The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1903-05-28
'EMERSON CENTENNIAL.
The Poets Birthday Observed by Union
Services at the Unitarian Church.


The audience room of the Unitarian
Church was we'll filled, Sunday evening,
Nav 24tl, for a niOnservice in commemOr-
alton of the one-hundredth anniversary of.
the birth of Ralph waldo Emerson. The
evening services of the other churches were
omitted and the pastors we're all on the
platform except Mr.. Mills OF the Congrega-
tional Church, who was out of town. The
services opened with the organ voluntary
followed by the anthem "Shadows of the
Evening Hour" by the choir. Prayer was
offered by Rev. G. E. Edgett of the Metho-
dist Church. Rev. E. S. Philbrook Of the
Baptist Church read the 1st Psalm and the
sod chapter of Isaiah C. E. White sang, as
tenor solo, "'Twill Not be Long"
Rev. Ashley A. Smith of the Unversalist
Church spoke on 'The Religion of Emer-
son." He opened with quotation ave
never begin to count a mans years until
there is nothing else to count" We are met
here tonight, not to count the years but the
virtues of noble, manly heart-the noble
words spoken. Emerson lived in thoughts,
not in breaths. He who thinks most lives
most. Emerson had living power in his
life. The thoughts of our American Plato
have been the thoughts of our American
life The adage that man is judged by the
company he keeps is exempllfied in Emer-
son. He was near in thought to Shakes
peare, Swedenborg and the great and good
men of all ages When we tell of EmersOn's
life we tell of his religion. His thoughts
have entered into our New England life as
have no other mans, with the possible ex-
cepton of Phillips Brooks. He saw God in
the flowers, he saw deeply into the mys-
teries of nature. lie regarded God as the
universal father of mankind, and mankind
as of common origin and destiny. He was
an idealist, an optmist, one whose optm-
ism was at times oppressive. His warmest
friends were among those who differed radi-
cally from him in their views, Father Taylor
being notable example.
The anthem ssNow the Day is Over" was
sung by the choir.
Rev. Harry Lutz of the Unitarian Church
spoke on emerson and His Work. We
can pay no higher tribute to Emerson's
worth, said Mr.. Lutz, than to point to what
he did His was singular nature He was
fond of literature and languages, but mathe
MATES and the sciences were distasteful to
him He was wanting in reasoning power.
He opened a great controversy, but could
take no part in the discussion. He was
good spontaneously. He could not under
stand how evil could be alluring. He could
sympathize with others in trouble but could
not appreciate their trials or temptations.
| He saw the powers of man, but could Aot
| see the difficulties. His work was that of a
| prophet He put in motion the intellect OF
| others, A student and admirer of Plato he
| became the Plato of America. He had
| poetical thoughts, but not the sense of music
| He was poet because of his thoughts rather
| than his words. He was incapable of long
| poem or book. His thoughts were discon-
| nected. He wrote on but one subject, Ma
| ture. He could not create actors nor make
them act after others had created them; he
could describe what he saw but could not
| draw comparisons. He took keen delight in
| the everyday aspects of nature, but not in
nature as science. Anyone who visits his
| old home in Concord must feel a sacred pres
ence, and in the cemetery of Sleepy Hallow
one finds that the poet is at rest among the
birds and flowers he loved so well.
The services closed with the hymn. Gin
Holy Books we Read," by the choir, and the
benediction by Rev. E. S. Philbrook.