The evening light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1881-1883, 1882-03-07
THE FINEST AMERICAN POEM.

A poem of Thomas Buchanan Reed,
called The Closing Scene" is going
through the papers, prefaced with the
observation that the Westminster Re-
view pronounced it "unquestionable
the finest American poem ever writ
ten.' This is very likely as the old
Westminster, like all British Reviews,
with the Edinburg exceptions, had ear
large. We have, of late, eschewed that
sort of literature. Besides, at the time
the Westminster is likely to have said
this, that mutual admiration society
known as "The American Pcets,"
consisted only Of Bryant, Mcdonald
Clarke, Longfcllow, Fitz Green Hal
lock, Geo. P. Morris, R. H. Wilde and
a few others. The last three named
poets have written one moderately
good newspaper poem apiece, which
was enough for national reputation,
under its auspices in those days.
All will recall Mr.. Wilde's "My Life
is Like the Summer Rose," but his
claim to consideration rests mainly in
his beng the father of the New Or
leans correspondent of the N. Y. Her.
aid who, with the same severe taste,
harvests about one letter year. To
this may be now added his total re-
moval from any suspicion of relation
ship with the prevailing sunaower ex-
otto who, with studdn, sails all set, is
scudding before the American trade
wind in the wake of the national dol
lar. So that most of the American
poets have sprung up since the British
Sir Oracle prayed. Only our saddest
recluses and book-worms recall Reed,
but he was a fair poets corner
contributor for a respectable weekly of
fifty years ago. "The closing scene"
is sort of American Grey's Elegy in
lines that stammer a little and are 9TH
erwise unsettled, and with the pathos
left out. What was the matter with
Reed, we wonder. We have never
heard that he had poor Poe's failing.
or Byron's weakness for gin, although
the latter prevailed a good deal fifty
years ago in the American Poets NJ r.
A. S, We don't, however, want this
venerable national New England insti-
tuition reduced in number, and as Bay
ard Taylor died lately of an overdose
of diplomacy, we were glad to see
those two venerable ancients of New
England, Whittier and DR.. Holmes,
beating the bushes about Parnassus
for one in his place. They wont have
Joaquin Miller because Joaquin has
genius, and poor DR.. Holland, who is
also dead lately, could not stand the
A, P. M. A. S., and abstained from
membership. Hence he left no va
cancy. Sidney Lanier, dead too, was
a sort of literary outcast, who may float
off without being missed. We trust
our poetic readers have not supposed
we were going to print 1.-The closing
scene" Not so-we must have some
thing better. They will find it in big
vacant dailies, whose editors could Stay
bullock easier than write a line of
poetry, all through Texas.
WE must express our qualification at
Mr.. Conkling's declining the appoint
ment to the supreme bench; he is too
big a man to be shelved.
The Cabinet.
Special Dispatch to the Globe-Democrat
Washington, D. c., March 3.-At the cabi-
net meeting this afternoon it was noticed that
Attorney General Brewster was the only alb
sentee, and this was explained to be on &C
count of the hearing of an important case in
the supreme court, in which he made his first