The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1896-03-05
7T071TIR ID@UJNIO}S3
TRINITY EpwoRTH LEAGUE.

The meeting Of this organization
Tuesday evening was a good one. Prof.
Edwin Minis lectured on James Russell
Lowell. Among many good things he
said: Lowell is the most many-sided
az American authors less philosophi-
cal and original than Emerson, with
less imagination than Hawthorne, less
poetieal than Longfelow or Poe, he
vet has many of the elements that en-
ter into the characters OF these moro
intense natures. In his poem, THE
Cathedral" we see that profound sense
Of God in the human soul.
God is III all that liberates and lifts,
In All that humblcs, sweetens and con
soles"
Each age must worship it's own
thought OF God" "Shall the soul live
on other mems report?' In all this
we see the influence Of Emerson which
lowell only too willingly recognized.
He saws in one of his letters, Il am
half mystic, and half humorist. lie
had Righteousness, a light humor that
manifested itself in his writings and in
his conversations, a humor that plays
here and there like lampent fame. This
is the most manifest in "Biglow Pa
pers." With the "Commemoration
ode" ''Vision OF Sir Launfal,"
sDandelion," etc, before lis, we can
not deny the name of poet to Lowell.
The defect in his poetry has been well
stated by himself in one of his letters.
Il can never be poet, till get out or
the pulpit, and New England was all
meeting house when ] was growing
M" Sometimes, however, his genius
takes him into the realms of pure art.
The lecturer read a number of passages
from Lowell to illustrate his poetical
power.
I,ovelI's attitude towards the slavery
question was spoken of and illustrated
nv passages from "The Present Crisis"
and "Biglow Papers" We must enter
svmpathetically into the New England
view of this question before we can
fully appreciate the attitude Of Lowell,
Whittier and Holmes. To their minds
it was contest for right, and they had
the bravery to stand for truth when
there wer only few
'sThey are slaves who dare not be
In the right with two or three"
No man can estimate the influence
that these soul-inspiring poems had on
a whole earth's unblief." Especially
did they appeal to the spirit OF New
England in such words as
massachusetts. God forgive her,
She's a-lneelin' with the rest,
She. that ough TO ha' chung forever
IN her grand old eagle nest.
Lowell was 4 public-spirited citizen,
and made his culture contribute to the
good of his country. In his address on
the independent in Politics he utters
some Of the truest words TO his coun-
trymen. We nave passed the Fourth
Of July period in our history %heh
we can say like Jack Horner, What
= big 10y am r." Serious problems
stare us in the face. and the good and
cultured men must save the country
from the reign Or the demagogue and
the boss.
Lowell as a critic stands very high.
Passages from Among my Books" and
.Afy Study Windows" were read to
illustrate his views on aspects of liter
ature-styIe, originality in art, moral
teaching, imagination, humor, ETC. lie
was b productive critic, not q destruc-
tive. A lover Of books himself he guides
others into the sympathetic apprecia-
tion Of them.
The lecturer closed With a picture Of
Lowell Az Minister 10 England, the
ambassador from the court Of Ameri-
can literature to that Of Shakespeare
lie was our representative man, a
patriotic American, believing in the
greatness of Democracy, poet. wit,
d man Of letters. England welcomed
him and honored him. The few strag
Cling colonists that had left England
centuries ago now sent back one who
stood for an the higher interests Of
American institutions