The Delta independent., 1889-05-21
JOHN BRIGHT.
"reminiscences OF the oreat Eng
lishman-His Admiration for

JOHN BRIGHT.
Reminieoenosso Of the oreak Eng
lishman-His Admiration for
America.
1t was the good fortune OF the writer
Of this, says the New York Commercial
Advertiser, to see more or less Of the
late John Bright during visit to
England some years ago and to carry
away from various interviews with
him q vivid impression of his grand
personality and character. Mr.. Bright
was easily accessible, and particularly
to Americans, for whose country he
always expressed the profoundest ad-
miratiOn. He was, in fact, q great
deal more Of an American than many
Americans born; had studied our I'M
stitutions and history from beginning
to end with the closest attention, and
had come to the conclusion that the
republican form of government was
not only the rational one, but the only
one comparable with the dignity Of
man and the happiness and develop.
ment of the Individual He was never
weary of speaking Of the good sense
and judgment with which our public
affairs were conducted, of the essen
tial manliness Of our people; and Of
their noble readiness to meet all
emergencies with the spirit OF self
sacrifice and patriotism. His praise
of the conduct of the masses OF tho
people during the war amounted to en-
thusiastic eulogy.
MIR. Bright was an eminent student
OF our literature as well as Of our
politics, and he had conceived the very
highest opinion of our poets, our his
torians, and our stOrytellers. Once
when we complimented him on the
imaginative power evinced in his
speeches he said: 81 owe it all to o
habit l have of reading little poetry
before going to bed. No matter what
the hour, or what l may have been do
ing during the day, take up one or
another of the poets to read for awhile.
1t has sedative and genial effect, and
l sleep the better for this brief COM
munion with poetic mind"
Mr.. Bright after q moment added:
81 always take up your poets in pre-
ference to our own; they are more clear,
Ineligible, suggestive, unconvention-
al and fresh. Browning find obscure
and to require too much labor to read
on such occasions; Tennyson is ex-
quisite, but far-fetched and subtle;
Swinburne conceited-but Bryant,
Whittier. Lowell, and Longfellow are
always as limpid as the running brook.
as bright as the sunshine and, as re-
freshing as the breezes. Emerson Ia
obscure at times, but his thought 10
original and his spirit that Of free
born seer who relies upon his native
faculty"
We suggested that as he had read
our poets so much he had doubtless
formed some opinion Of their compare
tive rank. He replied Instantly: II
place them in the rank in which they
have just been named-Bryant at the
head-but I do not like to make any
differences, they are all so precious to
me. As a mere poet. perhaps, ought
to put Longfellow higher than I have.
but he seems to me. more initiative
than the others and to take prominence
rather from what he has read than
from his Unborn inspirations"
Mr.. Bright then went on to say that
In one respect American poets were
greatly in advance of others, and that
was that they wera .public-spirited citi-
xenA 'Our poets arc men Of boolIs
and the library. but yours live the life
Of their feilow-citizens Bryant hAs
spent his life In the discussion Of The
questions Of the day.. Whittier, Lowell,
LongSellow, and Enc rsou have made
their protests in verse and in their
everyday lives against the prodigious
evils OF slavery, and they never forget
that they are Americans, proud OF their
country, and glad to take part in ad-
vancing the destinies Of their fellow
men. It is this, perhaps, as much as
their rare poetic insight ard capacity
that has commended them TO my SYM
pathies. They are to be honored as
men, as we'll as poets, and are all the
greater poets because they are, in the
first place, men,"
The writer heard Mr.. Bright in pub
lie speech but once-at the banquet
given to Cyrus Field, on the completion
OF the Atlantic cable-when, though
not, perhaps, at his best, he was very
agreeable as we'll as impressive. Other
speakers took part in the occasion, the
duke of Argyll, Sir Stafford Northcote,
Sir John Packington, Viscount STRAIT
ford de Redcliffe, Ferdinand de Lesseps,
ETC.; but Mr.. Bright's remarks were by
far the happiest and most applauded.
His manner was what We may call the
conversational manner, easy, graceful,
unpretentious, just as II he were talk
ing with q few friends in q parlor, and,
only at times, when some great
thought came into his mind, impassion.
ed and vehement In one passage he
referred to our four years Of war as q
period ''of appalling struggle and dis
aster," but ''of incompatible
grandeur, from the evil effects Of which
the nation would soon escape. while IL
would have established ''the liberty Of
a continent" and begun a revolution
(which would embrace in its world
blessing influence all the civilized
nations Of the globe"
How to Smoke q Cigar.
An old smoker says that TO give some
persons good cigars is like casting
pearls before swine, because they do