New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1890-10-05
THE HOMER OF THE DANUBE.

"rle Homer of tbc Danubc" is the high-sound.
ing name which popular admiration and affection
long ago gave 10 the national poet oil Kumania.
Perhaps not many people outside OF Rumania, Ger.
tainly not many outside Of Eastern Europe. have
ever heard Of him. lie died few days ago, and
{. brief line or two gave tho bare announcement
of the event 10 readers IN foreign lands. few
widely reading literati, aud Il few more diplomats,
observed the tidines with intelligent regret. but
Tie ma oIty passed by tine name Of Nasllo Aecs-
sautri with indifference. Yet all through Ru-
raariJ. and in Southern Russia. and in Hungary,
and tie Balkan States his death is universal
bereavement. In Runania itself the pubic sense
of loss and grcf is doubtless even greater than II
would be in England AZ the death OF the Laureate.
For the Run,anians are IN intensely poetic people,
and lac WAS thcir only great poet-desp'e the adula-
ton that some bc,tow upon the amiable Queen
who signs her modest productions IN prosy verse
and poetic prose "Carmcn Sylvia There is but
one great namc in E,linian literature OF this
generation. ard tAat = Mo.v carved on mortuary
stone.
Alecssondri wished most % 10 known as poet.
and as such, incc hc deserves high fame. Yet
he had distinction wih;n bis grasp in many other
Jirect;,us lie was g,adur,eI AZ Paris with hon.
ors in medicine lw, mathematics and political
ECONOMY He W., one of the richest landholden
in tue old nobili,; If Muldavia and he was Do
ten, factor ia poillcs Indeed. the highest pollt
zeal honors were Lid ~ Iii, irrt, but he decliged
item Pcr;.aI, H.. was not tie first man who de.
r,IucI 10 I've made u king, hu he piohabiy was
the first ni,n ever chosen to Inc KING because 81
III, no",Irai ycuiu, Sur'i IN" case. AZ the
time If tie great political rfar" in t'c Rumanian
provinces ls5e-J9-M oldavIa determined I" eect
a sovereign who should Dc di>tincfiv"ly Mol
,avian and in the famous Elephant Han OF Jassy
they chose Alccssandri - the Ho'padarshlp. lie.
however res ,;riy dec inc', fearing he han no Vo-
,.a,inn in that wa. lad NJ a""ep'"l he AMI
not Charles would have lrra kIns OF Rimanla
Bat his ahnrc.;ion made him all fhe more the SOW
crricn of tho l"artS nj tic people IL was io9
The pcopic and Of tnc people tEat u" "'o"' Chis
r.ci nobeman o; ancient arisforrHfic lineage
,r,s NOT hc said "A. first considered poet o.
li,tirc,ioo. ,,crn.>c | wrote About re peasants
and common people. " cornirym'n SAID: AL
the. SONGS arc yprr we'll, bar thrv Or" NOT Tor
drawing looms RImant read and crIed our:
Yes, bat We knew all that before. lie t"iS w
not,iu: nrw. No. he i, a hailad-;n'n+er tf ue
peo,e. that j. i-thut and npih!ns more
BIT they charged tucIr IId.m"ri amer 'l'i'' am
r-rlicl J IN NOT only HE greatest OF EhmaN!an
SINGERS. b., tie greatest pet al al me ""rh
A:Utl'r 'i".ta fii.l cHhlh' w 'A' "'''''1
and in,Iecd' If the nan himself. was his ever
ebounlir1 p,imism AMI li1h' hcar'"dn"sS lie
va, m. Doe. Il human Sunshine. Il have lived
,ouu ~ tie world." IT, sad. ami YET never
vr..e Of o,Aer than happy things. Tier" an never
s..rn.,'o;,ls in n,v mind. only Agrora's tri-.t
uloo,.> AMI soft sunsets The world is sd enough
| a,w,-, try 70 tell You Of something gay: yol
ray come - me- 10 br rl,rr"'l. bat n"rer N weep
. .. =. - -
| an convinced /, is the 0aly way poet s!''Ii
write Ii other ,lol .l.,s come chase them ron
me await the return of the happy muse I1l'
7 consiler m. reason of all the humble s'oc'>s !
nae hAI in life
O,ruf -A, ..c! ot':Se> 90 h!S p"p;irrl'', more
over aud tho n'e rAing Tor winch n" perhaps E's'
Il. -,ryc, 20 u. rp.n"uDcrcd X Ills. tiGt J." was
Tie ulrrator OF the srt>. II w., b" WHO c"'s
uDcrty 10 tho scris Of the lanh'T c'.'tffS' '"'
10 thos, If all Russia well for h" >'' w" i''se
conspicuors example. which car A'N'nier was
glad to follow Iffon be came OF axe his fatles
Iri and as som NJ came OF az" Ia" d"fcrmi'~.
10 fulfil the plan lie had cherished even III l1@Nf'
Of SITTING every ui1n on hi> vast estates free VI
re very day on which n" attained rs inalo''V
-, Summoned all hl> Sorts 80 his castle. for
l;r,LI,, rclchr,tion He male short Si"'fn
>, them, and told them they wcr" free Zee :,
,,cr,ny-e They evidently dill moi i.,'y appreciate
what il al meant TIE general con!p!' a'hS'A
WIS tn, they were 10 .cave the old HON" where
,.ey had Lccn born. l',y" their sons AMI 'A'i'
sons Nv! : to snri new dwellings IN newer nah1t~
,,,rs ,rywhrrc-rot Oh tie old A,rr>s4 adrl pa1't'
,t.us and this idea f.oui Tie h.>t vas hot
rlcA>alt One old man, me uNrrsecr. ron>tl''N'h
hin so the rir loader OF me Dan and made Ae's
sar,irI "A formal acKnowis. :urnt Of the process
ko,u ot liberty. IN their nAl.r ne hae lii '"!e-
vel They individually Ncelvrd gift, ana money
snd collectively said xood-uy. Then they ran ptL.
mel out OF t!.r gate. >,isns. shoftnk' ct}.' "'
Mu. Mn1 Alccssandu himself has tod "!"f 'o''
loved "A
,o ne. Excel lrnfy, sore o." WlSir> "a >,e t"'
Il - most important: pra} = 'le az nee "'"t
\ uan - 81 ctc,r NJ" IN '!s''r'i''r! A'f.!e rs
head hau.irs III. hat over his "fcS MS wlC.r Ian
rer ttr p.ciNr. Of wirtrhedne|s II was t!ae ~
i,.,i,r We have n"'hirA T" eat; lie uuiihN'.Y;
we h.yr come back 10 v"u-hark f"r i"o1i1
t,vcd.' sad. AMI LAUGHED rs h".i"d ma a W.
o.. hu,. He went oil \ month passed hy.
IN. l,rcy' sIld ny Na.'t oa- uI-hi ntH reg
70 SPEAK with lon 30 j. at Il" '!""i iral Vn.o,
w,.tor \ man stood ts'i"r' III" III d;>'' e''
s,tltr. his head hanSIn-. hI> nat CF"r hI> 80
II was lie ring leader. taosc t1,tcrr, H'nr' v II
more hlr;",- than i"t"r" w." ~ ~ ~ Ne ".
Ike or liberty. but II is NOT Success we
conn. ,,oir 10 yo. We are free. but We 10 No'
Ike to s,arvc' felt sad. Had | made pI'.
take. ard cnIl ''1tNil III P.''''''''
al his ,,,,. for nothing. been wor>c-prhaps
hanc instead OF blcsslny' help. nm a-s'''
lie wrpt. kissed NY hand. and d!sappcarrd' hal,
Five months passed In me mle'n l,ar. w nr
been occupied IN various ways bui AWAY, WIZ
nv, prosre>sicnis,s dreams for my r"un, W.,
Independence | !al started n'W>pap'T' VIZ
the idea OF political equality ana kH'hatlAH IA IA
tona!!,y ami VITA h,rd OF E"i, ,o- Y NJ. ,i,n
SIX months passed AID one nISNt my fal"' '',ne
to me- EAcetlancy he snl "A map ~ ,s" rr,c,,s
to sp,ak with yea ~ tie ""0i , .'.n ,as 4,
him | weut ort 4 mum stood "''oIr 'nt :.
raw, ana ;att"rs: his h"ad tent M"i.y , n"H
and forth, and his hat was waV,n' III ~, -" ia
Ii was again the rirgl"ader. We are H. w
.niL. and s,arvlnc W. have ""lnr ha'. 70 ,G, "a
We have had lhr:'y en"H-H IN. m M ,,rl /,
- ,,,, ,..t"" w,r, rpr ,"i th"rr tF w. Sr.,:
and Naturally "nolsh ''@k l"% AL a.! ""' c>ccpas
sn.h ~ hn~r one before. Ihat vas my DR. ,
.nXlxisnai attempt i, n"arH,E sy r, r., s s,ry
things Their h'~rl> t" them onN mfan' =, ,." free.
TLsn were not vet r,,Hcatrd up !" tir's q. >.
dom. 10 L.. thrust like urw,'"rn hil"S ,.n mnS