New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1895-10-04
COVCORD'S NEW GLORY.

First and last, several tnlnes OF llhpoI''uVe
have happened AT Concord. Mass. The battle
Of Lexington was fought there. for one ihins'
though the Lexington folks have always stoutly
denied It, and much local jealousy has beeh en-
gendered thereby. The late Ralph Waldo Enrr-
son wrote some verses on the subject rs long
ago as 1896. which will doubtless outlive many
Of the melrical efforts OF BloOdgood ii. Gutter. oil
Long Island In the first Of these verses Mr..
Emerson remarks with considerable confidence
that the shot heard round the world when
H. Of course d figure Of speech and not literally
accurate-was fired by "embattled farmers on
Concord Bridge. Mr. Emerson was citizen OF
Concord, and was writing under poets license.
Concord being a poets license town uncer the
Massachusetts, local option law; but though he
might occasionally have slipped cog as TO the
distance at which shot fred by embattled farm
crs from fntlock muskets could be hearu-
owing 10 the necessities Of metrical composition
his soundncss on geography has never peeh
successfully questioned. even by the Lexington
folks 1t is now generally accepted as an historic
fact that there a fight at Concord, no matter
how far the shot was heard, or In fact, whether
or not the farmers were embatted, ana concord
IL quite famous or that account-as IT ought 10
be. Naturally enough. any reference to Concord
in a political address in Massachusetts excltes
the most tumutuous emotions, and IN no.
license town makes everybody dry.
| Concord * also famous as a nest Of philosophy
and the home Of philosophers. Mr. Emerson
himself was philosopher as we'll poet, and
was perhaps the fountanhead Of what was
called the Concord school OF philosophy. He
wrote philosophlc poems we'll as essays, and
\ tl,.
by some Of his pupils and admirers, who subse-
quently wrote magazine articles and books about
them. which. as they served TO deepen Mr.. Elmer
| sons original obscurty, made profound I'm
nresson and were emInently satisfactory to
! groups Of Boston scholars who used TO get TO-
gether nights and intoxicate themselves with
them. occasionally varying the intellectual de-
hauch with disouisitions about Robert Brown
| ings poetry the bewildcring effect OF when IL
! believed ON ommonweath-ave. TO be far SUI
perlor 10 that Of Medford rum without the
| dark brown taste in the mouth which that ex-
hilarant is apt to leave. The school OF phlioSo-
nhv at Concord. we believe, still exists. Mr.
| Frank Sanbon being sort or residuary iega''e
~ whatever was left OF Mr. Emersons philo-
sophical estate after the other heirs mad divided
| all they could grasp 1t is very useful school
| Many persons who are DISSATISFIED WIN the
Christian religion 20 over there from Boston
during the summer and drink In jag of what
orthodox people call doubt and go away hari-
Gus. Mr. Edward Atkinson also-the political
economist who lives in Boston-goes there at
intervals TO gather statistics in behalf Of Free
Trade and incidentally whatever is new In
stoves.
So Concord Is famous for philosophy as well
as patriotism But, after all, the browning glory
of Concord was what happened in Concord in
1884 The Hon John l.. Russell. Of Leicester,
told about II in the Democratic State Convention
at Worcester on Wednesday. Mr. Russell is a
very eminent person He has been Demo
cratic candidate for Governor. for one thing.
! For another he has remarkable voice. He
made II remarkable by cultlvatlng 1t across Il
nshpond on his own estate, which. If we rightly
remember. had been excavaed for that purpose.
A full account Of IL was published year or two
ago when he was running for Governor-not
AZ a political argument. but us a contribution 10
| science His intention we believe, was 10 re-
peat The miracle Of ST. Anthony, whose eloquence
drew fish out Of the water. II did not succeed.
He did not draw Republican fish enough out Of
their own element But he meant well. II was
with the same voice that he nominated George
Fred Williams for Governor the other day. Moth
Ing that he sailor for that matter, that any
body could say-can add to George Freds fame.
but he did make Concord more famous than
ever. For he said-thcse were his exact words
rs reported" first met Mr.. Williams In the
Presidential campaign Of 1884. met this gal
liant young man at Concord No need 10 quote
further from the speech What day that was
for Concord. Never mind now about the en-
battled farmers or the unbotilcd philosophers.
Rclcgate all that 1t was here that John +. Rus
sell first met George Fred. There ought 10 be
| a monument erected 10 mark the spot. 1t was a
great occasion for Russell, for George Fred and
for the whole human race. Nothing less than