The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1885-08-09
MINOR MENTION.

No modern poet has had so cruel a stab or
suffered so great an indigniy as Mr.. Rollin NJ.
Squire Commissioner of Public Works, of New
large as poet, but whether this is due to the
we'll known inability of editors to recognize lit
erary gems when they see them or to the fact
that the gentleman has been nursing his genius
for great OCCASION is not a matter of history.
However this may be, Mr.. Squire himself did not
underrate his powers, but felt equal to the
emergency when it arose. In the
course of human events it became
part of Mr.. Squire's duty to drape
and decorate the City-hall in honor of
General Grant 1t occurred to him that inscrip-
tons commemorative of the merits and virtues
of the deceased would not be Inappropriate, and
who so we'll qualified to write these memorial
verses as Squirrel He consulted with no envious
associates, who might have recommended various
obituary selections from classic authors, or have
referred him to contemporaneous writers of
renown; not he. Here was his opportunity to
obtain revenge on unapprecative editors by
publishing his poem in spite of them; or, this
motive lacking, this was his chance to emerge
from obscurity, and. his genius at once recog-
nized, to 60 down to fame inseparably associated
with the name of General Grant Mr. Squire
wrote the verses and posted them on conspicuous
parts of the City Hall, Strange to say, their
merit was not Immediately recognized; in fact,
it has not yet been acknowledged though all
New York has haG full opportunity to read and
judge for itself. On the contrary, Mr.. Squire's
verses were denominated doggerel, and demand
was made for their removal. No one, positively
no one but the author of the lines, saw any evil
dences of appropriateness, to say nothing of tai
ent, in them, but he stoutly defended them
When the popular clamor became so great that the
mayor could not ignore it, he requested Mr. Squire
to remove the Objectionable inscriptions, but he
refused to do so without direct official order.
Finally, the mayor issued the order, and the
commissioners literary works were taken away
from the sight of men, What the effect of this
crushing blow is upon Mr.. Squire is not stated
in the dispatches, but when the confusion and
excitement attendant upon the funeral has died
away the public will, doubtless, be informed.
There is a rumor that the poetcommissioner is a
Boston man. This, if true explains his persist
ency and his confidence in his own ability. and
will do away with any fears of fatal consequences.
Being Bostonian, he will ascribe his treatment
to the lack Of intellectually and to the jealousy
of New Workers. But, looked at in its brightest
light, Squire's case is a sad one. and discourgng
to other aspirants to fame
THE Renaissance OF Martin Van Buren,. pub.
lished in Saturdays Journal suggests to an old
newspaper man the bitterest speech that was
uttered by any man in the United States,
except Tristram BURGESS famous sarcasm on
John Randolph, that 1.-The father of lies could not
become the father of liars" John Van Buren,.
the eldest sou of the ex-President, and hardly
less noted, was the speaker. The occasion was
the death OF Silas Wright. An Albany paper
published a very violent attack upon the old
New York statesman the day after he died-in
ignorance of the catastrophe, however-and its
appearance, Of course, caused good deal of
savage censure, very unjustly. The author the
reminiscent thinks, was Edwin Crosswell, and
the paper the Albany Argus, the Democratic
State organ. Wright had been one of the
foremost of Democratic leaders, but had gone
of on the Wilmot proviso to the Free
soilers, and the organ assaulted him for it. John
Van Buren, was one of the ablest stumpers for
his father. as the Free Soil Buffalo convention
candidate for the Presidency, in 184S, against
Cass The division of the Democracy caused by
this Free Soil issue beat General Cass. whom John
called the 'Michigander. Wright died about