The herald., 1898-05-30

The early American poets, the immortal
six-Bryant. Longfellow, Lowell, Elmer
son. whittier, Holmes-voiced the activity
and independence of thought emanating
from the reformatory agitations of New
England. Their verse was laden with the
vIgor of a youthful national life. Like true
children of freedoms soil. they drew in a
love for liberty with the very air they
breathed. So the elder of the group sang
of America thus:
Oh, mother of mighty race, yet lovely in
thy youthful grace,
There's freedom do at thy sa .ns rest
A shelter for the hunted head.
For the starved laborer toll and bread.
The power, in historic sense. and the
breadth. in prophetic poets vision, Of this
land. young in years but strong in pur-
pose, is set forth in Emerson's description
Of the Concord fight:
BY the rude bridge that arched the flood.
Their nag to Aprips breeze unfurled;
Here once the embattled farmers stood
And fired the shot heard round the world.
Spirit that made those heroes dare
To die, and leave their children free,
Bid time and nature gently spare
The shaft we raise to them and thee.
Something akin to this, of the sympa-
thetic. chord that vibrates in the great ma
tional life. is expressed in Lowell's lines: =
When a deed is done for freedom,
Through the broad earth's aching breast
Runs thrill Of joy prophetic.
Trembling on from east lowest.
Whittier. touching on the blame that had
fallen on America. because through
Thy open door
The worlds evil outcasts came.
Saw hope that the Transforming hand of
church and school and rostrum and pres
might harmonic all forces at length and
Mold even them to thy design
Make blessing of the ban;
And freedoms chemistry combine
The alien elements OF man.
The poetry of the nation would almost
serve to keep the thread of history un-
broken, as well as to preserve the memo
ries of the loyal heroes of the land of the
free and the home of the brave" Lowelrs
pen portrait Of Lincoln, Stedmans euloey
on Grant, Reads Sheridan Fifteen Miles
Away" Byers poem ON "Sherman's March
to the Sea"-these and many others will
live immortal, imbued with the glory of
the splendid deeds and rare personal worth
they hold in sacred remembrance.
To but one woman has the proud YER
dict Of her country's praise been accorded
so far Mrs. Julia Ward Howe, in the Bat
tie Hymn of the Republic" scored a VIC
Tory with her pen that gave her ranking
title with the nobler school of poets. Mrs
Howe and others rode out from Washing
ton to see a military display, when some
unexpected action changed the plan of
affairs, so they drove slowly back to the
city by the side of the soldiers on foot
To while away the time they sang the ia
miliar song John Browns body lies mol
dering in the grave" and the soldiers
cheered as they passed. That night, in the
stiffness of Mrs Howe's chamber, words
framed themselves to the tune. Soon after
the publication Of Mine eyes have seen
the glory of the coming of the Lord" a
copy reached Chaplain McCabe and his
friends, newly released from prison. They
took up the song and sang it with a will.
and the echoes reverberated over our hills
and valleys. to be prolonged in full chorus
whenever Columbia's sons and daughters
see cause for exclaiming:
AS He died to make men holy let us die to
make them free,
Our God is Marching In!
Addie B. Ellington in Chicago Times.
Herald.