The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1898-01-26
VARIED PROGRAMME GIVEN,
WHICH WAS ENJOYED BY A NUM-
BIER OF OLD SCOTIA'S DE-
SCENDANTS.
ADDRESS MADE BY F. N. DICKSON.
lean by u Study of Robert
Burns.

the magnetic Bobby Burns, ever ezra
ic, and yet ever true, ultimately, to the
heart Of humanity. 1t was the anniver-
sary Of the Ayrshire poets birth, day
whose recurrence year by year is ever
marked by the men of st. Andrews
with respect and gayety. The pro-
gramme, which was given at Odd Eel
lows hall, was felicitously presided over
by j. H. Richie as master Of ceremon-
les. The programme opened with a
solo, by w. F. Myron, There Was a
Lad Was Born in Kyle" which that
gentleman sang with characteristic
JUNCTION. A chorus assisted. j. H.
Barnard spoke briefly in eulogy of the
poet, and ]. c. Myron sang My Nan
MES Ava very effectively. Frank
Horn recfted Tam O'Shanter'' in cos
tune, and Miss Bannochie, of Mime
apolis, sang Caller Herrin' also in
costume.
The address of the evening was by
Fred N. Dickson, who said:
Some days ago l was asked by Mr.. Horn
to respond here tonight with few brief and
inornate remarks describing the impression
wrought upon the understanding of an Amer
lean born and bred by study OF the genius
and character of Robert Burns. He said he
wanted no Grafton or elaborate address, but
simply the brief and plain opinion of plain
man, of the life and works of the hero
whose birthday we are now celebrating. ANA
surely he must have meant what he SAID;
for had he desired the opinion of American
genius this subject, he could have brought
you the elegant expressions of Halleck, a
Longfellow, a Bryant and others CT our great
American poets and writer's who have devot-
ed their proudest laurels at the shrine OF
Robern Burns.
Few Americans, or persons of other than
Scotch nationality, are able fully to appre-
ciate Burns. For, without an intimate
knowledge and mastery of the Scotch dia-
lect no one can appreciate the exquisite
perfection and grace of his art, or the deli
cacy and beauty of his ideas. To one who
dialect many of his verses seem to stumble
and many of his rhymes seem defective. But
this is the misfortune of the reader, and
not the fault of the poet; and an appreciative
expert in the dialect of Burns must and al
ways does pronounce his artistic work well
nigh perfect He IS no rude, uncouth rhyme
ster, giving crude and untutored expressions
to poetical ideas: but from an artistic stand
point alone in his ability to write beautifully
rounded rythmical verses and exquisite
rhymes, he is undoubtedly one of the great
est poets of the world
Whoever has excelled rivaled the artistic
grace and beauty of those beautiful lines to
Highland Mary?
Ye banks and braes, and streams around
y,
Green be your woods. and fair your flowers,
Your waters never drumlie!
There simmer first unfolds her robes,
And there the Largest tarry;
For there l took the last farewell
o. my sweet Highland Mary.
But 1 fear that 1 am straying from my
subject, and needlessly insiting upon ideas
which, to most of you, must be trite. You
are all Scotchmen, and understand far better
than do l this quality of Burns genius. In
one respect, however, l think an American
who has been able to master Burns poetry
is apt to have a wider and profounder appre-
citation of Burns than the thorough Scot. To
a Scotchman he appeals in a local and pc
culiar way. He is their countryman, and they
and, while their affection for him is extreme
ly strong and deep, they are too near him to
appreciate his greatness.
Once l was going overland on the Union
Pacific system to the coast We Travelled all
one night and a part of the next day over
what I thought was a level plain. Sudden
ly a gentleman turned to me and said: 1--WE
are now on the highest point of the Union
Pacific system. This place is called Ames
and there is the Cakes Ames monument. We
are more than $500 feet above the level OF
the sea-" l was astonished. I had been so
near the mountains had not recognized them
And this incident illustrates my proposition
that the Scottish-born friends of Burns are
too near to him to appreciate his greatness.
He was to my mind not only one of the
greatest poets. but also one of the greatest
philosophers of all the ages. His genius was
universal and not local; he was man of the
world, not of a country or province. He
was a man of the centuries, not of an epoch
And to my mind it is this universally of his
genius that especially appeals to all appre-
ciative Americans. His sympathy and love
was for humanity, not for his friends and
neighbors merely. His admiration and love
for the true, the beautiful the good and the
great was an admiration for them. whenever
wherever and however manifested. He I'M
derstood profoundly the philosophy of his
humanity mi ind
leaped the centuries and predicted almost as
I prophet the great progress in the betterment
the n recogntio CONDITIONS of tho generally and
dignities of manhood and womanhood
which our century has partially accomplished
He understood profoundly that great princi-
pie first formally enunciated by our own
! Jefferson, That all men are created free and
| equal. Not that each man is entitled r.
! Just as much of this worlds goods and of its
| pleasures and dignities as every other mar
| enjoys, and no more but that each persor
| born into this world should be free to enjoy
! all of the worlds goods, pleasures dignities
and advantages that his capabilities will en-
able him to acquire. without trenching unor
| the rights of others.
And when the world purported to be shocked
at such ideas and repudiated and reprobatef
! Reorganization, when the wealth and titles q
! the land were owned and controlled by :
/ class insignificant in numbers who lordai
| IL over the mass of humanity, and brow
mi
cry the men and women who made their land
worth owning and their titles worth holdin o
Burns clearly saw and explained the rotten
| ness of this system and foresaw and nredfct
ed its overthrow.
His magnificent poem. "For a. that and q
that, has been the gospel Of struggling hui
mainly ever since he so grandlv exclaimed
/ Then let us pray that come it NAV.
! AS come it will for a that
That sense and worth Ger a. the earth
| May bear the gree and a. that
hot
It's coming yet, for a. that
Ihat man to man the world DER
Snail brothers be for a. that
The trio so familiar to local Scots IN.
brothers Myron and J. E. McCaffrev
assisted by John Grant. "Poosie Nan.
ME sang in costume 90 Willie Rrewaf
a Peck o Maui
After solo by Mrs. Brimhall DR.
Dinwoodie spoke appropriately to tn.
occasion, and Miss Flossie Myron and
Albert Ingram, in costume, sang "Jolr
Anderson, My Jo." Miss Bannochi,
then sang, with much refinement
"Wae's Me for Prince Charlie" TIL,
closing number of the evening. needles.
to say, was Aud Lang Syne." J. G
Myron led, the entire company Joining
The committees were as follows: Re
ception. Mesdames A Cattanach. 7 r
Barnard F. Horn and John Clarkso,
and W. F. Myron; entertainment r
Horn, w. F. Myron, John Clarkson