The free lance. (Fredericksburg, Va.) 1885-1926, 1899-10-10

body and for the Board Of Visitors, 40
cepted il. He took occasion to give Of
fetal and emphatic denial to the charge
so long persisted in that Poe was dis
missed or expelled from this institu-
ton.
MR.. NABIE's ADDRESS.
The chief address was by Mr.. Ham
ilton W. Nabie, Of New York, on 1.-The
Relation Of Poe Writings to American
Literature. 1t was devoted TO show
ing the unique character Of the poet 8
genius and the peculiar excellence OF
his art lie conclusion Mr.. Mable said ::
"Poe was primarily and distinctively
the artist Of his time; the man who
cared for his art and not for what he
could say through it, but for what 1t
had to say through him. Poe
alone among men Of his eminence
could not have been foreseen.
This fact suggests his limitations,
but it also brings into clear view the
unique individuality Of his genius and
the complete originality Of his work.
His contemporaries are explicable; Poe
is inexplicable. he remains the most
sharply defined personality in our liter
airy history. His verse and his imag'
NATIVE prose stand out in bold relief
against a background which neither
suggests not interets them. One may
20 further and affirm that both verse
and prose have place by themselves
in the literature of the world
Until Poe began his brief and pa
thetic career the genius Of Virginia
aud Of the South had found expression
chiefly in the moulding Of national in.
situations aud the shaping Of national
affairs; and IT may be said with
out exaggeration that rarely in the his
tory of the world has public life been
enriched by so many men Of command
ing intellect and natural aptitude for
gent affairs. Ia Poe, how
ever, the genius Of the South seemed to
pass abruptly from great affairs OF
State into the regions Of pure imagina-
ton. In the City in the Sea- lsra'
fell and the verses To Helen'-to recall
three Of Poe's earliest and most repre-
sentative poems-there il complete de-
tschment from the earlier interests end
occupations and complete escape into the
world Of ideality. 1t is part OF the charm
Of these perfect creations that they are
free from all trace Of time and toll =.
Ont Of the new world Of work and
strife suddenly magical doors were
flung wide into the fairly land OF pure
song; out Of the soil titled with he
roic labor and carnage fountain sud
denly gushed from unsupported
springs "
Mr.. Willoughby Reade, Of Alexan-
dria, read the poem contributed by
Mr.. Robert Burns Wilson, OF Ken
tucky. Mr. Wilson was not present.
AT NIGHT.
At night the exercises were less for
NAL. Letters answering invitations to
be present were read These fell into
three classes, according to their con-
tents-they were congratulatory, rem
iniscent and laudatory OF the genius OF
Poe The letters Of the first class were
read by DR.. Kent, the next by Prof.
William NJ. Thornton, and the last by
Prot. w. r. Abbot, Of Bellevue. Va.
Mr.. .Willoughby Reade, OF AleIan-
dria. read Israeli so effectively
that the audience clamored for further
renderings from Poe. Tho following
poem, contributed by father Tabb, OF
Maryland, was read by Mr. Reade;
TO EDGAR ALLAN POE.
Dead fifty years? Not so.
Nay, fifty years ago,
| Death, Obloquy and Spite,
| To curse his ashes came;
But, 10 the living light.
Beneath the breath Of shame,
Indign ant, spurned the night,
And withered them in flame.
,isjor Davis, the literary editor OF
the New Orlerns Picayuns, made some
brief remarks, after which Mr. Will
liam Fearing Gill, Of Paris, discussed
1.-THE Raven" and then recited It,.
The exercises were then closed by some
remarks by Ohevalier Reynolds on the
closing days Of Poe's life.