The Poetry of Judge Henry R. Jackson [pp. 179-184]

1852.] The Poetry of Judge Henry R. Jackson. 179
suddenly escape; escape but to reflect t
are no longer young, and that you no m
possess those happy bright illusions of a
ing life.
So Christmas day commences.
It goes on with the rolling organ mus'i
first low and thrilliug,-yet a blessed pea
with it- pictures forth an humble man;
a rising brightening star; then, deep and
like a soul that cannot rest from storr
brings to the eye a lurid hill top and a cr
pared; then loud, triumphant, gloryin~
power-a showered flood of strong, rej
sweetest harmony-it stamps upon th
more deeply than before upon the eye,
form that, rising heavenward, stretches
earth-the poor, convulsed earth-han
rain down blessings 1
It goes on with the joyous meeting
friends and relatives; with calmn, happ
verse of the aged; and gay revellings
dren;-and ends with toasts innumerable
oms deep" —in heartfelt earnestness-for
firiends.
But why should I further speak of Chr
the time that needs description less th
other? For half the year the "Noel N
the middle age resoun(led in all heartswhole year, the " Happy Christmas!" of
is well remembered. The ok}, loving,
joyous, blazing Yule-tide is a reality in
heart-the pen that strives to trace its
even, finds the attempt so vain!"
And so with these few words "about
mas-times. I end my idle scribbling,
that you and all have had a "merry Christ,
much more that we may all have" happ
Years "
SONNET.
Beatrice, thou art gone above, to dwell
With the choirs whom the world could never st
And thy voice joins the harmonies that swell
In one unending, sweet and sacred strain.
And I am sill on earth, but ne'er again
Shall I at eve unto thee listening tell
The wild imaginings of a dreaming brain
Which thou didst seem to understand so well
Thy snowy arm a pillow-which no more
Shall give me rest. Beatrice, if thou hearest,
From thy most glorious abode in heaven,
Guide me, O guide me to that happy shore;
Forgive my faults, thou who wert ever de8
For the Eternal Sire hath me forgiven.
hat you
ore can
Aw aken
c, which
ace born
The Poetry of Judge Henry R. Jackson.*
;BY J. A. TURNER.
Judge Jackson is a native of Savannah, and
is still a resident of that place. XWere I to haz
ger, and ard a guess at his age, t should say he is about
wailing forty years old. He is a graduate of Franklin
y grief, College, Athens, and does honor to his Alma
OSs pre- Mater. After his graduation he was editorially
g in its connected with the "Savannah Georgian," one
oiceful, of the ablest democratic papers in Georgia. This
e heart connection continued until the winter of 1849,
oa holy when, as he was called to other duties, it termio er the nated; to the disadvantage of the is Georgian,"
ds that be it said, though that journal is still conducted
with ability. In 1846, when the Mexican war
of old broke out, the subject of this article was elected
y con- to the colonelcy of the Georgia regiment, which
of chil- position he gallantly filled; and several of his
" fath- best poems are the result of his military expedi absent tion beyond the Rio Grande. In 1849, he was
elected by the Legislature of Georgia, Judge of
istmas, the Eastern Circuit for four years-so that two
an any years of his term of office yet remain unexpired.
obl" of Distinguished as an editor, and as commander
for the of a regiment, he does equal honor to the er to-day mine.
merry, So much for the personnel of our author; every and nowv for his poetry.
outline If fervid feeling, and the command of correct
Christ- and polished language, in smoothly flowing ver Chst- sification, establish any claim in their possessor
wishing to be called a poet, then is Judge Jackson one
mas - of the first poets America has produced. I know
y New that the North American Review has not writ ten our author a passport to Parnassus, nor have
the Dollar Magazines or Penny Posts manufac tured him into a poetical prodigy by dint of much
speaking, and inordinate puffery, on account of
his doing the Grub-street drudgery of their col umns. But notwithstanding all this. I placeJudge
Jackson, as a poet, by the side of our best Amer ican poets-Bryant, Longfellow, &e. And be
it understood, that when I give Longfellow a po a, sition with Bryant, it is not because I think him
as worthy of it as Halleck and Hoffman, or even
the facetious Holmes and Saxe, but out of res pect to the general opinion of the American pub lic, moulded too much, I am bold to allege, by
publications inferior in point of taste and ca pacity.
As better evidence of what I say of our poet,
than any other testimony which I can adduce, I
shall offer copious extracts fromn the collection
arest,
5TALLULAU, and Other Poems. By Henry R. Jack. on. Savannah: Jo hn M. Cooper. 1850.
1852.]
The Poetry of Judge Henry R. Jackson.
179