The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1880-05-21
IS All Quiet Along The Potomac To.
Ntxff,.,

Might"
THE REV. II. F. OLIVER, OF SOUTH CAROLINA,
LECTURES IN MADISON, GA, AND MAKES
GOOD THE CLAIM OF HIS FATHER TO THE AU-
THORsnIP OF TIE CELFBRATED SONG.
MADISON, GA May l5 Rev. II. f. Oil.
yer, OF South Carolina. delivered, in the
chapel Of the Georgia Female College last
night, lecture upon the above subiec'. IN
which he claims that the authorship
OF these stirring lines belong, not, as
is sometimes claimed by northern pa
per>, to lady Of New Jersey, but to the
South, and our own great State, being
the offspring OF the poetic genius OF Thad-
deus Oliver, a private in the Buena Vista
| Guards, Second Georgia regiment, and the
father OF the lecturer. The audience as.
sembled TO hear the lecture contained much
Of the beauty and refinement and inlelIi-
gence OF our little civ, comfortably filing
the capacious hall. Upon the stage were
Hon. Joel 4. Bilups and President Il. T.
Asbury. Hon. j. A. BllupS, with that
charming grace OF manner and elegance OF
dictiOn for which he is noted, introduced
the lecturer, and in touching words referred
10 the very pleasant associations existing
between many OF our people ard the lee.
turer. Passing to the occasion OF the eve
ming
THE LYRIC
its sentiment, its truth, its celebrity, Colo
mel Billups briefly recalled the dark yet he
role days of 1861 10 1865. when Thaddeus
Oliver, appreciating the duties OF the hour,
fastened at his countrv'S call TO "illustrate "
Georgia" upon the field OF honor. Colonel
Rllups knew this southern man of genius
and congratulated the audience that an OPP
portunity was now presented when the
gifted son OF one Of GeOrgia's truest poets
would yindicale his fathers right to the
authorship OF "Ali Quiet Along the Poto-
mac'
Rev. Mr.. Oliver was then introduced.
After tender acknowledges OF the com
plimentary introduction, Mr.. Oliver feeling
ly referred 10 his affectiOnaie regard for the
neopie of Madison, and his former connec-
lion with us as pastor OF one OF our leading
churches. Then entering upon his subject
he called attention to the favorable publicity
which
HIS FATHER's POEM
has attained. How it ranks with the
:. Death OF Sir John Moore, "Casabianca,"
"Bingen on the Rhine" and others, which,
though familiar as household words, stir the
purest emotions OF mans nature by their
charming simplicity yet lofty expression.
He would have the South, il dead she must
be, dead not simply with the ghastly habili-
ments of the grave, but dead Ike Greece,
upon whose seputure blossom some OF the
sweetest and choicest literary flowers. The
South has but few Paul Haynes or Margaret
Prestons, and it was not then immOdest for
a loving son to seek the firm and irrefutsble
establishment Of fathers name among the
heaven-insplred intellects Of the South. Re-
viewing the life of Thaddeus Oliver he con-
clusively proved that il were possible, nay
probable, that such poem as
GALL QUIET ALONG THE POI oMAC,"
might have emanated from the cultivated
and senticnt brain and feeling heart OF bis
father. Poems OF Thaddeus Oliver, CON-
posed when he was quite youth, amatory
rhymes to his betrothed, manly verses in
after years, concerning whose authorship
there can be no question. were adduced
to show that Thaddeus Oliver was poet
OF no ordinary powers. The lecturers
intercourse with his father. his fathers
character and manner OF life, his deep
love for his wife and two children, his
fond attachment TO his home, his
words TO bis sons, his departure for the
front, were all graphically portrayed to
prove that Thaddeus Oliver breathed an at
mosphere of poetic genius. These and
many other clrcumstantial proofs were
given and then the crowning proof came.
First letters from his father, breathing the
pure spirit of the same poetic ire and emo
tion found in the piece In question. one Is
proof irrefutable-a letter in prose to his
wife. in which the exact sentiments ana
MANY OF the same words occur, and this
letter was written months before
THE POEM
anneared in Rarper'S Monthly, and finally the
evidence OF living unimpeachable witnesses
who read and knew the poem ana heard IL
from the lips OF Thaddeus Oliver many
months before it appeared in print.
The authorship OF this much-claimed
niece should now be settled beyond con-
troyersy, for the proofs in Mr. divers pos
session indisputably afiix its creator. The
lecture was necessarily an interesting one,
and received the close attention OF his near
ers. II Is little long, occupying some' |
what more than an hour in Its delivery.
But Mr.. Oliver has dry wit, pnyellng |
many parts which relieve those OF the au-
dience who tire In following the reasoning
and argument OF the theme. Many of his
wilticisms were fresh and refreshing. Du-
ring fbe delivery the speaker was frequent
Iy interrupted by applause. the music Ior
the occasion was furnished Dy Tue cornet
band under Mr.. A. w. Foster, which, oy
the way, is fast becoming one OF the best Ia
the State. Mr.. Oliver will In the near III.
ture deliver his lecture In Atlanta, when u
Is due TO southern genius and southern llt-
erature that all should hear, Z. W. u.