The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1893-05-07

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The author was one of the most noted
Americans of his day and rendered
important servicesto the country In vari-
Gus public capacities. Nor was his fame
confined to this country. He was al
most as well known in England and
France as he was in America, and num-
bered among his friends many of the
foremost men in Europe. Barlow had
a wonderfully varied and picturesque
career. a mere outline of which would
exceed the limits of this article. In adj
dition to other claims To historic re-
nown, he fairly deserves to be called the
father of American literature, for he
was the first American to publish a
purely imaginative work of real literary
merit. 1.-THE Vision of Columbus or,
as it was called in the second edition,
1.-The ~Columbiad." is an epic poem of
which it has been said: at abounds in
beautiful passages. but is ov~erburdened
with political and philosophical disQui-
%sitions. and d~isfRured by singularities
of expression" Its faults were those
of the times. Barlow was an ar
dent republican and one of the
most vigorous political controversialists
of that controversial period. 1t was
most natural that his political views
should find some expression in a poem
on the discovery of America. Yet the
poem contains some fine passages and
shows a high order of imagination.
The first edition of 1.-THE Columbiad,"
called 1.-THE Vision of Columbus" was
published at Philadelphia in 1887. This
edition is rare. The writer of this arti-
Gle never saw but n copy of it. 1t
was brought out in good form, making
q large quarto volume, illustrated with
a number of full page wood e~ngravings.
The work was published by subscrip-
ton, and among the list of subscribers
were the King of France. who took
twenty-five copies; George Washington,
twenty copies; General La Fayette, ten
copies, etc. The second edition, pub
lished in 1907. as 1.-THE C~olumbiad." was
dedicated to Robert Fulton. al intimate
friend of the authors and famous as the
inventor of the steamboat. Fulton.
who was a person of artistic tastes, des-
ignated the subjects for the illustra-
tons and had the e~ngravings executed
at his own expense. The poem opens
as follows:
I sing the mariner who first unfurled
An Eastern banner DER the Western world,
And taught mankind where future empires lay
In these fair confines or descending day;
Who swayed a moment, with vicarious power,
lberia's soepter on the new-iOund shore,
Then saw the paths his ~virtuous steps had trod
Pursued by avar:ce and detiled with blood.
The tribes he fostered with psternal toll,
Snatched from his hand and slaughtered for their
spoil;
Slaves. kings, adventures, envious OF bis name,
Enjoyed his labors and purloin'd his fame.
And gave the Viceroy, from his high seat hurld,
Chains for a crown, a prison for q world.
Long overwhelmed in woes, aud stckening there,
He met the slow, still march of black despair.
Sought the last refuge from his hopeless doom.
And wished from thankless men q peaceful
tomb:
Till vision'd ages opening OF his eyes,
Cheer'd his sad soul and babe new nations rise;
He saw the Atlantic heaven with light ~o'ercast,
And Freedom crown his glorious work at last.
No recent Columbian poet has equaled
this. The poem goes on to describe the
discovery of America, Spanish rule, the
conquest of Mexico, landing of the Pill
grim fathers, the revolutionary war, In
dian wars, etc. Columbus, as an ideal
figure, moves through it all, it being
granted him to see, in a series of visions,
the great results that were TO follow his
discovery. At last he is buried. and,
after his death, is crowned with tardy
honors. The last engraving, entitled
1.-The Final Resignation of Columbus"
shows him the object of universal
respect and honor. The closing lines
are as follows:
Here then said Hesper, with q blissful smile,
Behold the fruits or thy long years OF toll.
To yon bright borders of Atlantic day
Thy swelling pinions led the trackless way.
And taught mankind such useful deeds 10 dare,
To trace new seas and happy nations rear.
Till, by fraternal hands their sails unfurled,
Have waved at last In union DER the world.
Then let thy steadfast soul no more complain
OF dangers brav'd and griefs endured in vain,
OF courts insidiOus. envy's pOis0n'd stings,
the loss of empire and the frown of kings;
While these broad views thy better thoughts COM
pose,
To spurD the malice OF insulting foes;
And all the joys descending ages gain.
Repay thy labor5 and remove thy pain.
The poem is intensely patriotic. and
seems inspired with the very gift of
prophecy.