The Labor enquirer., 1884-01-26
BoBBIE BURNS.

: oChSO VI wiz W 90 iaiiif aieo iuif O uoSSh
for them, though these comprised such
men as Blair, Robertson, Gregory, Adam
Ferguson, Mackenzie, Fraser, Taylor,
Allison, etc, etc. They were willing to
acknowledge that they had scarcely
ever met with any man whose converse
tion displayed greater vigor. than that of
Burns" -.
The one act that stands out in bold
relief of Burns career in Edinburg while
he was charming the grandees of rank,
fashion and learning, was to share an
old comrades room and bed, whom he
sought out on his arrival. His passage
every day was from the gilded palaces of
wealth to the humble lodging of his
friend. His patriotism was of the high
est order. He ignored and held in su-
preme contempt the alien possessors of
his country. He beholds the plains of
,Bannoek burn; his soul is on its throne,
and the heroes of that battlefield are
glorified in HScots Wha Haze wi Wallace
Bled."
While wandering along the banks of
the River Ayr his great mind encom-
passes the miseries. of mankind. The
lines are applicable to the enslayed
masses of the present day:
'tIf Pm design'd your lordling's slave
By Natures law design'd-
Why was an independent wish
Ever planted in my minda
II not, why am subject to
This cruelty or scorn?
Or why has man the win power
To make his fellows mournHn
II, as Mr.. Ingersoll says, around the
ireside cluster the public and private
virtues of the race" where is the equal
of Burns in depicting the virtues of that
cluster around that hallowed place, found
in his "Cotter's Saturday Night?"
Atlength his lonely cot appears in view,
Beneath the shelter of an aged tree;
Tn expectant wee thing toddling stacher thro'
To meet their dad, Wi fiichterin' noise and
glee.
HisEee bit ingle, blinking bonnily,
His clean hearthstane, his thriftie wifie's
smile,
The lisping infant prattling on his knee,
Does a. his weary kiaugh and care beguile,
And makes him quite forget his labour and
his toll.
The life and character of Robert Burns
has been assailed by detraction, bigotry
and want of charity. Many bold and
right thinking men have an impression
Of something morally wrong with this
great poet, while few run to the other
extreme and worship him as faultless.
If he lashed the preachers and the relig-
ion of his day they were worthy of it.
New light" was needed in religion. He
fought the battles in prose and verse. 1t
made him many enemies, but he un-
swervingly stood with his opinions. He
saw that the old straight7jacket theology
was dwarfing his people. He was in
great degree to the Scotch kirk what
Luther was to the church in Germany
a reformer, - g.
That Burns tasted too frequently of
the contents of the punch-bowl 1 am
sorry to admit, but let us not forget that
the free use of strong drink was the
custom of his time, and he drank no
more than the preachers did. All that
he has sung in commendation of "Gude
Scots Drink" or the glory of drinking
must be regarded as encomiums on the
social spirit and good-natured impulses
that it produced in man. While he was
making his country richer with the
rare wealth of his genius, strangers
sought his company that they might
boast of having taken social glass with
him. Their kindness helped to kill him.
The only reward his country gave him,
to use his own language, was I
Searching auld wives barrels,
Och houi the day!
That CLARITY BARN should stain my laurels- |
But-what Ill ye sayr
These muvin' things cad wives and wean
Wad muve the very hearts o. stanes.
He dragged out his gifted being in the |
Office of excisemsn, an Office very dis
tasteful to him. He hoped for something
better from his country, which WAS
promised him; but, alasl for poor Burns,
he wsited in vain. About this time the
colonial patriots were in : death struggle