New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1892-02-23
PATRIOTISM WAS HIS PASSION.

Literature was HIS psiNhit' D"l F''iV'''" wa ~
passion Ills love of country was that OF lover Tor
his mistress lie resented the least imputation upon
the ideal America and nothing finer than his in
STING i've scorn for the pnchbeck patriotism wich biag'
and boasts and swaggs Insisting that bgness Is great
ness and yGsary siHpci,S, ana lsc WIZ o. nsC' Es
Amer readiness OF resource, the Yankee good mature
az az. .ie nons1 TO hn tbc best not the thrift
lest was most truly American. Lowell held tlat OF all
men ihe American shOald be master of his boundess
material irSourccs not ,hcir slave worthy Of his I'M
cqualled opportunities, nO the sycopaan Of his felio"
Americans nor the victim of natOaal cOncet No man
rcioiced more deeply over great achievements or
celebrated them with amper or prouder praise. ne
r.ste,s enterprise but he knew taai did not invent
the great muniments OF liberty. trial by jury the ha5eas
corpus. constitutional re>innt' te common a Scr0Gi U
which common heirs WIN cNl1zed 'htlSuh-
dom. lie knew that have Niagara and the pr.liric
he knew also with another great American that still
Earth proudly wears the Parthenon
As the best gem upon her zone
And morning opcs with haste his lids
gaze upon the Pyramids"
As he would not accept vulgar carlcature Of the
New Engander as a Yankee 50 he rpnrilcu Napl.in
Bobadll type of the American Tor he Knew tha
man amOng gentlemen and that to bully weakness or
to cnge H. strength equally c0waIdy ana therefore
not truly American. go .,-.,
Loweil's lohc-t strain is inspired by this patriotic
ideal TO borrow German plgnSe ron inodern ,1
heard In the poems and the essays, ana that ms
reached It's Hottest expression both IN PRISE ana poey,
ode Tie genius OF enlightened Greece breates aulDy
still in the Grafton Of pcrIcles the lelopInes>la dea
The patriotic heart Of America thrJbs forever III LIN
coins Getty sburg address But nowhere In literature
Is there more magnificent and majestic pers9ncatioh
where a prOfOunder passion Of patriotic loyalty unn
in tho closing lines OF the Commemoration ode. Inc
does no. thrill and palpitac with solemn Joy and high
resolve, does not yet know what 1t Is To De an er"
ALSO PUBLIC CRITIC AND CENSOR.
Like all citizens of high public ideals Lowell was In
Ia auPh
too good a Yankee not to comprehend the practical
conditions Of political life In this cuntry. No man
understood better than he such truth lies In John
Moreys remark Parties are field where acton Is
lies between two blnndersr lie did not therefore con-
clude that there Is alternative that naught Is every
thing and everything Is nalgh . bnt ne Hu mist Sr
be government o. party, yet that indepenugnce VI
party Is much morn vitality essential In republic ' h
fidelity to Iary Party Is servant Of ne peope, 0
servant who IS fooishly permitted by his master 10
assume sovereign air, Ike Christopher ny tie Aer
whom the Lords attendants obsclulou'H sa'n'e 10
master:
.Iook how thy servants do attend on thee;
Each in hLs orice ready at thy beck"
To man OF the highest public spirit Ike Lowell, ana
Of the supreme self respect which always keeps iIth
with itself. spectacle Is safder than tiat Oh h.en.
Selves befor. party protesting what they do not be-
lleve affecting what the, do not feel from AFFECT icar
alone dive rrality and force rs the terrified peasant
himself made The spectre Of the Brpchen before which
and none is more worthy OF enduring comnemomt9n on
this anniversary. the farewell address, Win lts
strong and stern warning that party government may
become a ruthless dcsposm. and that majority must
he watched a. ics,lously a king.
With his lofty patriotism and his extraordinary Puo
lie conscience Lowell WI, dstnctlycly the Independent
In politics lie was an American ana Icpaon 's,
citizen. lie acted with parties every chLel must
act II he acts at all. But the notion that voter Is
traitor party when lie votes with another was ~
udcrous TO him tho assertion that 1t Is treason to
the White star steamers take passage In Cunarder
when he would know hts public duty Lowell turned
the mlloniy IN the street. but for the s small voice
in his own breast. For while the method Of republican
government party, lis bns Is individual Conscience
ard common This entire political Independence
Lowell always illustrated. lIe was 6on In the lat
Lowell. leader In the long and bitter TcdcEst
con'iovery with John Quincy Adams. The Wms
Lryeli's first public interest the anti slavery agtr
ton and he identified himself with the ano'ionsts
Int ne retained III, individual view and 80 "ot SYM
5iS,"',ion OF the Union and which re
fused = vote. In 1850 he in private letter to
his friend CAV abiding TO differences OF opinion
with tho Anisavery sGeN there mas o .evs scp 9S
between me and the ~Hicty,' ard a pa.>sF> "a a
r ra', hi. independcnt position II Shall vote the
Union ticket lhaf Free Soil and half Dcmocr1tc not
IL To- be the best calculated achieve some practical
result II Is Trat object to o;erinrn the e, Mhs
PRIV them over with. Yet have my feasS that II we
set democratic Governor he VIII pay 'one aek ,' %,
other. Tlmco Dauaos ct dona i'renteS, II yOn VIII
pardon stale Latin to Parron Wilbur
HE WAS MEYER A PARTISAN.
This election Is memorable because IL ovcrthrw
the Wig mluat)n IN Massachusetts and made
Charlie, sumner the successor OF Daniel Webster III
the senate II restored To of samuel Adams
tie same political leadership fore the civil War
that she had held before the Revolution The Rcpnbli
can pa.ty. with whose anii-sllvcry impulse Lowell
was ia full accord, from the Wing ruins. aud
whether IN a party ont of party. he was himself
the 1cat u, ation Of the political independence iiIt
A.. = DyNeu'esl aud maintained rs ne aIONNh ht
church or 10 dictate his religious views or control
his daily conduci, he permitted no party 70 direct
his d Iillcnl action. lie was II WING AboitiDni't
- Republican. II Democrat. according 10 his conception
~, VI ~ pt IN I was int editor With lis friend MIR
Norton, OF e The Noith American Review" ard he
wrote often OF public aralrs But phpefs. an
belong u the higher politics. which are tho, Of me
man aud the citizen. not If the partisan. distinction
which mas be traced in Burkc's greatest speeches,
where ii il easy distinguish what Is said b, Burke
the wise and patriotic Engh>hman Tor such lie I,aiy
was. from what l., said by The Whg Ia opposition u
but whatever BIS party associations and political
sympahles, Lowell was a. heart anh Dy te,npeI ' '
polite, Is the quality Which IS always uncon'ciousy
recognized rs the truly conservative element IN the
country. In the tumultuOus excitement u our pop
wlIcb is nr,ody c"mntcd but 10 those citizens who
are still open 10 reason and may yet be persuaded
In the most recent seTious E,rN APPEAL ,ne 1';or
us not TO forget that the end Of plans must
with ballots IN their hands demanding condition
Of The support OF pnriy fidelity and undivided
devotion To the causc In which We nav" enhatel
thcm.n This recognizes an independent ,Hpuh"
which Judges party. 1t implies that beside the host
who march under the purity color ana vote III the
noi wear u party uniform bis who vote only a their
own individual command and WHO give the victory
They may be angrily classified n political LaOdcans,
but Il Is To them that parties appeal. and rightly. be-
az marty wouh he absolute and the republic would de-
gcIeritc into n mere ollgarchy Of bosses
4 TRIBUTE TO INDEPENDENCE.
There could be mor signal tribute to political
Independence than that which was offered TO Lowell
IN 1876. He was a Republican Eector, and the re-
suit Of the election disputed. \ peaceful s)lu-
ton Of The difference seemed for some months to be
dnnl,tfIl nlthnugh TIC Ccnstin0n apparently fer