Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1900-03-17

the great names Of English achievements
which were there. redeemed it all. On see
ing this bust of Eongkeilow 1 felt, as /
never had before. thatswhateve may be
the differences between ti,e various nation
alities in which the Eng3sh- speaking races
that separates them fog the moment and
which create hostile feelings between them,
IN the upper ether Of the mind we are all
of one blood, of enerace. of one aspiration,
nations are the best hopa of civilization and
humanity"
/ LonEfelIor abb Burns.
/: Longfellow is tosthe# American people,
said the senator. laS Burns is to the
Scotch. the poet of he me and of homely
affection. He ventfred The assertion that
there Is not an Anzercsn household today
where there are aisbSpks that does not
contain the workssof 1ongfellow, nor
school where the b1ys and girls do not
read them. And best of all, remarked the
serious or humorous Idea in Longfeliow
that any child cannot perfectly understand.
We read and study Homer" said Sena-
tor Depew in conclusion, land we can I'M
derstand why and how he was the inspira-.
tion of Greek life and Greek literature for
centuries. but he means nothing to us.
Virgil was one of the buttresses Of the i'm
peral throne for centuries, but in our life,
struggling to be free and struggling to
maintain our nationality, no orator. no
statesman has contributed more than
Henry Wadsworth Longfellow. The Ship
recited everywhere, is doing it's part for the
perpetuation of the Union. 1t is doing its
work today to meet all the fears of the
pessinlists. At the Capitol as you go there
day by day You will hear the timid and
fearful minds saying that our country is in
danger from violations of the Constitution
by giving free trade to Porto Rico, or our
country is in danger by the violations of
the Constitution in making tariff for Por-
to Rico, or our country is in danger if we
keep our island possessions, or our country
is in danger II we let go of our island pos
sessions. 1 commend to these timid souls
a few lines from the Ship of State "
National Capitals Possibilities.
Senator Depew's eloquent remarks were
deeply appreciated He was followed by
Rear Admiral Stewart, who remarked that
if Washington is not the most beautiful
city in the world, it some day will be,
thanks to the patriotism of the American
people. Along with the pride which every
American feels in the growing greatness of
the nation there comes naturally a desire
to so beautify and adorn the national cap
1tal that it shall speak to all the world of
the greatness Of the nation, and reflect in
Its broad avenues and beautiful architec-
ture, it's columns and statues and foun-
tans, something of the prosperity the dig
nifty and the glory Of the great republic.
1T is fitting" said Rear Admiral Stew
art. that to these other memorials of ma
tional glory should be added, as is now
proposed, statue Of Longfeiiow, America
widely-read and greatly-loved poet, whose
sweet thoughts woven into poetry beautiful
aud Inspiring. going into every home in the
land have done so much to elevate the
sentiments and to enlarge the patriotism
of the American people. The placing of his
statue here in the national capital would
reflect honor on the whole country, mas
much as high appreciation and public rec
ognition of genius and of scholarship are
not by any means the least among the dis
tfnguishing marks OF a peoples greatness -
The Concluding Address.
A violin solo by Miss Zitkola Sa was next
rendered, the accompanist being Miss ]. L.
Senseney, instructor of vocal music at the
Carlisle school, and the Secretary of the
Navy, MIR. J. D. long, delivered the con-
Guiding address. The Secretary explained
that he had been asked as native of the
state Of Longfellow's birth, and as a citizen
of the state in which was his home, to
speak the cordial interest of the east in
the movement to erect'fn the national cap
ltal 4 memorial statue. OF that gentle poet
of the heart, the influence of whose spirit
inspires us far up the heights with his
song. mellows our sadnesses with tender
hymns of resignation and fills our lives,
Whatever else the, Years. may bring, with
children's hours. But there is no limitation
of, state or even of country to his fame or
his inspiration. Whersser a loving heart
beats. wherever, A itraNfler wanders, wher-
side the grateful trihuts of. a common sem
timent responds to his, fmemory and to his
living verse, recall no sweeter picture
from the past than that of my little girl
coming down the happy morning stairway,
repeating untaught the verses which he
made, and which were a bridge from his
soul to hers, as they are from all human
souls torhis and to one another"
While 1T he rk cd
Long, commonplace to say that Long
fellow was poet of the people, yet no
poet Is a great or true one who is not that.
And what tribute is this to common HUI
mainly. he added. Lives can be made more
sublime. he continued, not by putting into
melody something that is beyond and above
us and not by breathing music so strained
that 1t never trembles in our own fancies
and prayers, but by vofcing the affections,
the finer purposes, the nobienesses that are
IN the great common nature-in the sailor
up the shrouds, In the maiden dashed to the
rloatlng mast, in the mother laying away
her child, in the schoolboy at his task or
play. or counting the sparks that fly from
the backsmiths forge; in the man at his
work or, when he rests from it, raided by
blue-eyed banditu from the stairway and
the hall
so it is" said Secretary Long, 1T am
sure, that this occasion unites all our
hearts 1t was a beautiful life. 1t is a
GOOD thing to commemorate it. and to re-
produce its physical form in this capital
city of the nation. where the American cit
izen, seeing Longfellow, will recall and re-
peat his verse anew. All good and sweet
spirits from the heavens will hover about
him. We and our children and our chill
dren's children will look up to him and re-
solve as We gaze on his 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 sublime thing Is suffer and be strong;
that we will wake the better soul that
slumbers to holier, calm delight; that we
will never mistake heavens distant lamps
ever the storm or cloud, we will hear the
voice from the sky, like a falling star,
Excelsior! ="
Gratitude for Interest Shown.
Upon the conclusion of Secretary Longs
remarks Dr. Mackay- Smith thanked those