The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1891-08-13
TWO OBITUARIES.

America is poorer to-day by two literary
men whose influence for good will not be
inferred with their bodies.
JAMES RUSSELL LOWELL, the poet, is one
of them. For the last fifty years his Tyre
was strung for the love of humanity. In
his youth he was one of the anti-slavery
Ministries and in his age mis- tune rang out
for purity and right AS q wit, satirist,
traveller, teacher, diplomat, JAMES
RUSSELL LOWELL has taken and held
an eminent rank among the foremost of his
race in the second half Of this century.
Who that has read his "Biglow Papers," is
not struck with his wonderful power of
Imagination and expression Some Of his
ideal portraits are exceedingly beautiful,
for example that of "Irene," and mis- ap-
probation of and reverence for the higher
excellencies of women penetrates all his
writings like a subtle charm. That
his fame is no. restricted TO
his native country was proved by
the election OF the poet as regent of Oxford
University, an honor rarely bestowed on a
foreigner, soon after his retirement as the
American minister to England. And it is
but very recently that the Spectator, re-
viewing Mr.. LowELL'S prose works, said Of
him: MIR. LOWELL 5 catholicity is rot his
least merit as a critic. He is equally at
home with the facile rationelism of PorE,
and the mysticism, tempered by mensura-
ton, of DASTE; nor does his admiration of
DANTE's frugality in words lessen his de-
light in SPENsER's verbal profusion. Per
feet little crystallizations of criticism
sparkle everywhere, sometimes huddled
in clusters upon the blazing page. Mr..
LowELL's forte is profusion. and his foible
prodigality. His good things lie about in all
directions, so temptingly, so portably, like
the diamonds in SINDBAD's valley, that
a reviewer in his hurry to fill his pockets
ana retire on the proceeds to Bnlsora, is
apt to forget the larger aspects of that
earth and sky which encompass him. But
it is teeming earth and a bracing sky In
his directness of speech and broad hearth
ness of manner Mr. LOWELL brings with
him an air which, to use one Of his own ex-
pressions, blows the mind clear 1t is
delightfully."- fresh and tonic, with a certain
saline shrewdness in it reminding US that
it has come across the ocean,"
Thus weighed down with honors, and
with the burden of 20 years upon him, the
string snapped at last, the harp fell from
the minstrel's hand and civilization will
mourn him who made this nation better.
richer and prCuder for his being.
And together with LOWELL, GEORGE
JONES, the editor of the New York Times.
has joined the silent majority beyond.
JONES built up great newspaper and that
means that he combined genius with cour-
age, character with self sacrifice His fame
will not survive as long as LowKLL's be-
cause journalist like an actor never be-
longs to posterity. His time is to-day and
his work in the present; but for all that it
was an active and subtle and powerful mind
that directed the destinies of the great
paper, and never rested until il came to
eternal rest; and to the honor of GEORGE
JONES be it said that he never shirked a
fight for the right as he conceived it. In
the era of TWEED as well as before, and
especially since then, the Times has been
the most fearless and aggressive foe of cor
ruption in public life. OLD and worn out in
the service of his chosen profession, this
compatriot OF HORACE GREELEY goes to
his last resting place like veteran to the
last muster.
And while the world will wag on as if
nothing had happened, yet the country will
miss the two illustrious men-JAMEs Rus
SELL LOWELL and GEORGE JONES.