The Memphis appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1886-1890, 1889-05-04
LOWELL'S LATE ADDRESS,
DELIVERED AT THE CENTENNIAL
BANQUET TUESDAY NIGHT.
It Was Delivered In Reply to the Toast
on American Literature and is the
Verbatim Report OF the same-His
Idea OF It.


Idea 1t.
The following is a verbatim report OF
James Russell Lowell's reply to the toast
ON American Literature" delivered at
the Washington Centennial banquet Tues
day night last:
A needful frugalty, benignant alike to
both the participants in human utterance,
has limited the allowance OF each speaker
this evening TO len minutes Cut in
thicker slices, our little loaf Of time would
not suffice for all. This seems meager
ration, but il we give TO our life the
Psalmist measure OF seventy years, and
bear in mind the population OF the globe,
q little ciphering will show that no man
and brother is entitled even to so large
share OF our attention as this. Moreover
how few are the men In any generation
who could not deliver the message with
which their good or evil genius has
charged them in less than sixth part of
an hour2 am TO speak for literature and
Of our own rs forming now recognized
part OF ii. An exaggerate estimate, an in.
observation-disclosures OF praise which implies n
fear to speak the truth would be unworthy
OF myself or Of you. Knight indeed, read
over list OF names now, also, cnrven on
headstones since il would be invidous
TO speak OF the living. But the list would
be short, as / could cali few Of the names
great, as the impartial affairs measure
greatness. ] shall prefer 10 assume that
American literature was not worth speak
ing for ut all II 1t were not quite able to
speak for ITSELF as all Others are expected
TO do. think this commemoration in
which 1t is peculiarly fitting that literature
should take part For We are celebrating
today our true birthday as a nation, the
day when our consciousness OF wider in
forests and larger possibilities began. All
that went before were birth throes The
day also recalls us TO a sense OF something
TO which we arc too Indifferent. | mean
that historic continuity which, rs a factor
In moulding national individuality, is not
only powerful in itself, but cumulative in
its operation. Without the stimuInnce OF
national consciousness no literature
could have come into being under the
conditions in which we then were, that
was not parasitic and dependent. With.
out the continuity which slowly incor-
porates that consciousness in the
general life and thought no literature
could have acquired strength 10 detach
Itself and begin life of its own. Scarcely
had we become n nation when the only
part OF the Old World whose language we
understood began 10 ask In various tones
OF dependency where was our literature.
We could not improvise Nirgils or Mil
tons, though we made oblging efforts TO
do II. Failing in this, we thought tho
question partly unfair and wholly disa-
grceable. And, indeed, il had never been
put TO several nations far older than we,
and 10 which votes sacer had been
longer wanting But perhaps il was not
altogether 80 ill-natured as II seemed.
for. after all, a nation without literature
II imperleclly represented IN the parlia.
ment OF mankind. With langnnge in
compass and variety inferior To mono that
has ever been the instrument OF hnmnn
thought or passion or sentiment, we had
also the forms aud prcccdcnts OF
a literature altogether worthy OF II. But
these forInsand presidents We were toadapt
suddenly to novel conditions, themselves
still In solution, tentative, formless, atom
cropping alter atom, rather through blind
instinct than with conscious purposo-wh
wonder II our task proved NJ long as
diiliculR And II was all the more difficult
that we were tempted TO free ourselves
from the form m well ss from the spirit.
And We had other notable hindrances.
Our reading class was small, scattered
thinly along the seaboard, aud lis wants
were fully supplied from abroad, either by
importation or piracy. Communication
was tedious and costly. Our men OF let
tcrs, or rather our men with a natural
impulsion 10 n life Of letters, were few aud
Isolated. and cannot recollcct that $50.
lation has produced anything In literature
better than mOnkish chronicles, except a
Latin hymn or two, and one precious
book, the treasure OF bruised spirits.
Criticism, there was none, and what as
snmed its function was frothy mixture Of
patriotism and incompetence. Above all
W. had no capital toward which all tho
streams OF moral aud intellectual energy
might converge to lill n reservoir ON which
all might draw There were many careers
open 10 ambition, all of them more tempting
aud more gainiul than tho making Of
books. Our people were Of necessity
largely intent on material ends. and our
ncccssions from Europe tended 10 increase
this predisposition. Considering all these
things, Il h wonder that, In these 100
ycars, we should have produced any liter
allure nj all; q still greater wonder that wo
have produced 40 much Of which we may
be honestly proud. Its English descent
IN and must always b. manifest, but II is
ever more and more injected with n new
spirit, moro aud more trustiul In the guild.
ance OF its own thoughts. But II We would
have Il become all that we would have IL
be, We must beware Of judging Il by n COM
pafison with iisown unripe selfalone; must
not coddle II into weakness or wiliulncss
10y over indulgence. la these art matches
We must not only expect but rejoice 20 be
pitlcd against the doughtiost wrcsllcn and
the lighicst-ioolcd runners Of all countries
and OF all times Literature has been put
somewhat low on the list OF toasls, doubt.
less In Difference 10 necessity Of arrange
mcnt, but perhaps the place assigned TO
u may here BIO taken as roughly indi-
eating that which 10 occupies In the
general estimation. And yet. ! venture
TO claim Tor IL an influence, whether for
good or evil, morc durable aud moro
widely operative than that cxcrtcd by any
other form In which human genius has
found expression. As tho special dis.
unclion OF man ia speech Il should seem
that there can DO no higher achievement
OF civilized men, no proof more conclusive
that they are civilized men, than the
power OF moldng words into such fair
aud noble forms ~ shall pcoplothe human
mind forever with images that refine, CON
sole and inspire. There are books which
have regencmlcd nations. II IL an old
wives tale that Virgil was n great magi-
clan, yet In that tale survives a witness
OF the influence which made him, through
Dante n main iarfnr la tho ravt,sai - IL ~.