BURNS'S ANNIVERSARY.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 4662, 26 January 1877, Page 3

BURNS'S ANNIVERSARY.

The 118 th anniversary of the birthday of the immortal Robert Burns was celebrated lost evening in Jones's Hotel, Manse street, by a number uf enthusiastic admirers, presided over by Mr W. C. Kirkcaldy. The Chairman, in the course of his iutroductory remarks, expressed his regret that the usual.celebration xurdor the auspices of the Caledonian Society had been allowed to lapse this year, He believed, however, that the general feeling of regret given expression to by the Directors then present would be a guarantee that for the future, the Society would take the matter thoroughly in haud, and arrange yearly for a popular celebration worthy of the occasion, In tho words of the bard, he then invited those present To fia »o nioht's discharge to care, Noo wove forgathor'd, And hae a swap o' rhymin-waie Wi auo amther. An faith \ve'ne bo acquainted belter Before wo p»rt. Awa yo selfish war'Jy race, Wha think that bavliM, sense, and grace, ' Even love ai.d friendship should gie place I'o catch the pluck ! I dinna like to see your face, Nor hear your crack. But ye whom social pltaaure charms, "Whose heartb the title o1 kindness warms, . Who hold your being on the terms, ■ Each aid the others: Come tv my heart, come to my arms, My iriends, my brother*! After the usual loyal and patriotic toasts had been done full justice to. The memory of Buvns wa3 proposed in a powerful ar.d eloquent speech illustrative of the poet's genius, and of his three great charms of sensibility, simplicity, and reality; also showing that, because of the humanity and manhood about him, and his thorough conviction of the nobleness of man, he had done more for the elevation of the multitude than all the " poems, books, or articles ever written in any lauguage." Nowhere has the nobility of the whole human family been so thoroughly attested as in the uusurpassed lyric :— A man 's 4 man for a' that. The ri>nk is but tho L'Uinei's sUmp, The mini's tho gowd for a' that; The honest man, tho' e'er sac poor, Is king o' men for a' that. A king can mak' a belted knight, A marquis, duke, and a' that; But an honest man's aboon his might - Quid f -ilb, Ue inan-ia. fa' that. Theo let us pray that come it may— as como it, will, for a' that— That sense mid worth, o'er a' the earth, May bear the gree, and a' lh,it. As a natural consequence of his manliness, and of his nobility of soul, he had a very high regard for true religion, and an utter abhorrence of hypocrisy, as instance the following lines :— But twenty times I rather would bo An atheist clean, Than uivler Gospel colours hid be, Just fora tcreen. , All htiil religion ! maid divine ! Purdoa a muse si>e mean as mine, Who, in her rough, imperfect line, ■ Thus daurs to name ihee. To stigmatise fal-c Iriends of thine Can ne'er defame theo. If further proof were needed as to the depth and purity of his religious sentiment, we have only to refer to "The Cotter's Saturday Night," wherein we see tho hallowed influences of piety cheering and sanctifying toil. From scenes like these auld Scotia's grandeur springs, That m ikes her loved at home, revered abroad, Princes and lord* are out Hie breath of kings, An hor-est man's the nohlust work of God. No doubt Bu^ns had his- faults like other men, and was occasionally ovei come by temptation. " But as well might we forget the grandeur of the psalms in the too vivid remembrance of the temptations to which David yielded as attempt to throw discredit on Burns because he also partook of the comwion lot of sinning humanity." "He that is without sin, let him cast the first stone." I have no patience, however, when 3ome would-be Daniel, forgetting the beam in his own eye, attempts, in a contemptible spirit of fault-finding, to blacken the poet's character because of some trifling errors, which Burns's very eminence alone made conspicuous. Such attempts have been well answered by <tn intimate acquaintance of the poet's, who remarked, "It is only on the gem that we are disturbed to see dust; the pebble may be soiled, but we never regard it." These would-be Daniels also seem to forget that it is his genius and nobility we do honour to, and not his errors, which but prove he was human, like ourselves. In concluding, the Chairman said: " The anniversary of the birthday of Scotland's bard not only reminds us of the grand idea of universal brotherhood for which the poet lived and sung, but meetings like the present go a long way towards breaking down the partitions of sectarianism and caste, and hastening on the glad time When man to man the world o'er Shall brithers be an' a' that." The speech was enthusiastically received, and frequently applauded during its delivery. Amongst the other toasts proposed and responded to during the evening were tb.2 following : — " Our Naiive Land," by Mr M'Kinlay. " The Land of our Adoption," by Mr W. Wright. " The Pastoral and Agricultural Interesss," proposed by Mr J. M'Gregor, responded to by Mr J. G. Douglas. " Literature and Poetry," by Mr Denovan. " Kindred Societies," by Mr J. G. Douglas. "Caledonian Societies," coupled with the name of Mr A. Macgregor. " The Press," responded to by Mr J. T. Roberts. "The Ladies," responded to by Mr D. M'Donald. "The Host." Appropriate songs were sung to each toast. THE AYRSHIRE ASSOCIATION. The annual supper in celebration of the anniversary of Scotland's distinguished poet Burns took place under the auspices of _ the Ayrshire Association of Otago last evening, and was held in Donaldson's Cafe, The President (Mr Win. Caldvvell) occupied the chair, and the Vice-President (Mr John Andrew) ably acted as croupier. Among the gentlemen present, numbering about 40, we noticed His Worship the Mayor of Dunedin, Mr G. Kndlay, senior, proposed at considerable length the toast of the evening—" The Memory of Robert Burna." Besides several others, the following toasts were duly honoured:— '* The Army, Navy, and Volunteers," coupled with the name of Captain Andrews; " His Worship the Mayor of Dunedin ;" " The Ayrshire Association cf Otago ;" " The Caledonian Society;" " Kindred Associations ;" " The Land we Live in;" "The Visitors;" "The Ladies;" "The Press;" "The Host;" and "The Officebearer? of the Association, coupled with the name of the Hon. Secretary, Mr M'Leau." Several excellent songs were creditably rendered, and altogether a most enjoyable evening was spent, the company dispersing about uiid-