The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1908-02-13
LECTURE ON BURNS
WAS APPRECIATED
c. A. G. Jackson Delighted Auiieace at
the Opera House Last NighS
With Portrayal Of the Scot
tish Poet.

That G, A. G. Jackson Of Montpelier
IS an admirer Of, and close student Of
the works Of Robert Burns was male
evident last night when he gave an
address on the Scottish poet in the
opera house, the lecture being arranged
by the several Scottish societies of tile
city. The audience was not large, but
7 1t was extremely appreciatiye, inter
rupting the speaker at frequent arrivals
and cheering him heartily at the end.
The Lecture was preceded and iol.
lowed by vocal selections by =. G. 1,rii.
fifth, who took his numbers from thc
works Of Burns and pleased the audience
50 well that each time he was compelled
to respond again. James z. Aiarr was
the chairman Of the evening and gave
felicitious introduction Of the speaker.
Mr.. Jackson is forceful speaker, a
graceful reader Of verse tsnatehes Of
which he interposed sldllfnllyl and,
moreover, quite conyersant with the
works OF the poet, although, as he stated
at the outset, he got his acquaintance
simply through his works aud not
through personal knowledge Of the scenes
made famous BIZ the writer. He spoke
upon Burns as the man. however, rather
than on his works, saying that his writ
inqs are better diary OF him and his
times than man could have kept had
he been writing his experiences from
day to day Burns put his whole self
into his writings: there was no repres
sion, no holding back, as in the case Of
Scott.
The speaker then took up a defense
of Burns, combating in turn the charges
that Burns was born Of lowly
life, that he was not educated in col
lege, that he wrote ia dialect, that his
morals were poor, that he lacked
sagacity, that he was very vulgar,
BY saving (l) that had Burns been born
rich we would never have had the stories
of real. holnely life: (2l that If he had
been educated. something Of the natural
would have been torn from his pen and
the artificial substituted; (3l that the
dialect Is the most powerful mode Of
expressing thought; l8l that Burns
moral side was as good as his time;
90 that in lacking sagacity Burns was
such poor business man that he gave
away many poemsl he was like unto
d great many literary men; l6l that
while be may have taken some vulgar
themes he yet advanced and beautified
them
Furthermore, said the speaker. Burns
was original; he never copied; he picked
up themes which no one else would have
thought Of. such as TO a Mountain
Daisy" and "T'o 4 Mouse and clothed
them with pathos that would have
been thought impossible.
Not only that, but he raised the ma
tional patriotism of his country inn
He attacked hypocrisy. He
advanced and glorifed religion. He up
lifted humanity. and finally he loved the
truth, being absolutely without conceal
meit, the speaker calling attention to
this frankness BY stating that Burns
was free to confess even his own fail
ings, to say nothing Of exposing those
Of Others,
At the end Of the address there was
a full measure Of applause, and in bid !
hing the audience goodnight, Mr.. Marr
stated that the lecture was the most |
fearless. independent portrayal Of Burns |
hat he had ever heard or read. And |
his seemed to voice the sentiments Of
he audience as well.