Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1885-08-01
WHITMAN ON GRANT.
The Tribute Of the Poet Laureate Of De.
mocfocy to the Great Soldier.

Every car orBer In the sleepy town Of Cam.
Den knows Walt Whitman and loves to talk
ABOUT MIN. The veriest stranger in Philadel-
phia's Jersey suburb may find the poets home
BY asking the first man he meets, and II that
man chance to be csr-driver the stranger can
nave, along with his Information, . varied fund
OF personal "reminiscences and anecdotes. The
house Is itself type of the unassuming bard
who can find poetry in omnibus drivers, and
beauty In the "divine average" of life. A dingy
two-story frame cottage, 1t nestles modestly be-
tween Its more modern brick neighbors. A
man." is the single external evidence that he
who lives within is the student of nature whose
i ,na verses are honored abroad even
poet" sat, en- dishabille, BY the window Of the
second room of the two humble apartments
life He stii sueTns slightly rom his se
cent prostration by the heat and when the wan
there for his
heao hao struck the pavement In his ugly fall.
TRIBUTE TO GRANT.
he made light of 1t, however. ~ have been
somewhat subject to such attacks" he said,
sever since the war. suffered q sort Of sun.
stroke then while was at work among the sick
and am feeling quite vigorous" The gray
blue eyes twinkled beneath the shaggy brows,
His reference to War times had called up train
of thought and in a moment the great-hearted
0lo man lived over again the life of camp and
own peculiar way in Specimen Days" The
memory of those scenes doubtless recalled the
1 Nor o. Inc stricken hero who now lies dead at
and field as the conquering head of the army
while while the Camden poet was playing the good
equally ready with his word of cheer or his
flask of cordial.
When his visitor spoke the name of Grant
natlon mas bowed beneath common grief
w hen at last the poet spoke it was in the tone
OF one VINO mas lost dear friend, yet he pom
oereu ms words ands weighed each sentence
carefully.
THE GREAT POET ON THE GREAT SOLDIER.
yes" said he, II, too am willing and anx-
ious to bear testimony to the departed general.
NOW that Grant is dead it seems to me may
consider him as one of those examples or mod
Ihe iuture, age after age-always to me the
most potent influence of a really distinguished
Iifa than any personal deeds or
think General Grant viii stand the test
perfectly through coming generations. True,
furnished the concrete of those elements for
imaginative use, perhaps beyond any man of
t tne ag S.f ne was not the finely painted por
What we most need in America are grand in
dividual types consistent with our own genius
ae wes. mas supplied two superb native illus
as their deeds were for the practical good of the
nation for all time, think their absorption
mo the iuture as elements and standards will
be the best part of them.
GRANT, A TYPICAL AMERICAN.
washington and all those noble early vir-
ginians were, strictly speaking, English gen.
tlemen OF the royal era of Hampden, Pym and
Milton, aud such it was best that they were for
their day and purposes. No breath of mine
shall ever tarnish the bright eternal gold of
their fame. But Grant and Lincoln are en-
tlreiy native on our own model, current and
refragable proof Of radical democratic fnstitu-
tions.that 1t Is possible for any good average
american farmer or mechanic to be taken out
OF the ranks OF the common millions and put
in the position Of severest military or civic re-
sponsibilfty and fully Justify it all for years,
through thick aud thin. I think this the
greatest lesson of our national existence so
far.
"Then." added the bard his poetic apprecia.
ton OF heroic character asserting ITSELF ''the
incredible rOmace of Grants actual career and
ii1e! mall Homer and Shakespeare there is no
fortune or personality really more picturesque
pathos contrast"
Warming to his subject, the poet had voiced
his estimate of Grant with spontaneous fervor
none the less eloquent because it was thought:
fully and CRITICALLY spoken. Then, with one of
his benign smiles, he said: "Let me give you,
In this connection, the little sonnet wrote
originally for Harper's'
As one BY one withdraw the lofty actors
That lurid partial act OF and peace-of old and
new contending.
Fought out through wrath, fears, dark dismays and
All since In tless graves receding mel
victors and Observation-Disclosures and 1ee,s-now
Man Of tine mighty mig daXsand equal to the days.
To admiration has it been enacted!