The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1901-12-22
Same Nie0us ~ ~ ~
! - ~ and Revtequs.

niv Of President Mckinleys death evoked no genuine
" seduction worthy of the occasion and adds that the
yf h.,,yeen the States likewise failed 70 insnir. 49,
~ oo,t whose work had permanent value Hence orr
as~ wbo is the staff OF the Toronto telegram and
~ !, one having authority. concludes that these I'M
,d and regrettable conditions are the result NJ tho
.Ts commercial character of the American neonIe
"a not capable of bursting into poetic fire. or of find
.rtaton in events which stirred nation with the
go human passions
M Il not the first time that we have been accused If
~ 4, hnd the fountain of inspiration, because of orr
$50, for the highway of commercial prosperity Ii has
~ b.,n our TO ignore these accusations with an
ssrnee born Of clearer perception and accurate
-se OF the actual facts. But uncontradcted
- il time the semblance of truth, and since il is pos
n consider the question upon its merits, this would
:, ambitious opportunity for doing So
X s.
u,v has declared comparison to be "the essence ~
epce" and with this high Endorsement before us we
= hi encouraged to investigate the causes which have
I elsewhere conditions similar to those deplored in
\ United States.
d in the hroes of bitter fratricidal strife vet the
aoo, drew Inspiration from the occasion on the con
= n muse then devoted TO such peaceful and irree
sAemes as LAlegro II Penseroso Comus and the like
~ ueaulsv wrote lays celebrate the fortunes of wa.
one will deny that Horatius and Henry of Navarro
- not contemporaries of his "The Battle of lake
ln fought in his day During the threescore years OF
If, there were many sangunary conflicts by which he
M appropriately have been inspired but he failed TO grasp
rs opportunities
d. Nineteenth century these foremost of the British
nj lived and hourished Burns Byron Campbell Cole
IA. csuper Gray Goldsmith Moore Scott Southev and
Blsivuth. Truly noble procession, and to fill the
M nation with pride. Yet it yielded but poor and
a,z harvest and individually fell woefuly short of the
sr standard of literary production if weighed in the Ca
dian balance.
Sts Field Of Waterloo" is forgotten when the memo
Of the old days of which his --latest minstrel sung
b filed with the sound of martial music and the strife
um Neither Napoleon nor the duke of Wellington
td inspire him, but he turned from these to Roderic
y and James Fitz James, to the knights of Branksome
III and the border foray of another and earlier time
4 IL "
Campbell it is The Battle of the Baltic" and
iainden But the former can scarcely be termed an
nt measure, as is manifested by the following:
at ten of April by the chime,
As they drifted on their path;
There silence deep as DEATH
And the boldest held his breath
For time
Ha. selfevident proposition, we'll as poetioal
nc If the boldest had held his breath indefinitely vic
gyd never have perched on Nelson's prov In view OF
regong is apparent that the saving grace of humor
= at an essential element of poetic temperament.
regards Hohennden, the Scotch poet could hardly
been fired by patriotic fervor in its production for the
was between aliens with whom he had part lot
would indeed really seem if Campbell's compositions
ne oedocmed to the narrow line which divides the
PINE from the ridiculous, since Charles Lamb has in his
~ done as much to mmoralize the Bohemian river and
ahslnay struggle, the poet. For who of has for
5fn bis memorable visit Tom Moore, his stumble and
M down the stair and his instantaneous and breathess
ass to Moore inquiry regarding the accident, lis l.
| rolling rapidly"
Byron as every Knows found inspiration in the un-
sted combination OF Waterloo and the duchess of Rich
as ball but though fond of and fighting and living
le midst OF them, he consistently preferred to sing of
shf that lies in womans eyes rather than the light Of
u the course Of the century many individuals eminent in
ny dled tragicay duly honored and lamened yet they
.a snslng even unto this day. Perhaps critic would
Inc Burial OF Sir John Moore an immortal produc-
'OA at the very hour when
We buried him darby at dead of night,
The turf with bayonets turning"
'Itu author of these cheerful lines was only years
nehee their production could not have been due the
|se electrical influence of the II is permissible
to call attention the additional fact that
En- W Johns corse from the ramparts we hurried, a
L1 company of his adult eompatrios indusriousy
Ivy p0euy yet none of them was inspired to celebrate
~" eho IN tuneu Nor did they, with very eN
as seek or succeed in achieving immortality through
~'4um OF any contemporary conflicts.
Il,
ay literary ofenses committed by the aureates have
uOned and officially sanctioned by the crown but If
sage Of the Light Brigade" was the sole claim of its
FL 70 lame, it is safe to say he would have
coat '"'' Vi EHai"isey' nor 'iooO" ~ we" "
Il Ie therefore driven to the painful conclusion that
Snhaiiy commercial spirit characteristic of Ameri-
sS some equally chilling and deteriorating influence,
IN npped the luxuriant genius OF the foremost
kle British race, if failure TO write immortal epics
poems under the inspiration OF the hour be the
h n 'nd infallble test
eb interesting, it is profitable, TO see ourselves
NJ ee US, therefore the latest estimate OF our liter
NJ, @ from another foreign authority is submitted
r ahee should be noted the verdict is as far OF
h. Nom one direction as it is fair in another. Rev
I'm sen writing in Frank Lesle's of recent visit TO
H., sOies that author saying After the peiad OF
h america produced in the civil you can now only
b w.. Our most brilliant brain Carnegie the millionaire
c, ~ your Homerc age"
tay,, lolstoi places Longfeow and Whittier above
n ana carlyle while he thinks Ruskin ranks Emer-
b WA. er ne considers fantastic and obscure but al
pr studying Had Longfellow been eligible 1t is said
ss,s eonsort would have given him his vote for the
pn p since he likewise ranked him higher than len
h A volume Of the Americans poems always held
lrcT. Vnor IN his library. Mr.. Aymer Maude one OF
ns ,t enthusiastic adherents corroborates Mr. NC
Sr sunony regarding the Russians estimate OF our
IA ta' Mr. Maude adds that Tolstoi is inhexbly op-
.fN, tS p as medium of expression where prose is
e,,, ope have written valuable things in verse, but