The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1892-01-24


democrat IN politics; q satirist of the
nobility and the church. and because he
never forgot he was born peasant. always
dedicated his genius to the defense and
exaltstion of the primitive rights of the
people, as contrasted with the acquired,
artificial rights of the caste, class and
aristocracy. He was so fierce democrat
that he dared to defend the cause of the
French revolution; he skinned and scalded
the degenerate, superciIious nobility, the
corrupt court and heartless, hypocritical
hierarchy of his day, and he not only
never was forgiven for il in life, but it was
remembered to his prejudice long years
after his death. Allowing for the distance
of time and the difference OF public senti-
ment, Burns was hated by the Tory aris-
tocracy and church of his day as politi-
cal and social incendiary, very much as
the Duke of Argyle, Lord Salisbury and
Mr.. Balfour detested and distrusted Davitt
and ParnelI, or as Byron and Shelley were
hated by the English aristocracy for their
democratic views, and are still detested
long after death.
Byron, the greatest English poet since
Milton, has no monument to his memory.
Byron was hated for the same reason as
Burns; he praised Washington, Franklin
and our American congress in some
splendid lines; he was democrat in pol
itics, and, like Burns, stung the aristocracy
to madness by his blasting ridicule and
whitening satire; he described George the
Fourth as "the tenth transmitter of a fool
ish force" and the nobility that at last so
Reluctantly forgave Burns can not yet
memorial bust or monument stands
in the Poets Corner of Westminster
abbey. No monument has yet been
erected to Oliver Cromwell, the greatest
soldier and statesman of English history.
Marlborough, Nelson and Wellington have
splendid places in the pantheon because
they fought for the crown, but Cromwell
fought against the crown, for the people
and his own hand. No wonder nobility
that refuses Cromwell monument should
be late to place the bust of Burns in West
minister abbey; should exclude Byron and
Shelley from the Poets Corner, while the
tyrant Charles the First is still described
in the English prayer-book as "Our
Blessed Martyr"
A statue of Burns was placed in Central
park, IN New York city, dozen years be-
fore he was honored in England. The
democratic temper of our people was
prompt to name Burns for statuary
honors, because he was peculiarly the bard
of democracy and equal rights under law.
Bidden to the banquets of the great, be-
cause of the astonishing power and variety
of his conversation, he never cringed or
played toady and bootlick to his conde-
scending host. He brought his manly
heart away from the company of lords
unspoiled and unspotted by the flattery of
the feast. He boldly sat at the table of
Gree, but his soul was proof against
all efforts to change him from
gallant man to the fawning hound and
lackey of lord, and it took the ruling
he was dust to forgive the peasant poet
who refused to be funky and who
placed them all in pillory in his immortal
verse.
Burns had q powerful understanding,
married to fine Imagination; he sang
the notes of human brotherhood and
manly independence of spirit; he had
marvellous powers of satire, wit and
humor; he had keen eye for the lights
and shadows of Scottish domestic life and
natural scenery. Whittier, pure man,
admired and loved Burns, and once wrote
of himself