The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1890-08-06
Burns Defended Age,nst ploa,or,s,,,

Burns Defended Against Plaeiarism
Editor Morning Nea0s: Perhaps it NAV
seem somewhat presumptuous for me to
aUempt to put my critical judgement
against tnat OF so learned Litterateur as
Mr. Neaie, who has recently called atten-
"on 10 marked likeness existing between
al eptaph published in "Camden's Re-
mans and Burns song "the Joyful Wild
ower out one feels almost constrained to
~ "naO ne can TO protect from the baneful
anu dlsgraceful charge of plagiarism the
na'ne OF the poet who occupies such a
Speaking people. '-''-
ABOUT the year 1892 two men. James
Johnson and George Thomson. vera SER
ilra:ey engaged in the preparation of col
,ecuoIS OF Scottish songs, and both of these
meu obtained the service Of Burns. In his
HPsuen' enthusiasm and love for tbs work
bo a.us says ne often rode ali over the neigh
S,rHs country, learning the airs of the
5 a5Isulte peasants and frequently writing
~ gs"u the words Of their sones-as hs did i6
t tss case OF Aud Lang Syne." believe.
mn Aug the words from the lips of an old
rn II ne words Of this song, however, as
ttEu'.hued IN his works, differ greatly from
~ nus as ne ueafQ them.
rno'e Oh Californian songs and ballads
b.. as we learn from letter written bv
arnonSoS 70 thomson in September, 1892.
thew ro ana altered by the poet, when
sIlIe qulred such alterations. though
ways lie says, for the better. Certain11
NJ a1l'efatlons of the epitaph quoted hv NJ
mentS % anu oecioeu improve
well % epHaph In its old form. it NAV be
Of w. s.ate, IS not found in the collection
Pr HSo5 sHsh songs made and collated nv
wa W. j. ms song of The Joyful Widowern
Mn 9oth song in Johnson's "Scot,s
Char ull = and it is presumable,n writes
FROM rs = hent, though not quite certainly
can !. me hand of Burns. To no one else
scrjnt i Ds Traced, and the original manu-
A. IL; - ~ bis handwriting"
sopg IN ~ 1uiS circumstance is that of the
which a9ty, beginning Powers celestial ~
sida.u aIter being for nearly 100 veara Gov
o l1ei9d as rightfully belonging among his
br 3 Rn songs, was discovered merely coniad
III t ti rom an old monthly periodical of
were ~ t['o EoEaonrgh Magazine. The words
EuriniIon- puoIshed as a translation from
their I oDtt Burns could give no clew to
suItahio f onlp, and, regarding them as
inc 5'''oIe Tor music, took the trouble of COM.
for bi ~ OUT and sending them to Johnson
and oft tiruseu,n;" They appeared there
were iSeT I,,9I by the mistake of his editors
ter r rociu1ed In his works as original mar.
lyrical mannag closely, as they do. his
wbero might quote numerous instances
The eoit tnese old songs and poems, such a.
been rogBrda have crept into his works and
through 1 the Tor Years as his compositions
p T hess we deem unnecessary > 'u' such a
blemeolp 't .ip, which resembles fneontesto-
way. Poeu, evidently got ia in this
critical Ky. ourselves very little credit for
slider that il % uness or ability when we con.
lit ersTr11 that Burns was p l0 years 70
seven az cdaeat-and certainly his tbir,T
uneasilv 'i H. more more piographers must tn2n
thought 4 tbs ssslT graves or on earth at the
~ the Piowmasnn 'Y poa nave Z, been % duped