The advocate. [volume] (Charleston, W. Va.) 1901-1913, 1907-02-28

/ Ea gland s. greatest poets, and
have all great poets. The sustained
effort is always commonplace the
| spontaneous production of the aspir-
! ing soul alone touches grandeur.
why Quib over rules Of grammar
and rhetoric when laying out the
works OF genius? The poets H.
cense was meant to cover even the
| contentious of the narrow and bigot-
| ed .rhetOricians and grammarians.
Let that be as it may, there is an
other phase Of Longtellow's works
| which has escaped most of the writ
| ings Of. those engaged in telling us
about him. Mr.. Howells did not for
get it, nor did Mr.: Higgfnson. Next
to Whittier, LongfelloW was the
slave-poet, and, believe us, so power
full were his poetic philippics against
the damnable system, that many in
his day, and there be those now,
were moved to claim that he Surpass-
ed Whittier in power, but not in
zeal. Indeed, his six slave poems
grip the heart yet, and start SYM
pathy's fountain aspringing, and few
are those who can read it without re-
beiling against that already persisted.
Chanting dearly loved to recite that
poetic comparison Of Longfellow,
wherein he Hkens the enslaved Negro
N Of DlT
Longfellow feared, the Negro would
pull down the pillars Of the temple.
destroying both himself and the
work of centuries. That poem, we
have it from the most authentic his.
torians, but not Rhodes, was effec-
tive. Assuredly it is remembered.
The American Negroes ought to take
just pride in Longfellow, for he
dedicated his powers to their free
dom, and wrote grandly in behalf of
the freedom of men everywhere. He
did more than that. If such a thing
was possible; he lent his moral aid
to the cause Of abolition, and was
foremost in the later years, in each
department Of its labours AS we
nave before written in these columns
the Negroes Of America are richer in
their heritage than any people in his
tory. There comes not around the
| natal day Of any real great Ameri.
can, whose fame is likely to touch
the lives of generations of unborn
| Americans, that the Negro cannot
properly take part in the attend.
ant festivities, in recognition Of some
service the hero rendered his cause.
God Worketh wisely; his ways are
above the ways of man even as the
heavens are above the earth.
Longfellow, despite the disagree.
ment Of captious critics, will live on
as Inc first great poet Of America.
His simple vision espied for common
man, and he inspired them with a
song that lives on till this day, and
Will never die away. 1t is the one
quotation Of nervous, struggling,
mixed, America. The ambitious turn
to it as readily as the faithful turn
TO the prayer uttered by the lips of
Him who would teach his followers
simple yet eloquent speech. He
would rest his fame upon his mes
sage to his countrymen:
Lives of great men all remind lis
We can make our lives sublime
And, departing, leave behind us
Footprints on the sands 0 ftjme
Footprints, that perhaps another.
sailing Ger Lies solemn main.
"A 1orlorn and shiD-wrecked brother,
Seeing, may take heart again.
Let rs them be up and doing.
With a heart for any fate
| Stlll achicVing, still pursuing,
Learn TO labor and to wait.
WILLIAM DEAN HOWELT,S.
tomorrow William Dean Howe]Is