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Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software. The text has not been manually corrected and should not be relied on to be an accurate representation of the item.
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THE BUKNS' FESTIVAL . fhia great fete « u celebrated on Tuesday , Axtg . 6 th , ^ itn &Q tie heartiness and enthusiasm which ie » peet lor the genius of ScoUand ' 8 immert&l bard ooold not foil to produce . It wbm , in reality , a nobla demonstration , in whatever . light vb view it ; whether as a pectumition—poithnmona though it may be—of the poef a title to a high niehs In the temple of fame , or as Jn occasion tn&t brought together , Iq real congeniality of BeEtamenV a& ranks and prides of aociBty—tbe pfted as ¦ weE as the noble of the land—to do homage Sfctheshrine of genlM , ef manlytrorth , and genuine inde pendence . It mnst hare been a p * ond day to the sons of Boras to haTe raea a -welcome te the birtht £ m » of Hisii faihet—to ths scenes immorta&sea' by hi « xau » , and hallowed by many an endearing association . It may be of importance to mention , in a few sentences , the origin and pregresa of thU-fete , which , as a
tribute to the memory of genius has aeareely had a parallel in this or any other country . The idea waa first suggested by the arrival of Colonel Barns in Scotland , after an absence of nearly thirty years in India . At the outset it was intended merely as an entertainment to the Colonel by the people of Ayrshire ; bnt , aa the sSair became known , hints cams from various quarters , chiefly from Edinburgh , to the effect that , as all the surviving sons of the poet were in the kingdom , it wonld be better to hare a more extensiTe demonstration than that contemplated . This completely altered its local tks&etei , and imparted to it all the reality and importa nce of a national commemoratisn in honour of the ploughman bard , as wellas a welcome to hia sons . The jesulfchas been a cordial response from all quarters of tfaeiingaom , presenting a living manifestation of the influence wh ich the writings of Barns exert over the T ^ rifmmi
-mTTifT-! Ehe preliminiry arrangements "trere intTUBted to & Tery active and influential committee , through whose instrumentality the Earl of Eglintoan and-Professor TFJlson irere Induced to accept the honourable but onexom duty of presiding at the festive board , —the one c elebrated as the lord of the tournament , and the other as a poet and a critic . It was originally designed to be an out-deor entertainment , but as it was found impossible to have the arrangements sufficiently matured before the month of August , this intention waa given sp ; and for this reason , that in the ever-variable climate of the north , at this stage of the season , the liability to Tdfavourable weather Is very great . ; This was notably exemplified in the case of the tournament } and having this before their eyes , the committee very wisely agreed
te erect a paviHion for the accommodation of the guesta at the festival . A field of some twenty acres in extent , beautifully situated on the banks of the Dooo , was ¦ elected for this purpose ; than which a more appropriate rpofc could not have been fixed upon . Distant only a few yards from the monument erected to the poeFs memory in 1820 , in the sloping vale immediately below the cottage of hia birth , it had the additional charm of being in the very centre of the scene of his unrivalled poem of Tass ' o Shaxler , and within view of Alloiray ' s " auld haunted kirk , " where the revels of ths unearthly legion -were fc&ia . The pavilion "was nearly a sgnare , and covered a space of 110 by 120 feet It was a very handsome erection , with three roofs , the centre one rising some heigh ; abovs the otter two ; the
style of ths building being in many respects similar to the churches erected of late by the party who seceded from theScofctisb establishment . Externally the pavilion was decorated with a pyramid of flags , and internally beautifully lined with doth of various colours , and festooned and otherwise gaily fashioned , while the centre of the roof exhibited a representation of the sun easting his rays over the area beneath . The seats of the Chairman and croupier were elevated several feet , and tastefully ornamented with appropriate devices . ' - On the opposite aides , of the pavilion were two galleries ; one allotted for the press and the other for the orchestra . The pavilion was calculated to hold 2000 persons . The seats and tables were so arranged that the company had an admirable view of the chairman and croupier : and as
there were eight doors , represented by a corresponding number of alphabetical letters from A to H , and as these were printed on the tickets of admission , everything like confusion in entering the pavilion was prevented . The vacant space of the field in wMch the pavilion was situated was allotted for refreshment tents and as a promenade fbi the humbler classes of visitors , whose recreation and enjoyment were not fergotten , as during the time the party-were assembled in the banqnetnnglaH the multitude outside were to be entertained with music , for which purpose a stage was raised in a central place for the band of the S 7 th Regiment of Fusileers , which had been kindly permitted to attend by the comfPH-nflrnff officer , while groups of glee singers were scattered in other quarters of the grounds . The committee sent invitations to the more distinguished literary characters of the day ; but , strange to say , the number of acceptances were very smalL This , of course ,
disappointed many who had come under the expectation , not only of seeing , but also of hearing some of the principal lions of vhich our age can boast . Letters apologising lot ciraYoi&aWe absence , but heartily concurring in ihs propriety of the demonstration , were TCeeWedirom Six . Tijoioas JJosre , Mr . Wordsvrorti , Mr . James ilostgoinery , Sir Edward liytton Bulwer , Mr . Leigh Hunt , Csptain Marryat , Mr . Serjeant Talfc-urd , Mr . Carlyle , * c . Tha musical department was very attractive . The names of both Templeton and Wilson figured in the programme . The former being a cative of Ayrshire , the songs of Bums could not have bad a more appropriate representative , and , as might be expected , his reception , as well as that of Wilson—¦ whose fame as a singer and illustrator of Scottish music is deservedly txtensive—was most enthusiastic . " The orchestra was occupied by the Glasgow quadrille band , and the whole musical-arrangements were under the direction of Mr , Blewitt , the composer .
For Several days prior to the fete all the inns and lodging-houses in Ayr were bespoken ; and never before did that tows , which Bums has celebrated as the residence of " honest men and bonnie lasses , " exhibit such an exating appearance . . From early dairo crowds -of weH-dressed . people , and public hedifts—snehaa Pree-Tnasons , Odd Fellows , &t—flocked into Ayr from all directions . 'From an elevated . tiinstion the-coos try for Silas round had the appearance cf a living panorama . The bay was crowded with ateamen and sailing craft of every description , while the railway trains between Glasgow and Ayr , although they ran every half-hour , were crowded at each successive arrival .
" Pair auld Scotland" never exhibited a more animating sight ; and , ss the morning opened most delightfully , nothing was wanting to give pleasure to the demonstration . The place alletted for marshalling the procession was a large common , called the Low-jrreeri , te the south of Ayr , on the sea-beach . The different parties -who intended taking part in it assembled about ten o ' clock , and by eleven all was in readiness for ths grand movement At a given signal the various bands struek up inspiriting tones , and the magnificent pageant commenced its progress to the monnment , through the principal streets of Ayr . The procession was txtrtmtlj numerous , while the crowd surrounding It was so dense that the . road was completely choked up . Perhaps the most pleasing feature in the whole procession was the vast assemblage of ploughmen &n ( 3 Sfcepfcer&B , "Who * dreuedin thei * j > Uld « and broad blue bonnets , afforded a noble representation of that humble but independent and industrious class from which the poet sprang .
The following was the order of the procession . — Baud of the S 7 th Fasfliers . Pnjvwt , Magistrates , Town Council , and Trades of Ayr rive Bagpipers in Highland Costume . Farmers and Shepherds . Dalrymple Bains Cinb , with banner and Music . > Iotto , "Pirxn . " Kilwinning Band . ESwinning Motnei Lodge of Freemasons . Cumnock Band . Londonn 3 ve"srmilna lodge . Irrine Band . Troon Ifsvigation lodge . { Krvan Masons . * St . James ' s Tarbolton . St . John ' s , Ayr .
Thistle and Rose , Stevewton . St . John ' s , Largs . Glasgow Star . Si Andrew ' s Band . Boyal Arch , May bole . St Paul ' s , £ yr . St . Andrews , Ayr . St . John ' s , Girvan . St . James ' s , Kilmarnock . St . Peter's , Galston . St . John ' s , 2 few Cumnock . Junior Knights Templars , May bole Siltcoats Band . St . John ' s , Dairy . "KT ? KiTf > mTi "R tnfl , Si . Join ' s , GreeDock ; dressed in black , Small Cloth * , and White Stoekisga . Shoemakers as follows : —
Champion . British Prince and attendants . Indian Prince and Train . Cstrine Band . King Crispin and Train . Socter Johnnie , in character . "RinhUnri CMfeflaiSB . Gretnoek band . - lodge o ! Odd-Fellows . Band . Robert Burns Lodge , Beith , Ayr band . Banks of Ayr lodge ef Odd-Fellows . Six J . M'Bougall Brisbane lodge , largs . Ancient Order of Foresters , Glasgow . Captain mounted , with Bow and Arrows Knmamock band . Ellmsrncck Burns lodge of Foresters . "Weavers from Maybole .
Maybole band . TaiJo .-B of Maybole . Mauchline Band . Boxmakers of Mauchline , with large Scotch Tbiitie , Kvea feet high , carried shonlder high by four men , and banner , inscribed , "I tamed aside my weeding-heak , And spared the eymVol flear "Ste psrtywere from ths eitatBdnnent of Hess » j w . isa £ . smith . The ThisttB grew near to Moatf id . Caledonian Union Odd Fellows . Danlop .
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[ Deputations of tha Magistracy joined in tbe procession from Dumbarton , Danlop , Maybole , and ' Irvine- ] During the formation cf the procsarion , the pipers played round the field , greatly enhancing the scene by their music . When fully marshalled , the immense body moved onwards , the bands striking up the wellknown atr of "A man ' s a' man for a * that *"—along the Sonth aide of Wellington-BqtiaLM . The procession was formed three deep , and wonld extend to nearly a mile in length . It had a very imposing effect . On going down Sandgate , up the High-street , and on to the Maybole Road , every window was thronged with onlookers , and the atreeta were densely crowded . As they proceeded , the bands played the national airs of " Green grow the rashes , * This is no my aln house , " ' My love -she ' s but a lassie yet , " " Wat ye wha ' B in yon toun , " &c .
After leaving tbe Townhead , the procession moved on at a quicker pace . The road all along was greatly crowded ; so much ao , that it was with difficulty tbe mass could keep moving . The walls , houses , and gates , were everywhere lined with anxious observers ; and various platforms were constructed for tbe accommodation of ladies . On aproaching the cottage where the Poet was born , and where , aa already mentioned , a splendid triumphal arch was erected , the bands struck up " There was a lad was born in Kyle ; " and the procession , uncovering , lowered tbe flags aa they passed the humble but much-endeared spot . Marching forward , the pressure of the multitude became immense , owing to the narrowness of the road between Greenfield Avenue and the monument . Tbe greater
number of the vast roll ef carriages , tbe route for which was by the Race-course Road , up Greenfield A-reirue , bad luckily passed prior to the approach of'the pioe&&&ioa , otherwise tbe obstruction would have been much greater . The road from Ayr commands an excellent view of the bay , the hills of Arran , and the Heads of Ayr , but here the scene became doubly Interesting . Kirk AUoway , the Monument , the Pavilion , with its waving Union Jack , and tbe extensive field set apart for the festivities , spread out io beautiful table-land , burst en the sight—while " Carrick'a Brewn Hill , " or rather hills , studded by shady woods and fields of grain rising almost to the summit , bounded the scene on tbe south , the moat ef AUoway and Doonholm woods on the east , and those of Mountcharles on
the west . Multitudes were in the field , ana every eminence commanding a view of the procession was occupied , iven on Newark hill parties were placed , preferring a distant prospect to the annoyance of being crushed amidst the crowd . A platform waB erected on the opposite side of the Doon , where an excellent view of the procession was obtained . As tbe long-extended line approached Kirk Alloway , tbe old bell , which still occupies the belfrey , was set r- ringing , and continued so while the procession passed on under the triumphal arch along tbe New Bridge . Deploying round towards the Old Bridge , the circling line , partially obscured by the houses and trees , had a truly picture * que effect The waving banners , the music of the bands , mellowed ana echoed by tbe " Banks and braes o' Bonnie Doon , "
imparted an inexpressibly agreeable sensation . On reaching the triumphal arch of the ' Auld Brig" venerable and grey witb'age , the bands struck up the air of *• Welcome Royal Charlie , " while the procession unco * vering and lowering their fiigs , passed over on the rustic bridges in front of the platform , whereon the sons ef Bums were elevated . On the platform , beside tile Eiri cf Eglinton and Professor Wilson , we observed —H . G . Bell ; Col Campball ; Sir D . H . Blair ; H . Onslow ; B . Chambers ; Mrs . General Hughes ; W . A . Cui-ningbame ; A . Boyle ; lord Justice-General ; Alexander Hanie , M . P . ; A . Buchanan ; J . O . Fairlie , and & number of ladies . The Sous of Burns seemed to feel deeply the compliment paid to them , and acknowledged it most cordially . Tbe immense crowd which aurrounded
the platform wemed highly gratified fey the opportunity afforded them of feasting their eyes upon the lineaments of the sons , as they sought to trace those ef the father . The procession occupied at least an hour in pasting from the New Bridge into the field , on entering which the bands played " Duncan Gray , " followed by " The birks of Aberfeldy . " A large circle was then formed round the platform for the musicians in the field , and the whole company , led by professional vocalists , joined in singing " Ye banks and braes o' bonnie Djon , " and" Auld langsyne . " The bands were afterwards stationed In various quarters throughout the field—the Regimental and Glasgow St . Andrew ' s Bands in the centre of the field , and KUwinning and Cumneck Bands at tbe Cottage—the bagpipers playing at a distance from tie Pavilion , There were two enclosures for dancing—one towards tbe head of the field , and the other at the brow overlooking the
water of Daon . Immediately after the procession was over , the cr » w £ was astonished by the sudden appearance of Tarn O'Shanter , " weel mounted on his grey mare Meg , " and a flight of witches in full pursuit of him . Tarn approached from the plantation near the -cottage , and jogging along tbe road , put spurs to his " uobJe Maggie" opposite tlie ** an } d haunted Kirk , " When out the ?• hellish legion « allied . " Maggie , of Course , i&aehed the key-stane of the brig in safety , but there left behind her " ain grey tail . " The enactment of this characteristic interlude created much amusement . The company began to enter the Pavilion almost Immediately after the dose of the procession : and the chair was taken about two o ' clock . The Pavilion , when all were seated , had a rplendid appearance ^—more like a banquet in fairy-land , than a thing of real life . The Chairman and Croupier s seats were of oak , made of tha rafters of Alloway Kiifc ; and several splendid silver vases decorated their tables .
Tbe Chairman , the Right Hon . the Earl of Eglintoun , waa supported on the right by Mr . Robert Burns , late of the Stamps and Taxes , Somerset-bouse , Iondon , eldest son of the poet ; Miss Begg , niece of the poet ; Mr . H . G . Bell , sheriff-substitute of lauarkshire ; the Rev . Mr . CuthiU , Ayr ; Mr . R Burns Begg , ' teacher , Kinross , nephew of the poet ; Miss Begg , the younger ni ' &cs of the pott ; SI * , and Mrs . Thomson , of Dumfries ( tbe Jessie lewara of the bard ); on the left ,, by Colonel Burns , second Bon of the poet ; Mrs . Begg ,
sister of the pset ^ . M'Neill , bart , late Plenipotentiary at the Comt of Persia ; the Bight Hon . lord Justice General ; the Countess of Eglintoun ; and Sir D . B- Blair , Bart , of Blaiiquhar . Tbe croupier , Professor Wilson , of Edinburgh , was supported on the r ight by Mr . A . Alisen , Sheriff of ^ Lanarkshire ; Colonel Mure , of Caldwell ; J 2 r . W- AytouD , Advocate ; Mr . A . Hastie , M . P . for Paisley ; Mr . J . Oswald , II . P . for Glasgow ; on tie left by Sir J . Campbell , Glasgow ; Provost Miller , Ayr ; Mr . J . Ballantlne , of Castlehiil j Mr . J . Cimpbell , of Craigie .
The Rev . Mr . Cdthill , of Ayr , asked the blessing , in language brief , impressive , and appropriate . The Rev . Gentleman also returned thanks . After " the usual loyal toMts , " The Chaibmah rose amidst the most enthusiastic applause . He said , —ladies and Gentlemen , the subject of the toast which I am now going to bring before yon , is one of such paramount Importance on this occasion , * nd is so deeply interesting , not only to those whom I have now the honour to address , but to all to whom ge nius is dear , that 3 < soiild ba-re wiabedit bad been committed to more woithy hands , more particularly when I seB the enormons assemblage collected here —the distinguished persons which grace onr board today ( cheers ) . It is only because I conceive that my
official position renders me the most formal and fitting , though moit intificii . nt , month-piece of the inhabitants of this county—{ hear , hear , and cheere)—that I have ventured to intrude myself before you en this occasion , and to undertake tbe onerous , though gratifying , duty of proposing in such an assemblage the thrilling toast" Tbe Memory of Burns '—( great applause;—the coinpasy rising to testify their approbation by the waving of handkerchiefs ) . This is not a meeting for recreation or amusement ; it is notabaxqnet at which a eertain number ef toasts printed on paper , are to be proposed and responded to , which to-day marks onr preparations ; it is the enthusiastic desire of a whole people to pay honour to their countryman ; it is tbe spontaneous offering of a nation's feelings towards the illustrious dead ,
and added to this the de 3 ire to extend the band of welcome and friendship to those whom he has left behind —( tremendous applause ) . Here on tbe very spot where he first drew breath , on tbe v « ry ground which his geniuB has hallowed , beside the Old Kirk of Alloway , which his verse has immortalised , beneath the Monnment which an a dmiring and repentant people have raised to him—( great applause )—we meet , after tbe lapse of years , to pay our homage to the man of genius—( long cheers ) . The master-mind who has sung the " lele cf Palms "—who htis revelled in the immertal * ' Noctes "—who has already done that jnstice to the memory of the Bard , which a brother poet can alone do— Chnrtopher himself jb here !—{ great applan&e ) . Every town and every district ; every class , orward to
and every sex , and every aee , has come pay homage to their Poet The honest lads whom be ao praised , and whose greatest boast is to belong to the land of BnrnB , are here —( cheers ) . The bonny lasses whom he eo prais * d , those of whom he loved and sung , are here ; they hava followed hither to justify , by their loveliness , the Poet ' s worth—( great applausej—while tfee descendant of those who dwelt in tbe " Castle of Montgomerie , " feels himself only too highly honoured in being permitted to prepose the memory of him who then -spandeied there unknown on iba banks of FaiL —( cheering ) . How little eoald ike picna old man who dwelt in yonder cottage—with his " lyart-haffets" o ' er spreading his venerable brow—when he read the " big ha' bible , " have guessed that the infant prattling on his knee was to be the pride of his nation—the chief among the poetic band—waa to be one of the brightest planets that glows around ths mighty Bun of tbe Bard
of Avon—( cheers)—in knowledge and originality unrivalled—second to none in tbe fervent expression of deep feeling , in the genuine perception of the beauties of nature ; and equal to any who revel in the fairy land of poesy—( cheers ) . Well may we rejoice that Bums is our own 1—that no other spot can claim to be the birth-place of our Homer , except tbe spot on which we stand—( cheerB ) . O that he could have foreseen the futurity of fame created for him this day , when thei > cet and the historian , the peer and the peasant , vie with each other in paying the tribute of their admir-tion to the humble but mighty genius of him whom we ha'las the first of Scottish poets—( cheers ) . Such a foreaeht mirbt ba" » e alleviated the dreary Sours ol hia KjJnra at Mossgkl—might have listened tfce dark days ol hits pilgrimage on earth —{ cheers ) . Well does he dfiBuve cur homage who has pourtrayfed the " Cottar ' s Saturday Night "—not in strains of inconsidtraie mirth , but in Bclemnity and truth—who breathed
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tbe patriotic words that tell of the glories of our Wallace , immortalising alike the poet and tbe htro ; be who could draw inspiration from tbe bumble daisy , breathed forth the heroic words of " The Song of Death , '—straint , the incarnation of poetry and love , and yet of the bitterest shafts of satire and ridicule !—obeying bnt the hand of nature , despising all the rules of art , yet trampling over the very rales lie set at nought . Athis name every Scottish heart beats high . Hehas beceme a household word alike in the palace and the cottage . Of whom should we be prond—to whom shonld we pay homage , if not to pur immortal Burns ?— { cheers ) . I will now ask you , on the ground his genius has rendered sacred—on the
" Banks and braes o'boc&y Dooa "—» to join with me in drinking an overflowing bumper , and in joining to it every expression of enthusiasm which you can , to "The Memory of Burns . " Tbe toast was received with the most rapturous and enthu-Elastic bursts of applause . Quadrille Band— " Here * a tualth to ane I lo ' e dear . " Mr . Templeton sung with admirable effect , " Ye banks and braes o'bonsie Doon , " which elicited the warmest plaudits of the meeting .
Mt . Robert Buens , on rising to return fcbanks , was , with hia brothers , received with enthusiastic entering . He aaid , —My lord , ladies , and Gentlemen , of course it cannot be expected , at a meeting such as the present , that the sons of Bums should expatiate on the merits and genius of their deceased father . Around them were an immense number of admirers , who , by their presence there that day , bore a sufficient testimony of the opinion in -vrbicn they held bis memory , and the high esteem in which they held bis genius . In the language of the late Sir Christopher Wren , though very differently applied , the sons of Barns could say , that to obtain a living testimony to their father ' s genius , they had osly to look around them —( eheers ) . He begged , in the name of hia sister , brothers , and himself , to return their heartfelt and grateful thanks for tbe honour that bad that day been paid to their father ' s memory —( loud cheers ) .
Professor Wilson , who was received with enthusiastic cheering , spoke as follows -. —Were this festival to commemorate the genius of Burns , and it were asked what need of such commemoratives since hia fame is co-extensive with the heroes of our laud , and inherent in every soul , I must answer that , though admiration of the poet is indeed wide as the world , yet we , as compatriots to whom he is more especially dear , rf-jttice to aee that universal sentiment concentrated in the voice of a great assembly of his own people —( cheers)—that we rejoice to meet in thousands to honour him who has delighted each aingle one of all at bis own hearth—( cheers ) . But this commemoration expresses , too , if not a profound&r , yet a more tender sentiment ; for it is to welcome hia sons to the land which their father
illustrated—it is to indulge our national pride in a great name , while , at the same time , we gratify in full hearts the most pious of affections—{ cheers ) . It waa customary , you know , in . former times , to crown great poeU . No such ovation honoured our bard ; yet be , too , tasted of human applause—he enjoyed its delights , and he saw the trials that attend it . Which , think you , would he himself have preferred ? Such a celebration as this in bis life-time , or fifty years after his death ? I cannot doubt that be would have preferred the posthumous , because tbe finer incense —( cheers ) . The honour and its object are thus seen in their jaat proportions ; for death gives an elevation which the candid soul of the poet would himself have considered ; and that honour he would have reserved rather for
his manes than encountered it with his living infirmities —( loud cheers)—and yet , could he have foreseen the day when they for whom bia soul was often sorely troubled , should , after many years of separation , return to the but where he himself was born , and near it , within tbe shadow of his own monument , be welcomed for bis sake by tbe lords and ladies of the land ; and dearer still , far dearer to his manly breast , by the children and the children ' s children of people of his ewn degree , whose hearts he sought to thrill by the voice of his own inspirations , then surely would such a vision have been sweeter to bis iouI even than that immortal one in which the genius of the laud bound holly round his forehead—the liliac-leaved crown that shall flourish for ever—( cheers ) . Of his three sons
now aitting here , one only , I believe , can remember bia father ' s face—can remember those large , lustrous eyes of bis , so full of meaning—so full of melting in melancholy , or kindling in mirth , but never turned on his children but with one expression of tenderest , or most intense sff .-ction— ( cheers ) . Even at this day be , too , may remember his father ' s head with its dark clusters , not unmixed with grey , and those eyes closed for ever , lying upon tbe bed of death ,- nor , should such solemn image arise , would it be undeniable to this festival . Bums had bia faults : Burns , like every other mortal being , had hia faults ,- great faults , in the eyes of men , and grievous in the eyes of Heaven above us . But it is not his faults that ara remembered here—BUftly it is not to honour these that we meet
together-It ia consolatory to see how the faults of those whom the peeple honours , grow fainter and fainter in the national memory , while their virtues grow brighter and still more bright ; and if in this , injustice has been done them—and who shall dare to deny that the crueleat injustice was onoe done to Barns—tbe succeeding generations become more and more charitable to tbe dead , and desire to repair the wrong by some profoundeat homage . It may be truly said the good which men do lives after them . All that is ethereal in their being alone seems to survive ; and , therefore , with all our cherished memories of our best men , Burns was among our best , to be invested with all consistent excellencies ; for far better do their virtues instruct na by the love which they inspire , than tver could their vices injure us .
To dwell on the goodness of the great shows that we ourselves are not only lovers of nature , but that we may be aspiring to reach his sfrene abode ; but to dwell upon tbe faults or greatness , and still worse , to ransack , in order that we may create them , that is the low industry of envy , which grown into a habit , becomes malice , at once hardening and embittering the mind— ( loud cheers ) . Such , in tbe case of our great poet , beyond all doubt , was the source of many a malignant truth and lie , fondly written down , carefully recorded , by a class of calumniators that never may become extinct . And for many yean we were forced to hear souls ignoble , formed to be forgot , dragging forth some puny phantasm of their own heated fancy , as if it were tbe majestic shade of Burna evoked from his mausoleum , for contumely and insult .
Bat let us never listen to those who , by tbe very breath of morning , would seek to blight tbe wreath bound round the forehead of the muses' sons by a people ' s gratitude —( cheers ) , let us beware of those who , under affected zsal for religion , have as often violated the spirit of both by gross misrepresentations , and exaggerations , and denunciations of the common frailties of our nature ; in illustrious men—in men who , spite of their aberrations , more or less deplorable , from the right line of duty , were nevertheless , like Barns , in their prevailing moods , devoted worshippers of virtue in the general tenor of their lives , and nebie examples to ali of their brethren . Bums , who , -whHe sorely oppressed in his own generous breast by the worst of anxieties—tbe anxiety of
providing the means of anbsistenca to those of bis own househo : d aud his own breath—was notwithstanding no less faithful to that sacred gift with which by heaven he bad been endowed . Obedient to the holy inspiration , ha ever sought it purely in the paths of poverty—to love which is indeed from heaven . From his jnexbanstlble fancy ; warmed by the sunshine of bis heart , even in the thickest gloom , he strewed along the weaTy ways of the world fiowera ao beautiful that even to eyes that weep—that are familiar to tears—they looked as if they were flowera dropped from heaven . Now , I hold that raeh sentiments as thess which I have expressed , if they be true , afford a justification at once of the character of Burns—his moral and intellectual character—that places him amongst the highest
order of human beings . who hove benefitted their race by the expression of noble sentiment and glorious thoughts —( applause ) . Why , 1 say there is a voice heard above , and below , and ronnd about—the voice of mete admiration , as it has been expressed by mt > n of taste or of criticism ; there is a voice which those who know how te listen to it can hear—a voice which has pronounced its judgment on the character of Barns —a judgment which cannot on earth be reversed at a higher tribunal , and which never will be reversed—( applause ) . It was heard of old , and struck terror into the heans of tyrants , who quaked , and quailed , and fl- 'd for fear from this land before the unconquered CMedonian speai —( applause ) . It ia a voice they were pleased to bear ; it was like tfie sound of distant
waterfalls , the murmurs of the summer floods , or the voice of the mighty sea , which ever rolls even on . I mean the voice of tbe people of Scotland , of her peasantry and trades—of all who earn their bread by the sweat of their brow—the voice of her working men . '—( applause ) . I shall not pretend to draw their character ; this I may say of them now , and boldly , that they do not choose to be dictated to ss to the choice ot those who with them Bhall be a household word—( Lear , hear ) . They are men from whose hands easier would it ba to wrench the weapon than ever to wrench their worship from their hearts . They were men who loved truth , sincerity , integrity , resolution , and independence—an open front , and a bold eye , that fears not to look in the face of « lay . They do not demand , in one and the same person , inconsistent virtues ; they are no lovers of perfection or of perfectability ; they know that there are fainter and darker ahadowa In the character of every man ; and they seem ,
as we look back on our history , to have loved most those who have been subject moat within and without to strong and severe temptatisn . Whether in triumph or in valour , they have shown at last , by the complexion of character of their souls , that they loved their country , ' and had no other passion so strang as the defence of the people . They , too , unless I am much mistaken , love those who had struggled with adversity . They loved those who had had their trials , their griefs , their sorrows ; and , most of all , they loved those who were not ashamed of confessing that they were so , and who threw themselves on the c ommon feeling and forgivenness here below , and trusted for that forgivennesa to that source from , ¦ whence alone it can come —( cheers ) . The love of tha people of Scotland for tboBe whom they hava loved , has nofc been exclusive—it has been comprehensive . They left the appearances of their different characters , and honoured then ? for every advance they made , provided they saw the strength of character , moral and in-
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tellectual . s « cfa » people as this , possewlng such feelings , could hot but look upon Robert i , ' JH ? wbilst tbey admired hi * , they alto loved him too with the truest affection , as well far thevlrtueaaa for the sorrows and the griefs of that great , but . inj . ome respectsunfortunate , man . Was he W r « ' ,. ° * J ~ t * 8 tt'for granted , and we 55 ? 11 irfv ?? 2 ° —then why did they love him I They loved him because he loved his own order , no * £ ? Vi " ^^ i , i . a 8 ln « h 0 tt *» toqaiUWtapplaw ) They loved him because he loved thei very humblest condition of humanity , so much , tbat by bis connectioa he saw more truly , and became more distinctly acgnajnted with what was trnly good , and imbnedwith a spirit of love in the aoul of a man . They loved him for that
which he had sometimes been moat absurdly questioned for—bis ind ependence —( applause ) . They loved him for bringing sunshine into dark places ; not forrepreaenting the poor hatd-working man aa an object of pity j but for showing that there was something more than is dreamed of in the world ' s philosophy among the tillers of tbe soil , and the humblest children of the land . ^ Frorn such a character aa that which I have truly given Scotland ' s people , one would expeofc that all the poetry would be of a stern or furious kind , tha poetry only of bloodshed and of destruction ; but it was not so , nor is it so , but with some glorious exceptions , in the poetry of Burns . For how did the men of old love poetry , and wa 3 it loved in the huts where they were born ? Yes . Poetry was the produce both or the heathery mountains and the browny braes . In the days of old they had their music plaintive , and dirge-like as it sighed for the absent or wailed for the dead . These fragments , whilst tfeoy were flattering about io disorder
and decay , were seized upon by him , the a-weetest lyrlat of t&era all , and sometimes , by the change of a single word , be let in the soul of beauty—sometimea by a few happy touches of his genius he changed the fragment Into a whole so exquisitely moulded that no one could tell which were the lines belonging to Burna , and which to the poet of ancient days . But all of them now belonged to Burns , for he had rescued them from oblivion . He also took the music , and set the unlettered language ot nature to every necessary modulation of human speech , so that the poetry of Burns la as popular and as national as his music . The learned Professor then proceeded at some length to notice the universal popularity of Burns ' * works among the poor of the country ; and after referring to the absence of James Burns , who was labouring under aevere affliction , he concluded by an eloquent panegyric upon the speech of the Noble Chairman , and resumed bis seat amidst loud applause .
( ilasgow Quadrille Band—* ' Of a' the alrta the wind can blaw . " : Mr Robert Burns replied in the following terms : —My lord , my lady , and ladies and gentlemen . We are sure the Sons of Burns feel all that they ought to feel on an occasion so gratifying , Bnd on account ot so nobly genetoua a welcome to the Banks of Doon . Wherever they have gone they have found a reception prepared for them by the genius and fame of their father , and under the providence of God , they owe to the admirers of bis genius all tbat they have , and what competencies they now enjoy . We have no claim to attention individnally ~ we are all aware that genius ,
and more particularly poetic genint . Is not hereditary , and in this case the mantle of Elijah has not descended upon Elisha— ( applause ) . The sons of Burns have grateful hearts ,: and will remember , so long as they live , tbe honour which has this day been conferred upon them by the noble and illustrious ef our own lands—some from tbe far West , a country composed of the great and the free , and altogether a kindred people . We beg to return our moat heartfelt thanks to this numerous and-highly respectable company for tbe honour which has been done us this day . Mr . BurcB resumed his seat amidst the deafening shouts of applause , which continued for some time ,
Sir John M'Netll in an eloquent speech proposed a bumper to Wordsworth and the peets of England , which was enthusiastically honoured .
Glee— " Glorious Apollo . " Henry Glapfobd Bell , Esq ., in a thrilling address proposed the health of " Moore and the Irish Poets "—( cheers ) . Song— "The harp that once through Tara ' fl Halls , " by Mr . Xempleton . Archibald Alison , in proposing the memories of Byron , Scott , and Campbell , said , Look around us , and we shall aee on every side decisive proof bow far and wide admiration for their genius has sunk in the hearts of men —( cheers ) . What is it that attracts strangers from every part of the world , into this distant land , and has more than compensated a remote situation and a churlish soil , and given to our Northern Isle a splendour unknown to the regions of the sun t What ( 8 it which has brought together this mighty assemblage , and united the ardent and tbe generous from every part of the world , from the Ural mountain to tbe banks of
tbe MissiBsipi , on tbe shores of an island in tbe Atlantic ? ( cheers ) . > ly Lord , it is neither the magnificence of our cities , nor tho beauty of our vallies , the animation of our harbours , or the stillness of our mountains ; it ia neither our sounding cataracts nor our spreading lakes ; neither the wilds of nature we have subdued so strenuously , nor the blue bills we have loved so well —( cheers ) . These beauties , great as they are , have been equalled in other lands ; these marvels , wondrous though they be , have parallels in other climes . It is the geuiua of bet sons which has given Scotland her proud pre-eminence ; this it is more even than the ahudes of Bruce , el Wallace , and of Mary , which has rendered her scenes classic ground to the whole civilized world , and now brings pilgrims from the most distant parts of the earth , as on this day , to worship at the shrine of genius . Years have rolled on , but they have taken nothing , they have added much , to the fame of those illustrious men . lime but the Impression deeper makes , As Btreama their channels deeper wear . The voice of ages has spoken : it has given Campbell and Byron tbe highest place with Burna in lyric poetry , and destined Scott
To rival all but Shakespeare ' s name below . ( Cheers ) . Their names now shine in unapproachable splendour , far removed like the fixed stars from the clouds and the rivalry of a lower world . To the end of time they will maintain their exalted station . Never will the cultivated traveller traverse- the- sea of the Archipelago , that the " Isles of Greece , the hies of Greece , " will not recur to his recollection : never will he approach the shores of Loch Katrine , that the image of Ellen Douglas will not be presont to his memory : never will he gaza on the cliff * of Britain , that he will not thrill at the exploits of the "Mariners of England who guard our native , seas . "—( cheers ) . The speaker concluded amidst loud applause .
After other toasts and speeches , Colonel Mure said , In obedience to tbe order of our noble Chairman , I have to request a bumper to the Peasantry of Scotland . In order justly to appreciate the claims of this most estimable class of our ' foliow-citizsns upon our sympathies , I rauat remind you that to it pre-eminently belongs the honour of having given birth to the remarkable man whose memory we are this day met to celebrate . I must remind you that while the fact of Burna having raised himeelf from the tank of a Scottish ploughman , by the innate force of heaveu-born genius , to tbe level of the greatest and most original poets of any age or country , is the noblest feature of his history , the Peasantry of Scotland , in their turn , may be entitled to feel pride , even in the presence of the
proudest tiobles of their laud , when they remember that from them , and not from the privileged ordera of society , our greatest national genius was destined to arise —( cheers ) , —and in fact , the most striking , and perhaps the moat , valuable feature in the poetical character of Burns , ia the marked ascendancy which the spirit and habits of the peasant , the genius of the man , as it were , continued to exercise on the genius of the pcet , even during tbe most brilliant period of his subsequent careen In allusion to the patriotism of the Scottish peasantry , the speaker said—To whom I would ask but to the peasantry of Scotland does our poet bo beautifuHj appeal os having bled with Wallace ? To whom but to our peasantry did our national hero lookand never look in vain for support ia his gallant effort
to restore the fallen fortunes of his country ; at tbe period when our doughty knights and nobles ( happily but for a season ) had been reduced by the intrigues or intimidation of our powerful enemy , to crouch submissive beneath the throne of his usurpation—( cheers ) . And can we doubt tbat this proud spirit of patriotism Etill burns as warm in their hearts as then , if no longer by God ' s blessing eo fearfully or so desperately called into action ; or that when after , as sur poet again has it— " They lay aside their private cares To mind the Kirk and State affairs ; They'll talk of patronage and priests , Wi' kindling fury in their breasts , Or tell what new taxation ' s coming . And ferlie at the folka in Lunnan— ( cheers ) .
Sir James Campbell , of Glasgow , in a brief speech , propeaed a Bumper to " The Land ef Burns . " The healths of Lord Glintoun , Professor Wilson , and others , wtre then drank ; ana tfie FtibttVal terminated about six o ' clock . A heavy shower having fallen a short time before the dinner , the company , oa dispersing , found the grounds around tbe pavilliou deserted . The multitude had moved towards the town , where they terminated the festivities of the day in mirth and revelry , and in many a tavern that night in Ayr did " The mirth and fun gtow fast and furious . "
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HOUSE OF LORDS—Friday , Auo 9 . CLOSE OF THE SESSION . The Royal assent waa given , by commission , to a great number Of Bills . ¦ ' The business of the evening possessed do public interest , with the exception of the following conversation . \ Lord Campbell took the opportunity ( while their lordships were waiting for some bills from the Commons ) to ask to what time it was intended that the house should be adjourned f Lord Wharncliffe said he intended to move that the house should adjourn to Monday , Sept . 2 .
Lord Campbell said he hoped that the adjournment would not have been ] to so late a date . He believed the circuits of those judges whose opinions their lordshipa would require , would be all over by the 25 th of August . \ The Lord Chancellor said his noble and learned friend was misinformed . Mr . Justice Patteson , a judge of great ezperienoe and learning , could hoc by possibility bo in town before the 28 th . As two or three days would be necessary for the deliberation of the judges , Saturday , the 31 st , would be too early ; and as the house wou / d not meet on Sunday , Monday was the earliest day . I Lord Campbell expressed himself satisfied .
Ou the motion of the Earl of Shaftesbuby , tho house then adjourned till' Monday , the 2 nd oi September . -
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HOUSE OF COMMONS-Fbiday , Abo . 9 . Lord John Russell ( after Mr . Sheil and Mr . WrsK had opened the subject ! took the opportunity of reviewing the labours of the session , and the position of tbe Government , ' both with respect to foreign and domestic policy , and more especially with respect to Ireland and plr . O'Conneli .. Sir Robeht Peel , of course replied , and admitted the excellence of the spirit ! and tone of the speech of Lord John Russell . He , however , took occasion to laud the Government for baying rendered tbe present session fruitful of legislative measures , all
of a beneSoent or useful nature ; and after uttering a " song of triumph'' respecting the present condition of politics and commerce , as compared with what both were in 1841 , he intimated that other causes , of a personal nature ( alluding to her Maj esty ) , had rendered the postponement of the prorogation necessary ; but even if tbat were not the case , the necessity of haying a decision on the writ of error would of itself bare justified a late prorogation . The remaining business of the evening was chiefly confined to the adoption of amendments made by the Lords to various bills . The house then adjourned till the 5 th of September .
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FRANCE . Suspension of Hostilities with Morocco . — Paris , Avoost , 9 th . —The French Government has received a telegraphic dispatch , dated the night of the 2 d and 3 d of August . The news contained in it was brought to Port . Veadries by thoGregois Government steamer . At the moment when the Prince de Joinville was about to commence the bombardment of Tangiera , a letter from the Emperor of Morocco was received , giving full power to tbe Pacha of Larache to treat for peace . ! The Emperor , besides , was to write a letter to the Prince de Joinville , in which he assured his Royal Highness that peace would be re-established . 1
The Paris papers of Saturday consider intelligence from Morocco of a very favourable character , as far as regards tbe disposition ot the Emperor , but have doubts of his ability to oarry them into effect . The disposal of Abd-el-Kader forms the great difficulty . If we are i to believe some of the papers , he has been already ; disposed of . " The son of the Emperor , " ssvs the Journal de Paris , irritated at Abd-el Kader ' s resistance to the orders of his father , and alarmed at the ascendancy that Arab chief was obtaining over the people , is said to have dispatched to him an emissary , who has shot him point blank . This news , strange as it appears , has obtained some credence . It is said to have been communicated by a letter from Algesiras . " Later fbom Morocco . — " Tangiers , August 3 . — The Governor of Larache jhas received from the Emperor full powere to negotiate .
" The Prince de Joinville has delegated on his side M . de Nyon . i " Hostilities are suspended , and a pacific solution is expected . " j Gibraltar , Evemkg op the 5 th . —The Government has just received news from Mr . Hay . The Emperor , he states , has granted to France and Spain the just satisfaction which they have demanded . Mr . Hay is expected at Tangiers to-morrow evening . The French fleet is at thia momeat preparing to sail from Tangiers for Gibraltar . ]
SPAIN . The Journal dez Debatg announces that the troops of the garrisen of Madrid were constantly kept under arms , tbat arrests continued , and that several executions would shortly take place . The following account of the present wretched state of Spain appears in the Morning Chronicle : — " Our correspondent , in his letter of the 2 ad instant , mentions a circumstance which strikingly exhibits the dreadful state to which General Narvatz and his fellow tyrants have reduced Spain . At the present moment there are nearly one thousand state prisoners ia the prison called the Carcel del Corte , at Madrid
alone , besides the multitudes confined in the Other prisons of the metropolis , and throughout tho other large towns of the kingdom . Nor is this all . All the most eminent members ; of the Liberal party , finding that they have no longer any security for life , liberty , or property in their ; native land , are preparing to emigrate to foreign countries , where they may enjoy greater safety . Among those who are about to leave the country are M . Cortina , M . Madoz , and several other members of the late Cortes , who have already occasion , in their own persons , to know that in Spain neither innocence nor patriotism is a safeguard against oppression , i
Madrid papers of the 6 th state that arrests were going on , and every day added to the number of unfortunates immured in prisons . M . Madcz had left Madrid for Switzerland and Holland , it being dangerous to remain in Spain under the tyranny of Narvaez . M . Munoz , or , as he is now called , the Duke of Rianzares , has arrived incognito at Barcelona . The prosecutions against the Liberal papers were carried on with great ( virulence , and it was expected that the Eco del Comercio would be obliged to succumb under the enormous expences .
POLAN 13 . Dreadful Floods . —Hamburgh , August 3 . —The accounts received from Poland give most deplorable descriptions of the damage done by the inundations of the Vistula and other rivers . The Elbing Gazette of July 29 , says that there had been incessant rain for more than six weeks , and the damage already done was immense . The Prussian Gazette gives fearful accounts from Schwetz , Kulm , &c . From Schwetz it is said , the 30 th ] of July , Our town , situated at the junction of Sohwarzwasser and the Vistula , generally suffers every year from high water
in the spring and at mid-summer , when the snaw and ice in the Carpathians is i melted ; at these seasons we have sometimes inundations of the lower grounds , which cause much loss and distress , but we never witnessed such scenes as yesterday and to-day . The water is rushing in torrents threugh the streets , and in most pares of the town only the roofs of the houses are visible , from whioh the inmates are in vain oalling for help . The rain is pouring down in torrents , and our town is a river . In the neighbouring villages the inhabitants , on the roofs of thoir houses , are anxiously looking . ; for assistance which we cannot give them . " !
July 31 st , 8 am , —Most of the houses have been unable to withstand the element whioh undermined them . The chimneys fall , thu ! walls burst , on every sido cries of distress , and the oraah of falling houses , the inmates of which are difficult to save . Thousands are in imminent danger ; but ] the common distress excites the humane to do every thing possible to relieve it . The want of provisions is severely felt ; tfce bakers even , aud the shops of tradespeople , are all under water . . July 31 st , 10 p . M . —The water does not riso higher , but a furious storm rages , whioh driveB the water in vast waves against the houses , the foundations of whioh are already shaken , and threatens the whole town with destruction . ! One third part of it is already laid waste , and lies in rains beneath the
wares . ; The account from Kulm says that the Veatula had risen to a greater height than at any time during the last hundred years . It is impossible to * ay how many thousand villages will be inundated by this mighty river in its long course from Cracow to Dantzig . Above and below Kulm one hundred towns and villages are as in a sea , and the inhabitants have been forced to take refuge on roofs , on trees , or on some neighbouring hills . ? - Hamburgh Papers , August 9 th .
ITALY . I More Blood !—The Journal of the Two Sicilies of the 27 th ult . publishes the sentence and execution of nine of the unfortunate young men who sailed from Corfu in June last for the Calabrias . On the 24 'h , the military commission sitting at Cosenzi pronounced sentence of death upon seventeen of the persons implicated in the descent upon Calabria , nine of which were carried into effect on -he following day . The names of the unhappy sufferera wore : Attilio and Emilio Bandiers , sons of the Austrian admiral ; Nicola Riccistti the commander of the flying column of tbe insurgents-: of Ancona , m 1831 , who subsequently fought throughput the civil war iu Spain , and rose to tbe rank of Lieutenant-Colonel ; Domenico Moro , former Lieutenant in tho Austrian navy ; Anaroharsis Narde , a lawyer and nephew to the Dictator of Modeaa , in the insurrection of 1831 ; Giovanni Verenuooi , Giaoomo Rocoa , Frsace&co Berti , and Domenico LapatelliL
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it appears that Moro , who was desperate ! wounded when taken prisoner , was unable to walk to , the place of execution , and that the horror of the f cane was much increased bv his sufferings . A letter from Bologna of the 29 th of July , states thit the military commission has pronounced sea * tence upon four more of the political prisoners ; of whom two were accused of spreading intelligence favourable to the insurrection of 1843 , and the two others of having read the proclamation of the insurgents to several persons . For these crimes one was sentenced to imprisonment for five years , one for three years , and two for one year . Givil War in Naples . —We have under oar notice two decrees of the 18 th and 19 th of July , by which the Neapolitan government places the provinces of Calabria Cateriore and Ulterioro second * under the immediate power of the military , in
consequence of the powerful force of the armed insurgents , authorising them to adopt tha most extraordinary and rigorous measures . The simple departure of an individual from his own commune is construed by the local authorities as expressive of a dtsiro to become a delinquent ( in animo delinquereJ , and suffices for tbe insertion of his name in the list of those oat of the pale of the law ; ( dx fuor bandoj and any one bearing arms is the two provinces will be judged and punished by a council of war , or rather he will be brought to trial before a drum-head court martial . The publication of such edicts sufficiently betrays the real state of affairs in that part of the kingdom of Naples . They present every appearance of a resolution on the part of the insurgents to struggle nobly in the cause of liberty , and energetically . to resist the oontinuance of tyranny , as ia former times they resisted the invasion of the French . —Malta Paper .
UNITED STATES . Governor Dork in Prison . —If a spark of liberty is left in this Republvs , let it be fanned into a flame or for ever after let us hold our peace on the subject . A fellow oitizsn iB incarcerated in Rhode Island for doing precisely what Washington did , and fordoing precisely what tha Declaration of Independence declares it to be the right , of the People to do , namely , to change their form of government whenever it becomes destructive of , or fails to secure , equality of rights to the people . The Algerine Landlords of Rhode Island , not satisfied with the monopoly of the soil , refused even to allow the landless the right of suffrage . The
people formed a constitution , not restoring to them their right to the land , but simply the right to choose their representatives . Under this constitution they elected Thomas W . Dorr their Governor , and for exercising bis authority in that capacity . King Charles's landlords have sentenced Dorr to imprisonment at hard labour for life in the State Prison ! Let no frothy deolaimer or fair weather patriot be listened to henceforth ; let no one get up to make speeches against foreign tyrants ; let us hear no more oratorical vapouring about Texas and Oregon , while Dorr wears a felon ' s dress in a loathsome
dungeon ! He has manfully refused to purchase his liberty by swearing allegiance to the Usurpers . Now , let him be rescued , or let us disown that we are , ot wish to be , freemen 1 Let it bo ascertained whether there is any legal means of liberating Gov . Don ; and if that part of . our Constitution , which guarantees to each State a Republican form of Government , be a dead letter , let us throw ourselves back on our natural rights . Let Dorr be liberated , peaceably if he can be , forcibly if he must be . But at any rate let him be liberated ! " An injury done to the meanest citizen is an injury done to the whole people . "—Workwoman ' s Advocate
TAHITI . Copy of a letter from the Rev . R . Thompson , dated Tahiti , March 25 th , 1844 , addressed to the secretaries of the London Missionary Sooiety : — " I embrace the opportunity of the return of an English whaler to inform you of the present unhappy position of the poor Tahitians . You are aware of- tbe arreBt and consequent removal of Mr Pritchard from Tahiti . The natives fled from Papeete in every direction , but soon returned , and things-are quioter in that direction . On the other side of the island , war , I regret to say , has broken out . Blood has been spilt on both sides . The cause of this unhappy affair has been the severe and intolerant measures of the French authorities towards
the chiefs of Tahiti . Four chiefs in and about Papaa were required to come and submit to the governor . This they refused to do . The steam frigate went round to compel obedience . The chiefs and the people retired to Taravao ( the isthmus which connects Tariabu With Tahiti ) . There they were joined by numbers from Tariabu . The French pursued them to Taravao , and the people quietly retired to Taaone , on the east coast ot Tahiti . * * I returned borne and next day proceeded to Papeete to consult with the brethren . We called a meeting at Papaoa , and anxious to save the shedding of blood , wished to mediate between the French and the people . We waited upon the governor , and then proceeded to Hidiaa , but found it was too late hostilities had begun—some are killed npon both sides . The" brethren , finding that they could not
now interfere , returned . Mr . Howe and I went to Tautira , and assisted Mr . Jessoe in the removal of his family . No one would pull the boat , and that fatiguing duty devolved upon ourselves . On our way back , we saw the French steamer coming round . When abreast of Hidiaa she commenced firing grape shot upon the helpless women and children . She kept firing all along the coast , and came to anchor abreast of Taravao . We pulled past her in the dark . The coast was covered with lights , the people retiring to the mountains . The governor is on board the steamer . Very few people now remain at Papaoa ; only two or three with Mr . Oramond , and three or . four at Mr . Jesson ' s plaoe . All are collected at Hidiaa . The consequence of the affair will be awful , I think of returning Boon to Hidiaa . All the missionaries are safe . "
FOREIGN MISCELLANY . Pihact . —The Dutch papers of the 4 th instant eay— " Our accounts from India of the second half of April , in'orm us that pirates have again appeared in various places , for instance , in the Molucca seas off Ternate , a native vessel was attacked by five pirates , which , however , was repulsed with loss . Ia the straits of Sunda , forty pirates bad baen Beetiy which were supposed ta come from the north-easfc coast of Sumatra . One of the accounts says that tha pirates of Mmgindans intended to have collected their whole force , consisting of two hundred vessels ( among which was an European ship whioh they had captured ) , and to assemble near Celebce , in order to take vengeance for the defeat the ; sustained last year , and even to do their utmost to get possession of the steamer which has done them so much damage .
Wholesale Murdbbs bt a Step-Mother . —A woman named Riohe , the wife of a poor labourer at Nogent-sur-Marue , has just been arrested on a charge of poisoning the fire children of her husband by a former marriage . Riche has had one child by the present wife , and soon after its birth the mother conceived the idea of getting rid of her stepchildren , which she appears to have done by administering to them , at different times , doses of poison . A post mortem examination of the bodies clearly proved the existence of a quantity of arsenic , and she was immediately sent to prison to await her trial . —Get , " lignani .
A Child Bdried Alive . —An . instance of the evil of too precipitate interment ' occurred a few days ago at Aries . After the burial of a child , t he sexton , who remained alone to finish the filling up of the grave beard a cry issue from the cofSn . lie immediately took it up , and without opening it carried it to the house of the mother , The lid being taken off , the poor child was found alive , and is now completely recovered . Not long ago , in making a grave in the same cemetry , a coffin was by chance broken into , and it was found that the occupant had revived after burial , and had gnawed the flesh of both the wrists before life was finally extinguished . . . ^
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The Convict Dalhas . —The convict Dalmas has been removed , by order of the Secretary of State for the Home Department , from the Milbank Penitentiary to the insane ward of Bethlem Hospital , there to be confined during her Majesty ' s pleasure as a lunatic . _ The report of the medical gentlemen whs have daily visited ; Dalmas since his incarceration in . the Penitentiary , leaves but little or any doubt of hia Insanity , ; - —Standard , A Slv Shaver . —There is a barber ia Dalkeith ( if we are not imposed upon by a correspondent ) , who lathers his customers with guano vrater . The consequence is , that it ' they be shaved ever so closely , they scarcely seaph tbe end of the street until they are ready for another eorape .
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Fat Ox . —On Tuesday week , a fine fat ox , three years old , fed by the Earl of Zetland , was led upon the weighing machine , at Richmond , and weighed a hundred and thirty-nine stones .
A Rale Republican . —There is a man down in Frogland who is such a tremendous hater of monarchy -that he will not oven wear a crown to his hat . Atmospheric Travelling . —M . Arago says the atmospheric pressure principle may be so applied as to ensure safe transit at the rate of six leagues a minute ! Babies . —It strikes us tbat more fibs are told about babies than about anything else in tho world . We all say they are sweet , yet every body knows they are sour ; we all gay they are lovely , yet nine
out often have no more beauty than a pug dog ; we all praise their expressive eyes , all babies squint ; we call them little doves , though one of them makes more noise than a colony of screech owls ; we vow they are no trouble , yat they must be attended to night and day ; we insist they repay ub for all out anxiety , though they take every opportunity of scratching our face ? * or poking their fingers in our eyea : in short , we make it our business to tell the most palpable falsehoods aboat them every honr of the day—American Paper .
Origin of Swing " . —I was taken into Borne of tbe faotories where men , women and children work 14 and 15 hours a-day in hot air % and I thought I discovered the secret of Swing . Some of the poor thiogs aro so parched and dried by the heat , that they are reduced to the coadUioa of lucfter matches , till at last when they rub against the door they ignite and set fire to the building . Swing is of local origin —of purely home manufaotme . —Notes from the North . —Movement . Slave Trading . —Captain F . A . D'Aguino , commanding the Portuguese ship Margarida , has been found guilty by the Council at Batavia of haying carried on the slave trade , and has been condemned to five y eaia' imprisonment , and to twenty years baniBQHient from the Dutoh East India possessions .
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Augttst 17 , 1844 ¦ : THB ' NOkuHERN STAB 7 ' ' ¦ ' ¦ - ¦ ¦ -. - ¦¦ . _ . , . , : . I . _ . ; , ^ -
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Citation
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Northern Star (1837-1852), Aug. 17, 1844, page 7, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse.ac.uk/periodicals/ns/issues/vm2-ncseproduct1276/page/7/
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