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THE tiIFE AND WORK
RICHARD HENRY WlliDE
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Ms hi. b< i»f. of which h» «no"
tho cblof ciortillff *O4 wtob h ho A**«r
--)f k>Tc<l ,
“Tot I I root I "h»H o*4 ho i h»r»o<i
with ißjuollif If I horo oiproof tho ho
llof th*t #olth#r the poop** of Ihl* city
■or of thl* »l*»o h»ro hitherto nhowti
• eon.orn to rh. rl»h hi* ntomory *1
•II conitiu-nfurntf with hi* ill»ll«-
cul.hiit m-rli. tn.» I **k lh*< you
Vre opt rti -lrnm Irllon ■« my o*. u*o for
harHSB token 8dr*«i»«o of thl* o«t»-
•lou not (imply »o pr.mmirf « n»ko*l
oulo*J of Mr. Wilde, hot to (If «"«•
account of who «n>l »h*t he who.
til* Use
Klrhard llonry Wilde not a na
tive of thl* country He war horn In
Dublin. Ireland, on tho 24th of Septem
ber, lTi»f>. acme ten year* before tho
down of !h» preoetit eontnry. Hl*
fntbfr war a hardware mert hunt of
i-tnple mean* Hl* methfr 1 * family,
the Newltia. were ardant roya'lat*. To
1 I hitnaelf of dlsahlllUe* at Horn,
which he could not endure. Mr. Wilde
removea with hi* family to thl* coun
try at the opening of the year 17117,
and engaged In commerce In the city of
Baltimore. Bualnr** reverae* theto
gud the nilscoudiiet of h:» partner lit
Ireland wreck, tl h a (>rtunc. and «hen.
In October. I*o2. he wna laid In hla
grave hi* wife and chlldr.tt stood al
mo*t upon the brink of want. I have
bet-n unable to tllacover what chance
led the boy Richard Henry to thl* city,
of which tic waa destined Ui nc come »o
diatlnguUhet*. an ornament; but In the
wittier of 18U2 we llud hint engaged
here a* a clerk in a mercantile ctdali
lUhment. The next year he persuaded
hi* mother to Join him; and In eon-
Junrt'on wlta him she ahortly after
wards opened what »»» thru known
a* a “general store." To that slender
enterprise her son gave hla attention
for seven year*, devoting himself as
siduously. however, during hi* leisure
moment* to the cultivation of hi*
mind, under the Intelligent supervision
of his mother. And it was that moth
er,'' doubtless, who while directing the
A’ve.'opment o. those talents whose
brilliancy she clearly recognised, flred
the youthful mind of her son with the
honorable aspiration for distinction
uhleh here such rich fru.t in his Inter
years. The young Wilde was attracted
by the tempting field which the low
then afforded for thes,exercise of ability
ond Industry, and _h<? ektly entered
upon the study of that noble science,
and pursued it Kith- unabated nrdor
until he had equipped himself for the
bar. At the March term. ISfty. of the
superior court of Oroene county, he
pve-euted himself for examlnailon and
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•tor hla o»Mraa* at that **wy aarty aaaj
>at which toe nr-riwr to have pa'd Ml
; !•, Rr . ar-ntmae Rat •* #*• «*4i
’’ a**ara4 that atoa •*# a*to 4t*hiaiafwd
| toy hi* atoto**M life- ua* aarvkrw He
woa (Wtoclsto upua lie tary Ihmato
tonia at hto pr-nf-n — 1 rarer?
1 ll ke aaM that H *•• W m4rt that hto
itwaber an**' not he aurtia-d hy kto
tMM*ll>le retortion that he toft bk* boat*
aad appli-i for edniltakm in the bar la
Orwaae rtMtal*. Thto elrr uamtaaee
•roared the •Mtotrtoo «4 Jadge Rarly.
and ha «*aa *waifarte4 (« an niamlßa
i tom pecallnrly eann hlac. eve* far h
! judge who wa» anted for hie aaverlty
upon aueh oeeaahma But the young
aspirant ahtoM»bed the eourt and bar
hy the rare co«tpleti*ne*» of hla equip
ment, and won eordtnl atoeamhtm*
upon hla triumphant vindication Yet
hi* rir*-f>t inn*l ttllllßlißlf
gained hy palleni Indualry dating *ito-h
,«ld moment* a* he could anatrh from
'the exacting care# of buatnea*. »nd by
•tody at Bight *o unremitting that hi*
1 atrength. never conaldemble In hla
'youth, failed under the continued
(train.
“Hla elevation to the attorney gen
emlehlp wna directly the outcome of an
I accession of reputation upon a contra!
I which, notwithstanding hla youth.
! served to Illustrate and to advert!** hi*
learning, hi* ability and hla absolute
Independence, Karly In thl* century,
ihe legislature of Georgia, impelled by
the harsh Industrial roodlllon* which
then prevailed, enacted what *»«
called “The Alleviating Ijiw," the pur
poff,. and effort of which waa to de
prive creditors of recourse to the
courts for the enforcement of their
demands. Nothing save the great pre
|M>nderanee of number* In the debtor
rla** an<l the desperate strait* at which
many of them had arrived, ran explain
that unwise, unjust, nnd palpably un
t on*tltutlonal Interference with Up
right* of private contract. Yet It is
| apparent that the very condltJou*
which made the law possible made It
likewise popular. To attack it was
assuredly a course to which no eltlxen
could he led save hy exalted rouidder
utlona of public duty. Nevertheless
Mr. Wilde, though advised by hla
friends that he could but wound his
own reputation, assaulted the disgrace
ful statute through the coutt* with n
display of learning and acumen which
amply proved that he was able to win
and worthy to hear the highest honors
of his profession. Hie efforts,
though bearing no immediate
fruit, contributed substantially to
that change of public *eu
-1 intent which, subsequently, compelled
the repeal of the law. It was inevitable
that Hie career of a man who thus
brought to the practice of law ability,
learning, probity, and Independence,
should be udurued with honorable tri
umphs. And there Is not lacking tes
timony from very eminent sources to
his wisdom as a counsellor, lo his elo
quence as an advocate, and to the ur
banity. Hist-nitty nnd Integrity which
at all times marked his professional
conduct. Sentiment does not often
grace with its benign presence the
austere environs of courts of appeal,
and personal compliments so rarely
blossom In tho chill atmosphere of ju
dicial deliberation that we may well
,learn that when they appear at all they
appear only In celebration of the most
distinguished merit;.and yet It was
Chief Justice Lumpkin, of the supreme
court of Qeorgta, who, in one of his
earlier opinions, proclaimed tn endur
ing eulogy the fame of Richard Henry
Wilde In saying of him; 'His Is a
: name dear to Ceorgtans and to fame.
J He was a gem of purest ray, a man of
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tm —— a«4 la Jatato tk*to etoel. ]
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-the pwrrfy«ag ikabtr fraaa ahtoh
luftataa*. pantod *4 arrar. toato*4 tarih
•a law te a 4tolMW»i*lto4 plare la
their taawrahto twaka the qualities of
■Had and rharsrter which Mr. htw
4togtora4 la Uto hall* el iwh#?*I** 1 ** ww-,
dawtaeoUy "WHila* «* to.VW. lW
very naa*tita<lnw of hi* toiart pr**4w4
eg hto becooßica at wr jlato a viwWat
parttoaa I* pull I to* ll* w»M an*
licml lhe pnwwant hla#to of IM hue#
Where thrill aaUlbt tallow fawaiag.'
He to credited With Hto remark that
he had found aw todf which did aa«
require at Ha follower* what no bone**
maa should, and no aenrieman would,
go' Indeed, it would *eem that he
carried well nigh ta ears** hi* Indlapo
aitiow to cultivate the art* of coaclll
attou But that vrry fed. while It de- (
niad him popularity pained him re
spert Men to whom politic* mean*
frantic partl»»n*hlp may resent the Jw- j
dtclnl balance at ■ atateeman of that
•tamp, nnd grumble that he reject*
those attgam-at* Into which they
themiwlvr* rush *o »rdwttlly; bat they
raanot refuse him the tribute of con
ttdenre and esteem which hto ladepeu
deuce and hla ddellty to hi* eoarto-1
turns dowry*. Mr. Wilde spoke but
seldom while In congreae. hut when he
did apeak he showed himself the mas
ter of hi* theme, foe he never ap
pealed tn the arena of high debate
nave after that cooaclemlou# study and
reflection which alone can equip even
the moat consummate talent for the
responsible task of moulding a nation *
poll,-Ira. Yet, In those sadden grnp- j
pllnga with the foe. which are the am
huarades of debate, and which make
unexpected demand upon the resource*
of Ihe speaker, he displayed a *upple
neas and agility and * capacity to
thru*! and parry which made many an
antagonist remember bis engagement
| with sorrow.
“Perhaps the moat charncterHHc, a*
well a* the most widely known of all
Mr. Wllde'a mternnee* In the House
of Representative* I* the superb apos
11rophe to 'The Stare of the XIV. Con-
I g.-ess,' It admirably Illustrate* his
j powers of analysts and the fertility of
his imagination. The classical elegance
| of his style furnishes a fit vehicle tor
I the native vigor of his thought and the
i vtvld emanation of hi* fervid and poet
-11- fttury. Yet, Its polish is not marred
I by coldness nor Its rhetoric hy bom
iu»*t; but thought and feeling, form
and color, are blended In such Just and
- happy union as proclaims at once the
! scholar and the orator. I regret that
I the limitations under which 1 speak
will not permit me to quote even a
portion of the passage, hut If it may he
deemed fairly Illustrative of his pow
ers. there could have beeu but few in
his day and generation who were his
peers in the supreme gift of oratory.
"I do not know how I can more aptly
eharncteriie the dominant quality of
his statesmanship than by saying that
he was Intellectually conscientious. His
Judgments were the crystallisation of
impartial research and reflection. As a
consequence, his views, which were
cleat- cut and positive, were asserted
boldly and maintained tenaciously.
Hut always. In the domain of political
thought, he was a judge before he be
came an advocate. He had no bias
save towards the truth, and he knew
no enthusiasm in politics save that
which was born of enlistment lh wliat
he deemed a righteoUi* cause. And
'there Is little to surprise us in Un
fad that such a man was neither par
ty loader nor party follower
"It is a circumstances not without
significance in a study of Mr. WildeV
political career that his re:trement
from congress was attributable solely
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rtoantoler ane* total toll «k* >***••- *4
ttoe. leading artoeitota *4 rtatotwee eto4.
rvnt' taeiltt? tar lto« offm*rmhm «4-
kto Mediae wee gladly a**»rdii4 tap. I
A mum aeltotatoe ta hto mm*» atrlklto* ■
ecbleee—i* totals N* iftta •mmtr* at'
an and learn lag I* Hto totowM I mar j
her* allnto toyaelt The ttotoW' tot*
•err eMek « hwded Hto rafeer at am* at
Italy'* Ktot liiaMrieoa tae«» tarty am
tcam*4 tola laaagtnatt<m and hi* lave*-
u*a)tatoto n*v» ta in* wild «h* R*
•sMfrhee and (tajeiew • mernllng
•toe Isatto Madnwa atod Uprteotontoot
Of Torquato Ttototo,’* to romposition
«i,*HtoC«tob*4 alike tm the
aalnutloe of Its »•*•#, tto* variety at
it* Varela* nnd Ik* IngtauHt "< **»
arau.nent* He aande kilsetf ma«te,
of I Mole a amrk*. and of tk* tota ‘4
fritt-al literature to<> »kkb they fcnd
given birth; totod/Wt* to today ta e»-
tstence, la manWrntpt. one volume
at a projected IM* at the poet tohvh
atteeta It* author s profound grnap «4
hla subject It •** durla* hi* t»
•etorrhe# among the aecret arrhlve# of,
Florence male engaged upon thto t*ah.
that It wna anggwted to him that on
the walla of the ancient chapel of Bar- ■
gello, ryfered. tbrowgh some Inexpli
cable neglect, with whltrw**h, was an
authentic portrait of la* great l-ioreii
tlne from the pencil of (1 lotto Mr.!
Wild* gamed the consent of the Italian
government to bx-ate and roatore It.
raised the required fund*, sad after
month* of 101 l waa rewarded by euc
,<«■ 'lt etas an event.' *ay» Washing
ton Irvlag. 'which pimlueed through
out Italy some auch •eaaatlon aa in
England would follow lha'.dUcovery of
a well authenticated t keneaa ofi
Shakespeare, with a difference In In
tensity proportioned to the superior
aeivaitlvcneo* of the Italian*.' Nor
we e there the only arkb>vemeot» of
his gculua and industry. Yet undeliv
ered to the world are nuraeroua trani
tnllon*. remarkable at once for their
beauty and their fidelity. In which he
proposed to give to hla countrymen,
in tbeir own tongue, the noblaat speci
men* of the ltaltuu. French and Span
ish lyric poetry.
Hut Richard Henry Wl’de waa more
than a *oholar, mote than a biog
rapher. more than a translator. He
wait a poet He was born a poet. He
made verses while yet of
childish year*. Verily, he seemed
to 'lisp In number*. r for the
numbers came.' It I* aa poet that
that the world has rememtiered him -
the world that knows, too, scarcely to
line of hi* save that matetjless lyric—
Mv Use I* IJke the Summer Rose.'
which has sung Its way Into the heart*
of thousands. Into that he breathed
the breath of immortality,; for it la a
thing of perfect beauty, ambit shall be
a Joy for, ver! In his earlier yearn he
planned and partially executed an epic
whose scene was laid In Florida. This
exquisite song, which alone Is saved
to us from that forgotten fragment,
was suggested by the tragic fate of the
last, survivor of the 111-starred expedi
tion of Narvaez; and it U he who, from
his prison-gloom, thus pours forth
bis melancholy plaint:
I
My Use Is like the summer rose
That blossoms to the morning sky,
But, ere the shades of evening close.
Is scattered on the ground to die.
Yet o'er that rose's humble bed.
The sweetest dews of night are shed,
As if she wept such waste to see;
But none shall weep a tear for me.
My life is like the autumn s, leaf
That trembles in the nuypn's pale
ra y;
Its hold is frail, its dale is Sfief,
Restless and toon to pass away.
Yet, ere that leaf shall fail affd fade.
The parent tree shall mourn its
shade; j
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The wind* brw.ll Ik# teaflta* tree;
Hut non* *b*ll brtath* to *tgh tar
Mv life ta life III# prt»«» which feel
Have left oe Tstoftto * desert strand,
■tibto as the rising tide shall heat.
All trace shall iiututi from the annd
| kto- •• 4 grieving ta eg*.*
All vestige of the human rare,
fin that lone shore loud mourns the
'»*• eea;
< flirt none, ala*' shall mourn for me ’
“.That i* the most moving utterance
wiitctk poetic art ha* ever given to
(human woe! It la the very bodying
| forth of deapalr. The skill with which,
by imagery vivid and full of color, na
ture t* made instinct with aymp»ihe«U
response to the sombre mood of n hu
ms n heart, lends to the poem a pathos
which I* sublime The night, *hed
o.ng her pitying dew. a* a last tribute
of tear*, upon the dying rose* bed,
the chill wind sighing it* sympathy
for the leafless tree; the sorrowful re
quiem of the everlasting water* upon
the deserted shore—-the**- are images
of snch rare hue and texture that It i»
| not wonderful that they do not pas*
fgrom the memory of man. nor that
from aero** the sea. the Illustrious
Byron himself was moved to pay them
j the tribute of his dmtlnguUhed praise
; Despite the fact that the history of
this poem make* so strongly for an
other view. It is difficult to resist the
conviction that we hear the throbbing
of the chord of self In its dirge-like
music, since we catch the same de
sponding note tn nearly every fugitive
piece its author has given to the
world. Strange contradiction! The
universal testimony is that the poet's
outward mien was one of cheerfulness
and sunshine. The glance which was
attracted by the nobility of his phys
ical presence lingered last upon the
kindly smile which seemed but the
winning evidence of a temperament at
once happy and hopeful. Yet there is
neither happiness nor hope in his
verse. On hi* fortieth birthday we find
him pronouncing the following pathet
ic self Judgment:
‘Another of my wasted years has gone,
And brought me nearer nothing—but
the grave:
And thus they wax and wane, and one
by one
Leave as they found me —melan-
choly's slave.’
“I may not multiply Instances, but I
am strongly of the opinion that in this
sable garb of melancholy In which
Wilde clothed so much of his verse,
there is ‘confirmation strong as proof
of holy writ' that his poet a genius
chafed eternally under a destiny which
shackled tt with the corroding chains
of unloved toil. This is not the oeca
: sion for a critical commentary upon
infill For 1897.
$15,580,764.65
lisiraics Wriiißß ii 1897.
$143,900,000
'hla poetic product (hough I way per
haps be permitted a taw brief observa
tions upon It. It I* of etrlhlagiy <mw
van merit. Hl* most mended effort.
Htwperia.' while < rtto< and abounding
la Imperfection*, contain* many pas
sage* of remarkable beauty and pow
er. which furnish convincing evidence
of their author* wraith of poetic re
•onrre . But the Hne*( fruit* of hi*
muse are unquestionably hi* shorter
poem*, among which there are few
that, not withstand in* the occasional
lark of form sod finish, do not ex
hibit energetic thought, elevated aeotl
ment, and image* of genuine grace and
beauty Hta verse ta always without
affectation. It »* original and
sincere. It ha* an engaging
simplicity and dtrectnes* a bleb
are tn atrking contrast with the paltry
pretences and empty vaporing* of
many of our latter day barda And it I*
In no spirit of indiscriminate eulogy
that I venture to pronounce the opin
ion that If his poriry shnll never be
made scc-raslide to hi* countrymen.,
they will sustain a lo*a which they
may well deplore.
“Ladies and gentlemen, the task
which i had *et myself is done. For
the Imperfect manner In which I have
discharged it I hope you will And some
excuse in the very limited materials
ou which I have been forced to rely.
Yet I trust that I have sufficiently re
minded you that Georgians cannot re
main ignorant of the life and achieve
ments of Richard Henry Wilde and be
guiltless of indtffe-enc# to their illus
trious dead. For he was ours—and his
fame is ours, and our state, rich though
her past may be in great men, can
boast but few to whom may be more
Justly applied than to him. who was
distinguished alike In law, in states
manship and in letters, the noble
words of Dr. Johnson’s glowing trib
ute to Goldsmith—
“ 'He touched nothing that he did
not adorn.” _____
0 ontents of the Christinas Harper's.
Old Captain, by Myles Hemenway.
—lllustrated with a frontispiece In
color and ten drawings by Howard
Fyle. A romance of seafaring life in
the early day* of American prowess at
sea.
An Esmeralda of Rocky Canyon,
by Bret Harte.—lllustrated by . eter
Newell. A humorous romance of a
Western mining camp.
Poems —“Mary,” b-’ Ruth McEnery
Stuart; "Ere Christ, the Flower of
Virtue, Bloomed,” by lionise Morgan
8HI; “Revelation,” by Virginia Wood
ward Cloud. Illustrated by F. Du-
Mond.
How Santa Claus Was Saved, by
Mary T. van Denburgh—lllustrated by
W. T, Smedley. A story of the Civil
War. T .
How the Other Half Laughs, by John
Corbin—lllustrated by Lucius Hitch
cock. Familiar sketches in the lial
lan and Jewish theatres of the Bow
ery
TM tWoad Wooing of Mlm Bw>.
by Hu to M< Knery »«•«,—lllustrated
by A. B Ppm*. A charming deplr-
IM Of the grotesque kniwri of the
plantation an.l lt» underlying pathos
The Wi. l» Pruat.--Written uil Il
lustrated by Frederic Remington In
this article Mr. Remington give*
gloving deserlpt Inna aad futures at
the relaxation* to bt found la the
Northern ft»re*t*.
The White Heroo. by Ftoog Mar
leod —A my at leal romance of life
among Bcottlsh Aaher-foih. Illustrated
with unusual sympathy by Albert E.
fit enter.
The Olrl and the Game a Poothall
glory, by Jeeae Lynch Williams—ll
luatrated by W. T. Smedley. A yield
and faithful picture of American col
lege life. The theme of the atory la
a romance centering about a Yale and
Princeton Thanksgiving Pay game.
The Span O'Ufa—A Novel, part HI,
by William McLennan and J. N. M<-
llwraith. Illustrated by P- de Myr
barh.
The Battle of Manila, by Lieut. J M
ElUeottlllustrated by pholographe
taken by the author on board the Bal
timore.
Th? Rescue of the Winslow." by
Lieut Ernest K. Meade. U. 8 R. C
B.—lllustrated by H. Reuferdahl. and
from photograph* taken Immediately
after the engagement. The narrative
of an eye-witness
A Martyr'* Idyl, by
Oulney.—lllustrated by E. Grasaet. A
dramatic poem founded on a lagend
of the early Christian church.
The Unexpectedness of Mr. Horaca
Shields. The last of th« "Old Chester
Tales," by Margaret DelaOd. Illus
trated by Howard Pyle.
A Fable for Heiresses, by Alice
Due, r. author of "A Fable for Maid
ens," etc.
Editor's Drawer.—An introductory
sketch. “The Utilitarian Mr. Jarley."
by J. K. Bangs. Illustrat’d by Peter
Newell. The Drawer will contain also
humerous anecdotes, pictures and
verse.
Miss Rosa Plumb has returned from
Rome.
yf 7','Y
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