The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1890-09-07
Father RYAN.

Editor Morning Nst0s: Before reading
to-day petit trdite, this for little term,
republished IN your paper, 1 had been al
ways under the impression that no doubt
existed relative to the place of Father
Ryal's birth, as have never heard such a
doubt expressed. The Chicago Tribune
may. and probably does. regard this
question as a moot point, but
It is one of such prime Importance
tnat think no ignorance nor
uncertainty should be permitted upon it, by
reason of Incorrect report, If We can posi-
bly, obviate such. On the authority Of
Thomas Pate think l can safely say that
Abram j. Ryan was born in Norfolk, Va,
IN the year 1885, There seems TO be no
doubt in this gentleman's mind OF the cor
rectness Of this statement, nor has any one
OF Father Ryan's biOgraphers with whose
account am acquainted expressed any I'M
certainty whatever. ir --
l cannot quite agree that war and religion
are two things compatible one with the
other. True, a man can march forth to
battle for his patrid with sublime trust
in God the Father, who is also God the pro-
tector of widows and orpaans, and
have his good right arm nerved
by a noble sense OF duty; but
protest that war and religion are incom-
patibles; for religion IL not stern nor severe,
but gentle and uplifting. Only the great
church of Father Ryan's choice is stern, aud
Jealous of her dogmas.
should say that instead of having two
themes in sympathy with each other, as the
respective adjectives severe and stern
indicate, Father Ryan wrote of two things
entirely dissimilar and largely unsympa-
thetic. There is q strangely anomalous
vein running through his work as an
entirety, as well as through bis life. We
see it in the idea Of his character of priest
and soldier, in his character of religious
hymnologist and martial lyrist-a Her
bert and Tyrtacus at once.
The poem, 1.-The Valley of Silence" of
which the concluding stanzas were quoted
In your paper, almost agnostic in its pur-
port, is, in charm and elegance of descript-
lveness, almost more than a mere echo Of
the "Lotos- Eaters" OF of "Oenone." Thomas
Campbell, had ne been an IriShman, might
have written 1.-The Flag of Erin" and
many of Father Ryans war lyrics. But
even at risk Of disagreeing with many, it is
hardly possible that any real good to our
cause came Of such verse as Paul Haynes:
''Then up with the sable banner!
Let 1t thrill to the war-god's breath,
For we march to the NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.
And We follow the captain-Death'
Soldiers in the field cared certainly very
little for such mad, blood-thirsty utterances
as this, and an eminent and able critic
says that this kind OF verse was known
among them as humorous poetry" 1t is
true that Tyrtacus led the Spartans to
victory by his strains; but Greek was a
much more poetic parsonage than a
southern mountaineer.
Love, war and religion were strangely
conjoined in the heart of this gentle poet
and priest, and musician; but he sang of
each as only a passionate poet and loyal
votary of each could sing: and he sang
we'll and sweetly-yea, sang his way into
the great hearts of men and through the
gates of Christ's own demesne into "rest,
sweet rest" ROBERT c. WRIGHT
WdycrOSS, Ga, Sept l. 1890.