St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1892-09-15
HaisrRllanu.
JOHN GREENLEAF WHITTIER.


and was briefly chronicled in the
CALIFORNIAN of the 9Th, was received
with sincere sadness, not only
throughout this country, but all over
the world, for his fame was wide
spread and his earnest, helpful
words were cherished in many a
household. The poet was in his
S5th year. He has been well re-
ferred to as the 'sweet singer" of
America, and his intense Christian
earnestness, his simplicity, his SINGER
itv, and his fearlessness in the
advocacy of the right. have fully en-
titled him to the warm place he has
held in Americas heart. From a
somewhat lengthy and well written
tribute in the Springfield Republican
we take the following:
Whittier began as poet with the
relation in prose and verse of legends
and historic events of New England.
His first published book, indeed,
which appeared at Hartford in 1881,
was entitled Legends of New Eng
land" and it was followed next
year by the story Of "Moll Pitcher"
1t was the espousal of the
cause of abolition which walked
Winters powers. This generation
cannot know what effect was pro-
duced by the splendid rushing lyrics
that poured forth from his pen in
those days when the conscience of
the whole nation seemed dead under
the spell of partisan politics, and the
great dividing issue of the national
life was ignored on every hand;
when the churches were, if not pro-
slavery. certainly anything but anti
slavery. Then it was that Winters
lambert genius shone forth in glow
ing lyrics that burned into the dull
northern conscience and aroused it
to life.
But the Quaker poet became better
known to the country and to the
world in that milder phase of
religious trust and sweetness which
has characterized his later poems
and has caused his early writings
for humanitarian causes to be large
" forgotten, Notwithstanding that
they are before the public in his col
1ected verse There is poetry in
these whitehead lyrics, but what
will preserve the name of Whittier as
poet is quite disassociated from
Causes" and rests on those quail
tiles which can be appreciated with
out reference to great hist ORIG issues.
Indeed, the breadth, the ALIEN
bracing charity, of Winters views
of his fellows is a matter of constant
marvel. Nothing narrowed him,
nothing could prevent his warm
human sympathy from bursting
forth.
The pure Christianity of Whittier's
poetry is one of it's highest features.
No small sectarianism interferes to
prevent his utterance of the gospel
of his Master. There is in truth no
such doctrinal prejudice in the faith
of the Friends, however at times
narrowness may creep into their
practice. Whittier has never ceased
to be in full accord with the silent
communion in which the Spirit moves.
His voice has sounded without dis
cord among Christians of all
varieties, and the Roman church it
self finds little to object to in his
hymns of devotion.
The poet began his calling by
sending verses anonymously to the
Free Press, which William Lloyd
Garrison edited in Newburyport, and
Garrison, discerning his talent,
sought him out and made the youth
his friend. When Garrison started
the Liberator in 1881 he drew his
Quaker poet with him, and the lad
who at Il had become inspired to
write by a chance copy of Robert
Burns poems, which then fell into
his hands, became the principal
lvrist of the cause of freedom against
slavery. He carried on his fathers
farm, and in the interim contributed
verses to John Meals Yankee" and
the old New England Magazine, but
he had meantime been editor of the
American Manufacturer IN Boston,
and in 1880 succeeded George d.
Prentice as editor of the New Eng
land Review at Hartford. In 1885
he was sent from Haverhill as re-
preventative to the General Court.
In 1886 he moved to Philadelphia,
having become secretary OF the
American anti-slavery society. While
there he edited the Pennsylvania
Freeman, whose office was sacked
and burned by a slavery mob in
1889. The next year Whittier re-
turned to Massachusetts, and made
his home in Amesbury, where he had
since made his home except for few
years, when he lived at Oak Knoll in
Danvers. He was for - years
(1S47-59) associate editor of the
National Era of Washington, in
whose columns Uncle Toms Cabin"
first saw the light.
Mr.. Winters home was up to
this time at Anesbury, but his
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