The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-03-17


and the most American Of any Of our
writer's Mr.. Depew defended Longfellow
from the critics. and declared that the
Psalm of Life would live longer in Eng
lish thought than Millions Paradise Lost
LongfeiloW was so easily cor1prehended
that every thought he had put into verse
the child could understand. Mr.. Depew
then referred to the recitation by Zitkala
Sa and said that poem and recital was
the most original thing in literature. 1t
had no model. said the speaker. in the Old
Worlds thought, but sang Of the stars. the
trees. the lakes aud rivers of this new land
| and the simple aborigines of the prairie
and the forest.
In closing Mr. Depew stated that Long
fellows poetry had not only spoken OF the
emotions of the heart. and had gloritfed
the simple ways Of plain people, but that
| it had been 4 mighty inspiration OF the pa
triotic sentiment In proof of this he read
THE ship" and ended by saying that tie
Union would remain as long as these noble
vorses were learned and rected by the
children Of the land.
Fear Admiral Stewards Address.
Rear Admiral Stewart L. s. ", was then
introduced and spoke briefly and earnestly
in commentator of the plan of the COM
mittee. If Washington is not now the
He was pleased with the patriotic pride
which had led to the rearing of so many
military statues in Washington. and he
hoped that in the fullness OF time similar
mementOes would commemorate the lifting
of the flag to new glOries at Santiago and
Manila. Admiral Stewart warmly COM
mended the turning from military and
naval achievement to that of letters. and
declared that LCngfelow should be the
n receive the DTODOSpd honor.
Zitkala Sa was again introduced at this
point, and rendered a violin solo
Views of Secretary Long.
The last speaker was Hon. John D. Long,
Secretary of the Navy. who said
Il have been asked, as a native OF the
State of LoIgfellow's birth, and a citizen
of the State in which was his home. to
speak the cordial interest of the East in
this most appropriate movement to erect
in the National Capital a memoria! statue
Of that gentle poet of the heart, the infiu-
ence of whose spirit inspires us far up the
heights with his song. mellows our sad
nesses with tender hymns of resignation.
and fills cur lives, whatever else the years
may bring, with children's hours. But
there is 40 limitation OF state or even of
country to his fame or his inspiration.
Wherever loving heart beats, wherever a
traveller wanders, wherever a family cir
cie gathers about the fresidc the grateful
tribute of a common sentiment responds to
his memory and TO his living verse I re-
call no sWeeter picture from the past than
that of my little girl coming down the
happy morning stairway. repeating I'M
taught the verses which he made. and
which were a bridge from his soul to hers,
as they are from all human souls to his
and to one another.
1T is a commonplace to say that Long
fellow was a poet of the people, for no
poet is a great or true poet who is not
that. And what a tribute is this TO our
common humanity Lives of great men
all remind us not more that we can make
our lives sublime than that our lives are
already sublime, if only We will not cum
Der or debase them. Not By putting into
melody something that is beyond and above
you and me, not by breathing a music so
strained that il never trembles in cur own
fancies and prayers, does the poet rise to
excellence. but by yoieing the affections.
the finer purposes the nob,eBesses that are
in the great common nature-in the sailor
up the shraGds; in the maiden dashed to
the floating mast. in the mother laying
away her child; in the schoolboy at his
task or play, or counting the sparks that
fly from the blacksmiths forge; in the man
at his work, or, when he rests from It,
raided by blue-eyed banditti from the
stairway and the hall So. the poet of the
people teaches not cur disparity from him
but our level with him; not our msanness,
but our Ioftiness. He does not forget that
he owes as much to those who inspire him
to sing their thoughts, as they do to him
for singing them.
So il is, | am sure, that this occasion
unites all our hearts. II was a beautiful
life. 1t is a good thing to commemorate
it. and to reproduce its physical form in
this Capital City of the nation, where the
American citizen seeing LongfellOw, Will
recall and repeat his verse anew. All good
and sweet spirits from the heavens Will
hover about him. We and our children
and our children's children will look up
to him and resolve, as We gaze on mis-
benignant face. that We, departing. will,
like him, leave our footprints in the sands
of time; that our sadness shall resemble
sorrow only as the mist resembles the
rain; that it shall be a sublime thing to
suffer and be strong; that We will wake
the better soul that slumbers to a holier
calm delight that We will never mistake
tapers; and that. whatever the storm OF
cloud, we will hear the voice from the
sky like falling star-Excelsior!
The music for the occasion was FUR
nished by the Carlisle Indian Band, now
making a tour of the country preparatory
to a trip to the Paris Exposition. Before
the exercises and at the close Of the meet
ing the band played several selections
Among them were the overture of the
"Semiramide" (RossnD, and a movement
from the aboriginal Suite" (Dennison
Wheeloekl. ending with the Congress of
Nations" (Sousa).