The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1879-05-29
THOMAS M00RE'S BIRTHDAY.
GRACEFUL TRIBUTEs TO THE MEMORY
or IRELIND'S GREAT POET

solo-Poems by Stoddard and savage. ard /
m Oration by Richard O'Gorman-Unveii- /
ing . Bust Of the Poet In Prospect Park.
The Academy OF Music was thronged /
dcnsey last night upon the occasion Of the
Moore Centennial celebration. In the fore
ground Of the stage. between the proscenium
boxes. was the orchestra of fifty pieces. under
direction OF Gilmore. Behind them, upon
benches raised in amphtheatric form. were
seventy five sopranos fifty altos. fifty tenors.
and one hundred and twenty five bartones and
bassos, specially trained to sing certain OF
Moore's melodies.
Chief Justice C. P. Daily delivered a short
Introductory address. He read DR.. o. W.
Holiness poem upon Thomas Moore. written
IN 1888. shortly after the death OF the great
Irish lyric poet. and made some happily chosen
remarks thereupon. To no poet. he said, could
the term minstrel" be more felicitousy ap-
Piled than to Moore. The works by which he
would be longest and most deeply cherished in
the hearts OF the people Of all lands. were his
songs OF liberty and OF the heart. The COM
mittee in charge OF this celebration had. there
fore. seen At to make the production Of some OF
his melodies the principal feature OF this COM
memoratlve festival. selecting those most widely
known and deeply felt for the occasion.
Then Gilmore came toward. waved his baton.
and the great chorus Of three hundred stood up
and sang Let Erin remember the days OF old"
in manner that elected rounds OF applause
and an encore.
Mr.. George Simpson sang The Minstrel
Boy with orchestral accompaniment.
Then the Misses Conron sang Flow on.
thou shining river"
Mr. Charles Roberts read n stirring poem
written for the occasion by Richard Henry
Stoddard
"On. in the stilly night was sung by Mrs.
Florence Rice Knox.
Mrs. Belle Cole executed The harp that
once through Tara's Halls" and then Richard
oGorman. Esq. delivered the following ad-
dress:
The music for while has ceased The tide
Of harmony which has swept wave after wave.
over your charmed senses is at rest. and though
10 ears. like yours. still under the spell, spoken
yet on an occasion like this something should
be spoken, and that part OF the ceremonies has
fallen on me. 1t meant TO be but an interlude.
and should be n short one.
One hundred years ago into this breathing
world. came the man whose memory we are
lions OF men have lived aud died. and their
very existence is forgotten. The dry leaves
away by the winter blast are not more
utterly lost in oblivion than they. And yet
that serves Gs returns some token Of lis srat
tude. But on those who have given TO
Il new store Of high and ennobling thouehts-
who have touched the fountains OF generous
emotion that lie deep in mems hearts-who
have helped to make life brighter. more Joy
GUS. more forRiving. and more loving-on those.
us best and tIuest beneiactors, mankind. from
the fulness OF its great heart OF hearts. pours
out all the richest treasure of its love. They
are never forgotten. Empires may fall. dynas-
ties perish. great cities crumble into ruin. and
not trace OF their existence remain. Wealth
and all the splendid forms Of civilization 1t cre-
ales and DESTROYS may pass. rs the wind. away.
the chieItains who have led the march OF mind
onward and upward into realms OF purer hap
piness never Wholly de' Lime S ,tselr nSspmsd 3Sec1es
amid the wreck OF ages untouched by stain or
decay. their memory lasts forever. fresh and
Among this chosen few-in the midst OF this
sacred choir Of immortals. crowned with
wreaths that never fade he stands, in whose
honor not we alone, hut thousand cities all
over the earth. keep festival to-day.
ing through a long lie the light heart Of boy
hood. the bloom and charm OF youth-happy
even In keeping unchanged the name OF en-
dearment that loving lips first gave him, he
was Tom Moore then; ali through his brilliant
careerLthrough, earnest, active ,nanhood3I
as Tom Moore he will be- known and loved as
long as the language in which he sung is
spoken among men-as long as the blue sea
holds In It's embrace the island Of his birth.
In the few minutes which are allowed me, II
would be idle TO attempt even sketch oil the
He was born in Dublin, OF family. not rich,
yet not absolutely poor. but in that middle class
otforune in which not only the moral worth OF
society, but its vigor and mental force. are gem
orally found 10 reside. No pains were spared TO
make his education thorough and complete.
and after finishing his course in Trinity Col
leee. no went 10 London with the intention OF
translation which he had made OF the odes OF
the Greek Anacreon" into English verse, and
was lucky enough TO get it published. 1t was a
quisite finish were at once recognized. and
Tom Moore awoke, one morning 70 md him
self famous, and welcomed. by the best literary
coteres in London.
But apart from his scholarship and author
ship there was something about the man him
self sngularly prepossessng. He was a re-
markably handsome young fellow-small. but
well proportioned and graceful His manners
were charming. his conversation intelligent
bright, and genial, and he sang with voice el
exquisite sweetness and expression: Best oI
all. Tom Moore was in thought. and word, and
act. always and everywhere. gentleman. For
such man. 50 accompl shed. so fortunate. So
clal success was certain, ana Tom Moore; In
fact, at twenty-two years OF age. was the darling
OF the most brilliant society in England.
"Oh. what pityl" said one OF the queens OF
society in his hearing at some social gathering
inx s gong nqa To- the bar Oh what is plty
The young man himself arrived. no doubt. al
the same conclusion-at any rate. he devoted
himself thenceforth wholly to literature and
made authorship the business OF his lie. The
bar may perhaps have lost learned Iurist hu
the world surely gained a charming poet His
achievements in various kinds OF literary com
position-his almost unvarying success in all
him only In one capacity Tom Moore was
minstrel" and, TO my mind. the greatest 9t al
llH mluStfelh VINO nave ever uSbu llllb Eng
lish speech. Poets there have been whose i'm
peral thoughts like thunder rolling among tht
mountains, still reverberate over all the world
Among these Tom Moore has no place. The
heavy armor OF the epic poet he was perhaps
not strong enough 10 bear. Besides In his
time, epic poems were not in fashion. As JEFF
freys said. Men would rs soon sit down to a
whole OK as 10 AN epic" 1t was net among the
clouds and storms OF passion, not among the
dizzy peaks and ICY crags Of sublime imaglna'
tion that Tom Moore's genius liked best &c
walk, 1t was in faeryland. in the realm o
Rs1rAul and sportive fancy. Of delicate humor
ofsIIder and generous emotion. that his spirit
delighted to dwell. and there he was ali at home
Great ballads had been before his time. Bal.
lads such as " Chevy Chase" that stir the blood
like trumpet.
Songs had been written by Robert Burns
which, for their simple, manly dgnity-theiI
softness and their warmth their broad
deep. and hearty humanity are unsurpassed
and men that never set loot on Scottish sol
love Scotland. her banks and braes." hel
rough thistle and her mountain daisy, hel
Draw lads " aye and her r" bonnie lass les. were
il only for the sake Of the rustic bard int
whose soul bOunteous nature had brenthed tht
magic power OF song. There Is room enough
on, Parnassus There. are places there, eide b,
side. Tor Scotland and Ireland-for Robert Burns
and Tom Moore. YET, for oil that. in gene