The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1893-01-29

THE BIRTHDAY OF BURNS.

Last Wednesday our fellow citizens Of
Scotch birth or lineage paid becoming
honors to the memory OF Burns. Intelli-
gent Americans do not always go to
Burns festivals. but We lose no legitimate
opportunity of honoring his name as one
of the worlds immortais. We placed a
statue of Burns in Central Park. New
York city, before England placed bust in
his honor in Westminster Abbey, and our
American literature is full of eloquent
praise of Burns. The finest Grafton ever
delivered by the late George William
Curtis was devoted to Robert Burns"
The poetry OF Lowell, Whittier and
Holmes includes beautiful verses in MEM
DRY of Scotland's great poet.
Americans love Burns not because he
was Scotchman, but because he was
true born democrat; he was really one OF
the worlds men, who was so broad in his
sympathies that it was impossible for him
TO be tainted with insularity. Had Burns
ever carried out his intention of emigrat-
ing to America lie might have been lost as
poet and become eminent in politics. for
he was as fierce and radical a democrat in
his ideas as Byron or Shelley, and he was
hated most cordially for his opinions by
the ruling classes in state and church.
Burns died, like Byron, at 81. 1t is
favorite subject Of speculation as to
whether these wonderful young men of
genius would have given the world any
better work had they lived to the age of
Tennyson and Browning. Probably not.
Men of poetic genius have generally done
their best work before they are 40. A poet
is great singer, and the morning OF his
life IS the time for the fullest rush and
melody of his song. The symbol of the
poet IS the lark singing as it dies skyward
to the sun rather than the nightingale
melodiously sobbing it's evening com plant
out from the dark thicket. Bryon and Burns
had both tasted of life creediIy and had
found it so bitter that their song, had
they lived longer. would hardly have been
cheerful, inspiring strain. Byron was
absolutely burnt out with alcohol, and he
knew it: he wanted to die a soldiers
rath In Greece, because he knew a more
ignoble fate awaited him.
Burns, man of far healthier mental
and moral constitution, was largely the
victim of circumstances: he had the early
habits of a free drinking turf cutter and
the fine. highly organized mind and body
of poet. There was no market for his
wares save through the patronage of the
nobility. Burns found out that to keep
their PATRONAGE he must sacrifice his per-
sonal independence of thought and action ::
30 he went back to his plow. but he pinned
for different life; he had turned his back
on his patrons and left his market
behind him. Had he lived fifty years
later his talents and genius would have
made market for him with moderate eff
fort on his part. but he felt that he was a
man born out of his time, or at least out
OF his place. So Burns brooded and fed on
his proud heart and through disappoint-
ment and the super-sensibility of high
strung nature he drifted down to drink,
dependency. disease and death. Given
the environment of Byron. Burns would
have made a far better man, for he had a
far healthier mind aud heart: he needed
nothing but respectable pecuniary indie
pendence TO have made him very happy.
contented and wel-beh aved man. but debt
and perjury that could only be released by
doiling his cap constantly for patronage
was more than poor Burns could bear. 80
he made melancholy end.
Byron persisted Of mental and moral in
frmities, chiefly hereditary taints, that
would have asserted themselves in him in
any walk of life; rich or poor, humble
born or high bred. poet or peasant Byron
would have been ii moody. restless crea-
ture, feeding or real or fanced ills all his
days. Self-,ove, intellectual eeotisn. self
contemplation are The symptoms of an un-
healthy mental and moral organization.
and probably nothing in Byrons early or
later life could have cured his distemper
and made him a happy man; but il would
not have taken mucn To have made Burns
happy and content; he did not know
how 10 achieve peeunisry independence
honorably. Byron was man OF
genius with a hereditary tendency "a
melancholy which he made chronic
by feeding the lamp OF his splendid
intellect constantly with alcohol. To
sneak 1t roughly, Byron would have drank
to excess whether rich or poor. while
gnrns. out of debt and poverty, would
have been as temperate aud well-be havei
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