The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1901-07-14
Some Viequs ~ ~
~ - and Revie0us.

'n@' uisnhi o'd sea song regarding the
'.Fitteen men on dead mans chest.
70 no. and bottle Of rum
Drink and the devil had done for thu
rest" etc.
He failed 70 add a foot note In ex-
planatlon OF this obvious physical impcu-
aoillty. Inquiries regarding 1t have been
~ order ever since, and OF late interest In
the matter has reawakeued The explana-
tion' like many another. Is simple enough
when you know It. The Dead Mems Chest
ls an Island which lies on the northern
coast OF Porto Rico, and which was IA
yorite rendezvous Of the old Spanish hue.
cancers. II has been suggested that Ste
venson did not himself know the true sig.
nihcanee OF the song since he wrote the
name without capitals and changed the
number Of the noun. The Spanish name for
this cheerful spot Is Isla de Gaia de Muer-
tos-isle Of the Chest Of the Dead.
49,
The Nbsurdlty Of clinging 10 the sAlic
law, while perpetually lamentng Its re.
suits seems very apparent 10 an American
MIND. chorus of groaps has greeted the
almost simultaneous appearance Of the re-
cent quartette of prlncesses in four OF the
royal houses Of Europe. In Italy, where
the rclgnipg family Is OF comparatively re,
cent origin, and where the Instability Of
the throne is painfully apparent to It's oc.
ounants. prince who could continue the
succession In the direct line was especially
desired, while In Russia many criticisms
are made OF the English czarlpa who has
30 Tar failed To be the mother of sons. An
EnsUsh review, In discussing the matter
recently. stated that the salc law reduced
the chances OF succession In a straight line
90 per cent, aud called attention to the fact
mat two of Russia's most remarkable SOW
ervlgns We're women, Olga and Catherine IL.
49,
The discovery Of tho documents In evil
dence regarding the murder OF Foster 10
Louisiana has excited widespread Interest
In tho North. 9his Indispensable testimony
revealing Inc existence OF yoodooism In an
It's donrayod and barbarcns forms aud
practices has called down much condemna.
tion of the brother In black at the hands
OF the Northern press. The southern pec-
pie have always recognized the element OF
sovacery surviving 20 the African race
which dominates and dehes the precepts OF
Christianity and the influences OF ciyihea.
ton. Louisiana and possibly South Caro-
lna have hccn the states especially cursed
with thc votHries of voodooism, perhapa
because thc volume OF Importation OF fresh
recruits from Africa WAS especially a.
rectcd toward their ports. II is doubtful
Il yoodoolFm was ever 80 extensively prae.
uced To the middle states as In those Of
The Euif The senboard cities south of
Chesapeake bay were usually IT'S hsuuts
~
That section ~ the Union which gave the
rightB Of citizenship to the negro seems
npnaHed nv the recent developments IN
Louisiana and one prominent weekly shud
dors as IL states editOuauy. "a great gulf
separates the two races and time and the
feeble attempts to educate the negro have
not begun To bridge 1t. Tho negro is g
heing apart from the whites, q creature
Of incomprchpnsihle morals and practices,
Tho terror Of q slave resurrection rs only
aggravated by the fact tba, the negroes are
80 longer slaves IN name. hut possess nom
iual political and social rights In It's
fatnlty and blind prejudice tue North felt
Itself quite competent ~ deaf vita a prob
lem involving the eravest consequences 10
the people Of the other hair NJ the Union.
aud II is only Just beginning to realize
that II rushed Ia where angols well might
fear 10 tread,
Tho truth Of history, which has passed
into a proverb, appears 10 be Q most evan.
esccnt attribute; something In the moral
world equally akin 10 mirage ana VIII.
O. the-wlsp, and Hartakine of the nature Of
each For more than three quarters Of
century II has heeu a generally accepted
fact that the light OF Keats genius was
literally snuffed out by the rude hand OF
adverse crlticlsm. The portraits OF the
young poet which adorn his works almost
invariably represent him as youth ~
pallid aud anamle appearance, reclining
against shndowy background az beams
md rafters and we do not need 70 read
the legend underneath to recognize the In
tnntion OF the artist. II Is Keats In his
garrett, Frustrated and suffering under the
biting and blghtng sarcasm OF the critics.
~
or these Lord BYRON was one Of the chief
Offenders, his literary estimates being usu.
ally compounded NJ nerves had temper
and selhshness In 1890 he wrote 70 Mur-
ray. "No more Of Keats, ! entreat--day him
alive: n some II you don't ! must skin
him myself. Ia another letter be calls
Keats "this miserable self pouter Of he
human mind" and much more 70 the same
eject. Yet when the Quarterly proceeded
To carry ont his iniunctions and LITERALLY
"aayed Keats alive, with snh brutality
as was popularity supposed 10 Gauss his
death, Byron repented him Of his own eaare
Of the evil. and said, 81 would not no me
person who wrote tho homcidal article for
all the honor ana glory In the world.
Then he compares Keats methods OF
meeting the datribe with that experlsnce
NJ his own which induced him 70 write
English Bards and Scotch Reviewers IN
stead NJ bursting blood vessel, drank
three bottles Of claret and began an an
swar, anding there was nothing In the ar
ticle for which could lawfully knock Jef-
freys on the head In an honorable manner.
~
Keats has been condemned on Inadequate
testimony 10 sufer under accusations which
were unfair and foreign TO his nature
Those who knew him hest are unanimous
and cordial il .hess eorrobcgauon OF ms
extraordinary mettle, Niyacity and prem
lse" cowdeD Clark. whose Judgment "a
such matters is not open 20 criticism
speaks Of his courage and his hgemlnaed-
ness mis- utter Inconsistencies OF mean
motive and his generosity, while bis broth