The state rights democrat. [volume] (Albany, Linn County, Oregon) 1865-1900, 1882-07-07
ma. nuucmr on oua mrERAruHE.
Extracts from the London ''Tinses" ne
pert OF hIs speech at the Opening
o. the Birmingham Free Library ON
June Isl.

Il
ef the Birmingham Free Library ON
June Isl.
If You will permit me for lew min
utes, / should like TO ask you to cross
the Atlantic and see IL there is any
thing we can learn there. IL IL not
very many years since authorities in
criticism in England said /: "Can any
good book come from the United
States r. At this moment there are
millions OF persons in that Republic
nearly all OF whom speak our language,
nearly 6ll Of whom can read our books,
not few Of when are writing books
which we may read with advantage.
IL Ii an immense new Geld for the
writer's Of the English language in this
country, and il is an immense now field
for us who take the good things which
the writers in the English language
there and here provide for us. Well,
they have had good many poets Of
late years--in fact, / may say that the
only poets that the United States have
produced must necessarily have been
OF late years bat tho poets which riso
10 my mind at the present time are
Bryant, Sho WAS the oldest and has
passed away L,ngfcllow, who comes
next, known much more 10 English-
men than Bryant, and who now has
passed away Whittier, who il begin
ming 10 be more known in this country
than he has been Wendell. Holmes,
and Mr. Russell Lowell, Minister from
the United States to our Court, and no
leaS, think may say, Minister 20 our
people. Longfellow il, or was mat
Of whom | had little personal knowl-
edge. | spent morning with him
oace at the house OF the late eminent
physician, Sir Henry Holland. and as
| walked away with him through Han
over Square be was speaking TO me Of
his friend Whittier. Nothing soald be
more kindly, more generous. moru NJ
fectionate, thaR his laeaHa.e toward
his brother poet. Tbere 49, nn rival
~, no jealousy. lie ss'd hat be
thought Whittier was 4 Z, e. remark
able IN ole .hins, ,ba; - aemel al.
ways ia his ~rittngs 10 improve. |
would like 20 aak you it yon have ever
read what consider .he grcatest Of
the poems of the United ) a;es-tha,
is, LoDglelIow's ''Song .: lliawatha.
Many people have ridicuiej toe "Song
OF Hawatba" because ot tho simplicity
Of the meter, but II you only read lha
frat few lines Of il you will, hope, feel
rather ns felt, aud be disposed. If OPP
portunity offers, to read the poem
through and through again If you have
already read it. And then through
that oem you have descriptions Of In
dian life aud Indian legends which to
me are Of inexpressible beauty, and l
do not hesitate TO say, as far as my read
ing has led me to judge, that it is a
poem that deserves 70 live, and will
live, and at this moment it Is the finest
poem Of any language that has been pro-
duced by any writer OF the United
States.
Now shall say word about John
GreoulGaf Whittier, because, though /
have not seen him, yet / have had cor
respondence with bim, and ! have a
great affection for him and, besides,
there is a certain other connection, as
he in tie United States is u msmbor oI
the small church Of which / also II
this country am member / me-
some tune ago, during the American
war, an eminent citizen of the State o
Massachusetts,, who told me that h,
Thought that there was no man in th'
United States whose writings at th,
time and for scme years before the wa,
had so great an Influence ON public
opinion in that country as The writing
OF John Greenleaf Whittier and, u,
doubt arose partly from this, that h
worte strongly on the subject of free
dom and strongly against the system o
slavery which was about to involv
that great country in great civil war
/ would not wish to exaggerate anytLin
G with regard to the American poets, bu
/ think great deal may be said i
r their favor. Whittier himself, whe
he attacks the question Of negro slaN
cry and the horror and the curse of il
writes in manner which must hay
reused the indignation and excited th
animosity of the people for whom h
, wrote against that enormous evil. Th
best gifts of his genius and poesy nj
on the side Of freedom. They hav
4 helped to do their work in the Unite
States. They will do their work whe
ever tho English language is spoken
d they will tend to purify the individui
J, and to exalt the nation. AS l WI
going to say, would not exaggreaI
j. the productions Of the American poet