New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1892-02-23
JAMES RUSSELL LOWELL
AN ADDRESS BY GEORGE w. CURTIS.


An eloquent tribute TO the career OF James Russell
Lowell was paid by George William Curtis IN an adj
dress last evening at the meeting OF the members OF III,
Brooklyn Institute of Arts and Sciences in Association
Hail. brooklyn. The bcquest OF one of the founders
OF the Institute provides for address on Washing
tons Birthday, upon some eminent American 1t wa.
expected that Mr.. Lowell would be the speale,
this year, until his death occurred. last
August. AS his BIRTH in 1919 was upon
the same day WaShingtons, in 1892, It was de-
cided to ask Mr. Curtis to speak upon the Gouble an
niversary and make Mr. Lowell his theme The hall
filled with loo people, among them many well.
known men.
When Mr.. Curtis made his way 10 the platform,
accompanied by General John b. Woodward president
OF the Institute. and DrS. Hall and Backus there was
loud applause. which was repeated when he to
speak. and 1t frequently punctuaed his address Gen
eral Woodward made IL brief speech OF introduction.
Mr.. Curtis spoke as follows:
Tho birthday OF Washington not only recalls great
Citizenship his carcer is at once V' our ' and
rtbuhe WhateVer Is lOy, fair and patriotic in public
conduct, instnctiyely we call by his name; whatever
T. base, se-3i ana unworthy, is shuned Dy the luruc
Of his life Lake the flaming sword turning every way
that guarded The gate OF Paradise, washInson's cx-
mails and lighting the path OF our national life.
1 ut 'v n; '." HIM, sieau o'uHVvsnP Is as
conduc of the was was not more valuable the ooun-
not his SPECIAL talent 1ni his character uat mace b'ti
OF those services possible In public aiars the gamor
AIDES, not hose OF Homer or Phidas OF Dcmoshencs.
which disturb and inspire the young Themistocles
ad,ons m na,no ,,nd ST pr or. If noble
carac immortal work, Of literature and art which
hcp1es THe eoamonce OF DenoSI,em"s aroused ,.c.
dent Greece at last to strike f>r inderldence The
cavalry 4 pampni.s II our Revolution ievive- me
fchering flame OF colonial mtri otism The speech,
the song, the written word, are deeds no less tn, inc
clash OF arms al Chcronea and York Own and Getys-
burg 40, only wa.,oo-or ,no .,,,,or and the states
man, but Washington the citizen whom we chiefly re-
member. Americans are accused Of mahing an excel
hero and dcmi god. But what mytholosieal hero Or
is ue so h N We Sy n sow and pI knew
him. aud in phrases more glowing than ours ana he
concentrated hight Of hundred years discoses nothing
Ia mur the nobility of The Incompatible man
1t was while the personal rccolectiona ana lmprfS
sions OF him SIM fresh, while rs Lowell Sliu
RostOn was not vet a city and Cambridge WAS sun Il
country VILLAGE that Lowell born in Cambridge
seventy three years ago to-day. ls BIRTH on NaShi,s
TONS birhday seems to be happy coincldehce De
cause each Is admirable an illustration OF the Two
forces whose union has made Amei1el. MasSaG ,'
and character were the two colonial leaders; In Nir
gnia politics as in the t salon wsC o. oT ilS on
sSeore teal but the spirit Of the state was
Tic Cavalier ns The Colonies Massachusetts was tlc
Puritan And when John Adams, New England per
1880 said in the continental Congress that wash
fncon ought u be General the Puritan ana the CaVa
Eer capped hands. The union o. Mas.achuSctts iiuu
nr ss ,a aGr ' Alter mighty travail OF difference. in
deed and DnC years OF strife.
The higher spirit conservatism, ITS reverence TOT
antiquity lis susceptibility TO the romance OF tfdlo
its instinct continuity aud development anu N ui
tfpathy to violent rupture the grace ana charm nnu
conrtesy of established social order In WORD the ichl
mime element in national ie however lar from ac'i la
embodiment in Virginia in any colony, was 10 81 no
with the masculine force and creative energy OF the
Puritan spirit and produce all that we mean fa COY ny
tinental Congress did not but which was none the
less for cast when John Adams summoned Washnsion
TO the chief revolutionary command II IS the vsioI
which sim inspires the life and crowns the nope OF
every generous American and i has lad no tricr ir
anniversary Of Washingtnn's Mr,h. for no American
l6ral to the lofty spirit me grandeur OF
deeply tn" sc6rn Of lgnohlc and carnc AmercaniSm.
which invest the name of Washington win inperSh"o"
glory
THE POETS LIFELONG HOME.
The house in which Lowell was born has long been
known as Emwood. stately house embowered III
lofty trees, still FULL in their season. OF singing ouS.
IL is one Of the fine old mansions OF wich le" Sc'
nnger in the neigborhood of Boston, and II sun re-
toins its dignity Of aspect, but dignity somewhat
impaired BY inc cncroachng advance of the city ana
Of the architecture. taste Of later cay uny,in,inn
by the last loyal LieutcnantGovernor OF Ms,sa,nu
sStts whose stout allcriancc 70 the bIosn 0" ct
never shaken and who left New ENGLAND Wi.n i"vi iii
when New England also not without ha"iial si'nt ~
regret left lhc britiss Empire. II - vst"u and
aTier The revolution II owned by hlbrldee oerL?,
q slgner Of the Declaration OF Inispe""o"'0' "'O
OoTVS NJ far away non EImwood Lo~elrs lifelong
home is the house which is doubly rehoMncu 4" u NJ
fellow Nearer til. colleges stands the Dran ,ris
elm, twin heir with the Charter , OiA' conmand Of
story, under which Wa hsl1n 'o9 9Aml'iSrr is ali
The Revolutionary army indeed, 'Hn ;t1 unn,rv
Revolutionary ground aa nfe nMt six mile away
Along the West CambrlGge ron. rou he'd IKE mflir
10 Ei,nker Hill Here were the quarters III Mn n
lurrcync's redccatS were lodged Il. yer we 80.
NJ war stands the university. benign mo'net Vi ~
Gated New England. coevai WIN we "a amer.
inent which has given the master Hnp"iSo ="
The Amcrcn is fortunate who like Lowell is porn
and 10 whose cradle the good ihiTy haI n ' vas
gin Of sensitive appf't acnus and his iaNie The
irssrnne lie ME the figures Of Cambridge con9'anH
appear both in his prose ana tc ' II is the pie
tnresoueneSs the character, The hnnoi mi e iac
around him which attract HIM rms ms aappprbGSrhood
&c Illustrated h. n ttlc story That L9"e 'eiS pn ,i
first visit TO the White Mountains. ID 'ne ,nIIl
nv 81 wo,E and asked him the best polnt OF view
for the Old Man Of the Mountain =, ne TI' Confines
.T"o vonnc and too happy to feel or affect the JuVo
nasn dere2ce was sesTsT mn n'D Attempted no
esnatprsesfion. bnt after little while asked CoHe
from Baws4'" Xeso 81 With peculiar DR. Prdy yes said
! sSonm iEc-awi / should like to stan on Bunker
,nwnnsv seeing the little end Of the horn in clear
Vision al the terminus Of this socIaoc peT~pectise.
man Kin see any day lie never does see Iawthm pay
nawtbin vally
HIS EARLY LITERARY BENT.
Lowell entered college at fifteen and graduated at
nineteen in 1888. His literary taste ana taieht
rere already evident in literature even then he
,ras an ACCOMPLISHED student, and he tile poet
Of his class although at the close Of his last year he
was rusticated at Concord. a happy exile where ne
saw Emerson and probably Henry Thoreau and Marga
ref Fuller who was often guest In EmcrSons ta0use
II was here that he wrote the class poem which gave
4 INT mn md l. lQGp
t.c, thu. the child of Cambridge, although student
YEAS as vet wholly unlnnuenced by the moral and intel
Iectnal agitation called dersvely tfsnsccndetalsm
OF This agitation John Quincy Adams writes In his
diary in 1s4O "A young man. named Ralph Waldo