St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1884-10-25
THE QUAKER POET.
His Anniversary Observed Yesterday
at the New England Boarding
School


School.
PROVIDENCE, Oct. 24.-At the boarding
school of New England during the yearly
meeting of friends to-day the Whittier an
niversary was celebrated by the presentation
OF the portrait of the poet by Chas. f. Coffin,
of Lynn, Mass. Coffin was pupil at the
school fifty years ago, later a teacher and
then committee man, which Office he still
holds. The portrait is life size, representing
Whittier sitting in an arm chair, in an atti-
tude Of peaceful thought. The picture has
been hung in the Alumni hall, where the
exercises of the day were held. The attend
ance was notable. Upon the platform be-
side the donor Of the portrait were number
of prominent citizens and friends. After
prayer, Thomas Chase, LID, president of
Haverford college, delivered an grafton.
j. r. Lowell minister to England, Oliver
Wendell Holmes, Thomas NJ. Clarke, E. P.
Whipple, Geo. William Curtis. Pliney Earle
Chase, Robert C. Winthrop, George F. Hoare,
j. B. Thayer, James Freeman Clarke, John
Bright, John Boyle O'Rielly, Matthew Arnold,
President Eliot, of Harvard university,
James E. Rhoadc, D. II. luke, and John G..
Whittier himself sent letters regretting and
explaining their absence Whittier's letter
is as follows:
Augustine Jones, Principal of Friends
School, Providence, r. MY dear friend
1have received the kind invitation to be with
you on the oath inst, but it is hardly possible
that can avail myself of it, otherwise than
by proxy. My counterfeit pre-
,r-;n af H.
and as the party most interested may
fifty supply my place, the position assigned
between the busts of the great English friend
and statesman and the noble woman who,
like the Master, visited ''the spirits in
prison." seems so sar beyond the desert of
its original, that if the portrait had the mirac-
ulous power of locomotion attributed to me-
di@val pictures, it would feel constrained to
walk out of its frame and seek an humber
place. l have reached the age when flattery
ceases to deceive and notorlety is burden,
aud the faint shadow of literary reputation
fails to hide the solemn realities of life. But
a genuine token of love and good will have
no limitations of time, and is never out of
place. l scarcely need, therefore, say highly
appreciate the generous compliment paid me
by my much valued friend in placing my por-
trait in the old and honored institution IN
der their charge. l confess 1 heard first an
intimation of his purpose with some sur
prise and misgiving, as l looked back upon
life, not indeed without honest endeavor,
| yet marked with many weaknesses and err
rors, If. however, this gift of my friend
| shall testify our common interest in the
Friends school and faith in the principles
! and testimonies of its founders, and if it
! shall serve to remind those who see it, that
whatever may seem worthy of commenda-
| ton in life, its original is due not to himself
| but to the Divine providence which surroun-
| ded his youth and strengthened his man
| hood, l shall be more than satisfied. / need
| not say to this, my dear friends.
That although l am Quaker by birthright
| and sincere convictions, ! am not sectar-
an in the strict sense of the term. My SYM
| pathies are with the broad church of human
| if Nevertheless, if one has to be ''hung
effigy" he may have some choice as to the
place of execution, and it goes far in recon
Cling ME to my own fate to know that the
ceremony in which L must be passive par
ticipant, will be performed in hall of learn
ing of the society of Friends. 1 am very
truly thy friend. JOHN G.. WHITTIER
John Bright, the British statesman, in his
letter writes:
|
often brought tears to my eyes. 1t is short,
but is worth a volume on the great question
which was settled twenty years ago by your
| great conflict, in which so much treasure and
| blood was expended to make freedom the hos
! tage of your continent. Those few lines were
| enough to arouse the whole nation to expel
! from among You the odious crime and guilt
of slavery. In the poem of ''Snow Bound'
there are lines on the death of the poets
sister which have nothing superior in beauty
and pathOs in our language. have read
them often, with always increasing admira-
ton. l have suffered from the loss of those
dear to me, and l can apply the lines to my
own case and feel as if they were written for
me. 1.-The Eternal Goodness is another
poem which is worth a crowd of sermons
which lisa spolen from pulpits of our sects
and churches, and which ] do not wish to
undervalue. 1t is great gift to mankind
| where a poet is raised up amongst us who
devotes his great powers to the sublime pur-
pose of spreading amongst US new principles
of mercy and justice and freedom. This our
friend Whittier has done in degree unsur-
passed by any other poet who has spoken to
the world in our noble tongue. feel great
honor that my bust should stand in your hall
near the portrait of your great poet.''