Graham's Magazine, Vol. XL, No. 6, June 1852Various
General
Graham's Magazine, Vol. XL, No. 6, June 1852
Various
Literature -- Periodicals; Literature, Modern -- 19th century -- Periodicals
Passing from Bermuda, he came to Norfolk in Virginia, and thence made a
pretty lengthened tour through the States, by Washington, Philadelphia,
Buffalo and the lakes. The young votary of the Anacreontic muses—the
musical pet of the higher English circles—did not like the American
Democracy at all, and has left on record about as unfavorable an opinion
and prophecy concerning the republic as has been written at any time
since. Every thing seemed tough and unrefined; and when he made his bow
to President Thomas Jefferson, he felt a mental shock from the sight of
that simple man, wearing “Connemara stockings and slippers,” at the head
of a nation. To be sure the society of British officers and Federal
Whigs among whom he chose his friends and acquaintances was not
calculated to impress him with any favorable idea of the democratic
party. But, every allowance made, Moore said enough to show that,
Catholic as he was, and come of plebeian forefathers (at least in an
_immediate_ manner; for the name O’Moore is high on the old rolls of
Irish peerage and rebellion) he never had any hearty sympathy with
republicanism and the cause of the people. He was all for the glorious
distinctions of rank and historic _prestige_—the pride, pomp and
circumstance of lordly life; and, in fact, looked on America as a sort
of moral wilderness. He had no hopes of it, indeed. He said society here
was rotten to the core; and he wrote poetical prophecies of its speedy
decay and disappearance from among the nations of the earth!
And yet there were many things here to conciliate the fastidiousness of
the young traveler. Among the other tokens of an exceptional
civilization, was one which he himself recalls with an evident feeling
of gratified pride. The American master of the packet in which he
crossed Ontario—knowing that the young gentleman was a poet—the author
of “Anacreon Translated,” and “Juvenile Poems and Songs”—refused to
accept any money for his passage—would thus show his sense of what was
due to literature! We believe very few ship-masters in any of the old
countries would have done so courteously magnanimous a thing as that;
and Moore himself probably thought so too. The poet was, in fact, much
better pleased with the natural scenery than the people of the
continent; and scattered through the verses occasioned by his visit will
be found many tributes to the picturesque wildernesses he passed
through. Speaking of Niagara and other grand scenes he says—
Oh lady, there are miracles which man
Caged in the bounds of Europe’s narrow span
Can scarcely dream of—which his eye must see
To know how wonderful this world can be.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account