IntroductoryNoteJamesRussellLowell,poet,essayist,diplomatist,andscholar,wasbornatCambridge,Massachusetts,onFebruary22,1819,thesonofaUnitarianminister。EducatedatHarvardCollege,hetriedthelaw,butsoongaveitupforliterature。Hispoemon\"ThePresentCrisis,\"writtenin1844,washisfirstreallynotableproduction,andonethatmadeadeepimpressiononthepublicmind。Inthetwentyyearsoftroubledpoliticsthatfollowed,onefindsitconstantlyquoted。Theyear1848sawfourvolumesfromLowell\'spen-abookof\"Poems,\"the\"FableforCritics,\"\"TheBiglowPapers,\"andthe\"VisionofSirLaunfal。\"Thesecondoftheseexhibitedtheauthoraswitandcritic,thethirdaspoliticalreformer,thefourthaspoetandmystic;
andthesevarioussidesofhispersonalitycontinuetoappearwithvaryingprominencethroughouthiscareer。
OntheretirementofLongfellowfromthechairofbelles-lettresatHarvardin1854,Lowellwaselectedtosucceedhim,andbywayofpreparationspentthenexttwoyearsinEuropestudyingmodernlanguagesandliteratures。
In1857hebecamethefirsteditoroftheAtlanticMonthly,andafter1864hecollaboratedwithCharlesEliotNortonintheeditorshipoftheNorthAmericanReview。ThroughouttheperiodofthewarLowellwrotemuchbothinproseandverseonbehalfoftheUnion;hisworkontheNorthAmericanwaslargelyliterarycriticism。
In1877LowellwenttoSpainasAmericanMinister,andin1880toLondon,whereforfiveyearsherepresentedtheUnitedStateswithgreatdistinction,anddidmuchtoimprovetherelationsofthetwocountries。Sixyearsafterhisreturn,onAugust12,1891,hediedinElmwood,thehouseinCambridgewherehewasborn。
Lowell\'sliterarygiftsweresovariousthatitisdifficulttosayonwhichofthemhisfinalreputationwillrest。Butitiscertainthathewilllongbeesteemedforthegrace,vivacity,andeloquenceoftheproseinwhichheplacedbeforetheworldhisviewsonsuchgreatAmericanprinciplesandpersonalitiesasaredealtwithinthefollowingessayon\"Democracy\"。
OnDemocracyInauguralAddressonAssumingthePresidencyoftheBirminghamandMidlandInstitute,Birmingham,England,6October,1884
Hemustbeabornleaderormisleaderofmen,ormusthavebeensentintotheworldunfurnishedwiththatmodulatingandrestrainingbalance-wheelwhichwecallasenseofhumor,who,inoldage,hasasstrongaconfidenceinhisopinionsandinthenecessityofbringingtheuniverseintoconformitywiththemashehadinyouth。Inaworldtheveryconditionofwhosebeingisthatitshouldbeinperpetualflux,whereallseemsmirage,andtheoneabidingthingistheefforttodistinguishrealitiesfromappearances,theelderlymanmustbeindeedofasingularlytoughandvalidfibrewhoiscertainthathehasanyclarifiedresiduumofexperience,anyassuredverdictofreflection,thatdeservestobecalledanopinion,orwho,evenifhehad,feelsthatheisjustifiedinholdingmankindbythebuttonwhileheisexpoundingit。
Andinaworldofdaily-nay,almosthourly-journalism,whereeverycleverman,everymanwhothinkshimselfclever,orwhomanybodyelsethinksclever,iscalledupontodeliverhisjudgmentpoint-blankandatthewordofcommandoneveryconceivablesubjectofhumanthought,oronwhatsometimesseemstohimverymuchthesamething,oneveryinconceivabledisplayofhumanwantofthought,thereissuchaspendthriftwasteofallthosecommonplaceswhichfurnishthepermittedstapleofpublicdiscoursethatthereislittlechanceofbeguilinganewtuneoutoftheone-stringedinstrumentonwhichwehavebeenthrummingsolong。Inthisdesperatenecessityoneisoftentemptedtothinkthat,ifallthewordsofthedictionaryweretumbleddowninaheapandthenallthosefortuitousjuxtapositionsandcombinationsthatmadetolerablesensewerepickedoutandpiecedtogether,wemightfindamongthemsomepoignantsuggestionstowardsnoveltyofthoughtorexpression。But,alas!itisonlythegreatpoetswhoseemtohavethisunsolicitedprofusionofunexpectedandincalculablephrase,thisinfinitevarietyoftopic。
Foreverybodyelseeverythinghasbeensaidbefore,andsaidoveragainafter。HewhohasreadhisAristotlewillbeapttothinkthatobservationhasonmostpointsofgeneralapplicabilitysaiditslastword,andhewhohasmountedthetowerofPlatototookabroadfromitwillneverhopetoclimbanotherwithsoloftyavantageofspeculation。Whereitissosimpleifnotsoeasyathingtoholdone\'speace,whyaddtothegeneralconfusionoftongues?Thereissomethingdisheartening,too,inbeingexpectedtofillupnotlessthanacertainmeasureoftime,asifthemindwereanhour-glass,thatneedonlybeshakenandsetononeendortheother,asthecasemaybe,torunitsallottedsixtyminuteswithdecorousexactitude。Irecollectbeingoncetoldbythelateeminentnaturalist,Agassiz,thatwhenhewastodeliverhisfirstlectureasprofessor(atZurich,Ibelieve)hehadgravedoubtsofhisabilitytooccupytheprescribedthreequartersofanhour。Hewasspeakingwithoutnotes,andglancinganxiouslyfromtimetotimeatthewatchthatlaybeforehimonthedesk。\"WhenIhadspokenahalfhour,\"hesaid,\"IhadtoldthemeverythingI
knewintheworld,everything!ThenIbegantorepeatmyself,\"headded,roguishly\"andIhavedonenothingelseeversince。\"BeneaththehumorousexaggerationofthestoryIseemedtoseethefaceofaveryseriousandimprovingmoral。Andyetifoneweretosayonlywhathehadtosayandthenstopped,hisaudiencewouldfeeldefraudedoftheirhonestmeasure。
LetustakecouragebytheexampleoftheFrench,whoseexportationofBordeauxwinesincreasesastheareaoftheirlandinvineyardsisdiminished。
Tome,somewhathopelesslyrevolvingthesethings,theundelayableyearhasrolledround,andIfindmyselfcalledupontosaysomethinginthisplace,wheresomanywisermenhavespokenbeforeme。Precluded,inmyqualityofnationalguest,bymotivesoftasteanddiscretion,fromdealingwithanyquestionofimmediateanddomesticconcern,itseemedtomewisest,oratanyratemostprudent,tochooseatopicofcomparativelyabstractinterest,andtoaskyourindulgenceforafewsomewhatgeneralizedremarksonamatterconcerningwhichIhadsomeexperimentalknowledge,derivedfromtheuseofsucheyesandearsasNaturehadbeenpleasedtoendowmewithal,andsuchreportasIhadbeenabletowinfromthem。Thesubjectwhichmostreadilysuggesteditselfwasthespiritandtheworkingofthoseconceptionsoflifeandpolitywhicharelumpedtogether,whetherforreproachorcommendation,underthenameofDemocracy。Bytemperamentandeducationofaconservativeturn,IsawthelastyearsofthatquaintArcadiawhichFrenchtravellerssawwithdelightedamazementacenturyago,andhavewatchedthechange(tomeasadone)fromanagriculturaltoaproletarypopulation。ThetestimonyofBalaamshouldcarrysomeconviction。
Ihavegrowntomanhoodandamnowgrowingoldwiththegrowthofthissystemofgovernmentinmynativeland,havewatcheditsadvances,orwhatsomewouldcallitsencroachments,gradualandirresistibleasthoseofaglacier,havebeenanear-witnesstotheforebodingsofwiseandgoodandtimidmenandhavelivedtoseethoseforebodingsbeliedbythecourseofevents,whichisapttoshowitselfhumorouslycarelessofthereputationofprophets。Irecollecthearingasagaciousoldgentlemansayin1840
thatthedoingawaywiththepropertyqualificationforsuffragetwentyyearsbeforehadbeentheruinoftheStateofMassachusetts;thatithadputpubliccreditandprivateestatealikeatthemercyofdemagogues。IlivedtoseethatCommonwealthtwentyoddyearslaterpayingtheinterestonherbondsingold,thoughitcosthersometimesnearlythreeforonetokeepherfaith,andthatwhilesufferinganunparalleleddrainofmenandtreasureinhelpingtosustaintheunityandself-respectofthenation。
Ifuniversalsuffragehasworkedillinourlargercities,asitcertainlyhas,thishasbeenmainlybecausethehandsthatwieldeditwereuntrainedtoitsuse。