and that bis character was AS line as his genius
SIMPLE DIGNITY OF HIS LIFE AND CHARACTER.
We Jaw his life the simple dignity which We asso-
ciato with the Ola republics. So Lycurgus may have
ruled In Sparta 80 Cato may have walked In ROmran
uncrowned regality In that venerable bead, Of
nurtured In republican air. upon republican traditions
But here and now this when our hearts recur
to that Pilgrim landing IRON which 50 much Of
AmeiIca sprarr may gratefully remember that
th.s son Of eE-Iugland was always, IN the
American lie lott, red with the sympathy of poet
with the fOndness of scholar, with the interest OF
political thiuser III other aud historic iaudS lie saw
the Rhine and the Danube, Italy Germany England
and spain Palestine and the West ludies fe was wei
coined aud fattercd by famous men and hehhtlIul Wo
out grave and smpe pismsga D m eGo
Forth wind blows through garden ol spices VINO
ever saw Bryant saw Amercn Whoever 'akra Win %,n
him felt the chaldcteli~llo zone TL hiIer'vtn I n
life. Whoever knew hm comnrehended the
& nma Mnny Hmerans GSvr been as wslny
welcomed other lands many have Acknowledged
6nr ever or,. fully aud truly carried with him the per
fertly apprecIaiiyc bur mdazzed America; America
c",Isin or the older world born to great
a heritage aud satisfied with her own. You
in tae snlno way at home he Amerlcanzcd every
occas sion. every enterpuse IN winch he took part,
guest snfully wthsanding the current OF excessive
compliment natural az such times yet without mOrOTe
with most friendly regard for the rites OF hospitality
! gently reminding ts that manly and seITespnctlhg
From his childhood and all through his eighty four
wears his haHs OF life temperate and cDretuL Inc
| spriug in a sheltered upland nook at Cunmlngton Is
sll SHOWN Ia which the infant boz was 6aed ana the
! charmed his life A PLAIN meIhod Of living was
| natural 10 hIn, aud the same moderation when
! was the law of hiA mental ana moral Drlhg
| asserted Itself In every bodily habit. He rose
early, took active exercise, walked far aud easily,
spared work night yet had time for every DUTY OF
fully occupied life, and at seyentyone sat down IN the
shadow of great OF ls life 10 seek wise dis
traction In trlusiating the illad anu the odyssey ms
sobricty effTtess 10 was tnat or sound man. not or
an ascclc. He not vegetarian nor tola abslane
from wine bu al tobacco he said paytuy that ne dd
not mCddc with II except TO quarrel With It's use Ne
man ever bere the burden Of years more lightly, and
men nf younger generations saw with admiratiOn aud
amaleucn au agility tat shaned their own. Al four
score his eyes we're undimmed and his mad boys
| acuteness. Temperance, regularity, supreme good
sense we're hs euy rules OF living. and these brought
| him to that hale and gracious aye ia which he could
have applied 10 himself most htngly the lofty lines O
| EmcrsOn.
| "As the bipl Trims her to the gale,
| THU myself Ia the storm Ot TINA
| I mau the ruddpf reef The sail,
| Obey the Voice at owe, oboyed al primo
| LowIy faithful, banish fear,
| Right onwam drive uuhaFmed,
| The port welt worth the cruise IL near
| And s charmed !"