New-York tribune., 1892-10-17
TN MEMORY OF WHITTIER.
INTERESTING MELTING IN BOSTON.
o,rvER WENDELL Il Dimes REVIEWS THE POET
o,y.v .DDREss nv EDWIN d. MEAD


ros,on. oct. IL speeianAn interesting whit
.,.r memorial service was held tonight IN the hal
a, the Young Mems Christian Union. WHICH WAS
crovded by representative Ecs'h ""'
william W. Baldwin, president OF the Omoh' pre-
sded ard opened the exercises with biiri auute'N
puring the evening Whittier hymns were Feiu
The interesting features of the evening We're icte
,,ou, Dr. Oliver Wendell Holmes read by PRESIDENT
baldwin and a long and caretully prepared address
he Edwin D. Mead Editor Of "Thc New-Ehga'o
Magazine" Dr. Holiness letter Is as follows
Dear Mr. Baldwin II gives me great pleasure !"
comply with your request that would say y"
words about our admirable and beloved poet John "rec
leaf Whittier whose delth arc all anch'ms
The poem of his which remember reading was 'n.
,s entitled .The Prisoner for Debt" The lines 'o1
made the old poor" transfxed me Ike an arrow" i'
I always felt a tenderness for his sympathetic nature
h.,ore lecomina well acquainted with his poeucai WIFI
Bss. ,, g.,
The next poem that remember as having deeply I'M.
oressod me was vigorous aud impassone1 ours'
feeling ''nondolph of Roanoke" l can never reai
IL now without emotion which makes mS eyes "'
aud my voice trembe.
OF late years i have been in close sym!"'hy win
not especially abolitionistnot merely urouRh
human synpathies but belonging with me 10 'he
"Church without q Bishop which seems me ha'uF"
complement Of q State without King" meh the
church which lives by fornuae which DcheNeS III
loving Father and Him for the hnai ws'.VehS
Of the whole spiritual universe which lie has ca'eu INTO
being ,
10 is the once of the poet. IL was Of the Hebrew
ror,,et 10 sppea 10 the principles underlying Tie ois'
,or,ed forms Worship which he hnds more Ut ies.
preyaent in the communities about him. Inc proo' vi
His divine message is found In the response IL meets
trorn human hearts The creeds OF the great COUNCILS
and svnods hayo degrade man in his
owu ewes 70 picture him being odious to MS
Maker born under o and destined for the most
mart. 10 darkness death and long despair"
Doubtless Christianity hos done much 10 assist 'he
is IL that clNlfa
t,on has upon the Church with all the vsor oil
true humanity lit IL out OF ~ inherited bafo'shiS'
The struggle going constantly. on the one hand 10
Cht,stianize humanity and the other 10 humanizo
c,r,.,,,nitv The poet mus. lie true 10 his human in
ssoot, or .Thus saith Lord will no. save his mes
sage from neglect contempt.
slyty.fyc years ago a Scotch poet-Robelt Pollock
attempted 20 invest Of Calvanism with the
erenes OF poetry but his gospel OF despair listened TO
for while sensation, has almost dropped our r" human
memory while the OF Burns are living In the hearts
and on the lips Of the Scotchman wherever he is round
In ths county th poets who have been listened TO have
bcea tAe tues preachers OF their time No doubt there
"a room for oil the various which intrench them
selves in their ssronshods a doctrine to do good WORK.
each IN Us several enons its own people but there
was needed faith which should take down every barrier
a. tended limit that larger belief in the Fahefhood o.
tse God who this Is tn faith which br2ath"d
through all the writings OF principal poets Bryant
In zf.low Emerson White. Lowell. have all preached
this gospel 20 their couDtynen The Influence OF WAt
t1e religious thought q, the Amercn peop' h's
been far sreur believe. than that OF tho Occupant OF
any pilp,. 1t is by any attack the fath OF
sny Chrissn fellowship that he d1 service FOR the Nteia
thought OF our community We never talked much about
our doc.sins beliefs unbcefswc felt that we were On
common ground Catholicty Of feeling led him 10 az
tribute full value the man, matter whore ho
worshipped. He spoke TO me most empha:.caly OF my
elow and brother physician, the late Thomas
SIs.lbawk as one Of the best men he ever knew Dr.
Sparawk was a sandoaenisn. member o. very limited
society Of Christians best known persons ~ the
which claimed the allegiance OF that great phil
osopher ara admirable man. M!shaei Faraday.
OF his fellowship with the Friends or ouakels, his
writings early and lac tu There Is no faith that
Is real which begins with unbeci-u''
belief uhe protest % reason against the monStro'ue' oi
tradition superstition. The poet who Is true 70 his
better nature the best expression Of the Divine nt@
seace He tso. speap with authority and not as he
Verbes or the specialists who parcel out the
fsths Of Christendom their foruuae and caieehsrs
Al through whtaers writings the spirit Of rut In
enoent order things and loving superntendence 6
se universe itself hopeful ever cheerful al
ways looking forward 10 happier brighter era wen the
Kingdom Of shall be established Nature ereed'
fanatics in due time supplies their correcr'ves ehe
Will not be hurried about IL, but they come al last
Thomas Doson the scotch Calvlnist born In 1870
Robert Burns-oblectionsbe in many respects ise tho
royal Psanist of rel, but whose singing protest against
unwhossome theology was m2htier than me Nocs Oh
thousand puplts-was born in 1859 Jonathan EDWARDS
rhose theological bosoarims reached lower Depth. ~
possible than those OF his Scotch model Thomas Bost
was born in 1908 Grccnlesf Whittier reached the
hearts his fellowcountrymen especially OF New-fhs'
ander parsyzed by the teachings Of Ed"aIo as Buis
gindl,d the souls Scotchnn lsied BY the dogas OF
Thomas Bostoa and his fellow ecctarles
As haze said a: beginning. was first drawn to
aim by his strong human sympa'hies In the great
struggle with slavery, fouEd slower sen-biiitcs
kindled by his burning enthusiasm but than al
by that larger faith which is shared DY
he Bro.herhooi Singers with whom he was enrolled
{ corapar. their with the dosmas over which
nd fhei
expressions OF divine truth. So when Bryant speaks TO
Gs fellow mortal. and tells him to
60 not ike tho quarry slave at night
seoureed to his dungeon, but sustained and soothed
BY unfaltcrlng trust
thank him TO, the noble words which contrast with
tie shudderine accents Of the "Dies Irac"
When whittier breaches his lifelong sermon IN Songs OF
Love and Hope l think OF the immortal legacy he has
le.s hi, eounttynen repeat in his words as ap
p!.ed to Roger Williams
'St;ll echo IN the hearts OF men
The words that thou hast spoken
No forge OF he'll weld again
Tho tetters thou hast broken
''The pilgrim needs pass no more
biom Roman or Genevan
rhoughtfree, ghostly tolnan keeps
Ncnceforth the roat 20 Heaven"
Always faithfully yours,
OLIVER WENDELL HOLMES
Arer the letter. ono Of walttlcr's hymns was
sung, ena Mr. baldwin introduced Mr. Mead, who
gave scholarly. snaly teal review OF Mr.. Whit
tiers work as a poet and a careful review OF MS
ssrvlces for America Mr.. Mead began Ills address
oy saying th't III oil OF Whtucrs poems "'eIo
staos next 10 the title page an Introductory poen
one which was written In 1547, and should bc
reed carefully by every student OF Whittier, lof
h is the poets own deliberate overture. and gives
true q cue his general work and purpose
as an overture Of Wagners TO the opera 1t be-
longs 10. 1T begins
Nor mine the seci like power to show
ubn nf
This portrait OF himself is painted in humility,
vet the humility is OF the very substance OF the
poets mind and the lines 1t draws give us
traer image tlan could be outlined by the boldcr
assertions we ourselves should find just and