Ohio History Journal

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WILLIAM DAVIS GALLAGHER

WILLIAM DAVIS GALLAGHER.

[Concluded from  Volume I, Page 375.]

The new "literary comet" thus announced was (pathetic

repetition!) still another Literary Journal and Monthly

Review, edited by L. A. Hine, and referred to by him some

years later as "my first literary wreck." It was published

at Nashville, Tennessee, and conducted nominally, by E. Z.

C. Judson-" Ned Buntline."

In those years of prosperity and constant pen-wielding,

Mr. Gallagher's muse was liberal. Then it was that the

poet, caring more for the sentiment than the form of his

utterance, dashed off the strong and fervent lyrics, by

which he became really recognized as a man of original

power. He sang the dignity of intrinsic manhood, the

nobleness of honest labor, and the glory of human free-

dom. Much that he wrote was extremely radical; his

poetry was tinctured with the gospel of Christian social-

ism, and the example he set was imitated by many other

writers of verse.

"Be thou like the first Apostles-

Be thou like heroic Paul;

If a free thought seek expression,

Speak it boldly!-speak it all!

"Face thine enemies-accusers;

Scorn the prison, rack, or rod!

And, if thou hast truth to utter,

Speak! and leave the rest to God!"

Such lines as these, and as compose the poems "Truth

and Freedom," "Conservatism," "The Laborer," "Radi-

calos," "The Artisan," "The New Age," "All Things

Free," went to the brain and heart of many people; and

it is not to be doubted that they exerted a deep and lasting

influence. Of a more distinctly practical type were his

melodious pieces describing the West and the life of the

pioneer; and still more popular, in their day, were his

songs, many of which were set to music and sung in thea-

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