Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1878-04-06

g0L4 0FcL1 ~ " E&AAN-As - &@*& - -
.-Qaake4 pces, completed his sevenneth
ye.r on the 18th day of December; end
the evest vss marked, not emily by .
grand literary banquet in Boston, but by
testimonials to his genius and goodness
in many Of the periodicals. and papers
throughout the country.
1t has been said that rarely do the
great men of the world reach the highest
point of their fame during their lives;
that it 10 only after they have passed
away that their lofty qualities become
fully recognized. This was the case, at
least, with such poets as Shakespeare,
Milton, Cowper and Burns, whose fame
has been increasing ever since their
deaths.
But Whittier, like Longfellow, Bryant
and Lowell, has had the happiness of
finding his old age crowned with the
laurel leaves showered upon him by his
countrymens homage and veneration.
At seventy, be can feel that bis beautiful
poems are read in almost every American
household; that their pure and noble in
fuence has long been felt throughout
the land; that be is blest by thousands
a. Q man Of genius, whose use of bis
powers has been wholly devoted to the
side of true and good thoughts; and that
his serene and blameless life has won him
universal reverence and love.
Whittier has been known as a poet for
more than forty years; and if we look
back to the time when his verses were
beginning to attract attention, we are
amazed to find how few really good
American poets there had been before
him. Indeed, two or three names include
all our firstrate poets before Whittier be-
gan to write. Longfellow, Lowell and
Holmes, we're like him, yet not very wide.
ly known; Bryant, Dana, Emerson and
Poe were perhaps all whose poetry still
lives, and who had already won their fame
forty years ago.
It Is a noteworthy and pleasant feet
that, with the exception of Poe, all our
poets of the first class are still in our
midst. May one and all of them live to
green and happy old agel
Of all our poets, Whittier is perhaps
the one whose poems have fallen most
deeply into the hearts of the people, and
have stirred men most effectually to high
purposes and good actions. He seems
rarely to have written verses merely as
source of profit, or even for the sake of
pastime. His poems have been, for the
most part, devoted to some very earnest
cause or purpose.
whenever" says recent writer, "a
strong word needed to be said, fervent
protest to be uttered, or q good cause to
be helped, by an appeal which had the
voice has never been silent" So wide are
the sympathies Of his heart, DO clear his
insight into the virtues and failings of
the human bresst, that his eloquence ap-
peals to people in every condition of life,
and to every phase of happy or sorrowfI
feeling. He has been rightly called ''the
poet of humanity" for his poems show
how susceptible are his heart and genius
to thsenotioos Of every class.
II must mt be supposed that Whittier,
retired and Quaker - be ID, makes Q re-
eluse or her1ef Of himself. On the 9TH
er hand, be has always taken . keen inter-
cot in the evenfs of the world that veye
guing forward around him He hss seen
. psiitsciaE In the best sesse, usschisg
e.rpessiy TIE Progress a political sAsiss;
sss~n t~king psrs. by lesser. IN pssase dis
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