The wordHoosieroonwas coined for the poem, and "Hoosier" no longer designated a rough, uncouth backwoodsman but a self-reliant man who was able to subdue the wilderness, defend his home, and command the respect of his neighbors:
"He is, (and not the little-great)The bone and sinew of the State."
"Bachelor's Hall" was published anonymously, and was immediately credited to the Irish poet, Thomas Moore; it was reproduced in England and Ireland many times before the authorship was established. It was set to music for "Miss Leslie's Magazine," and was sung at a banquet given for the members of the Indiana Legislature:
"Bachelor's Hall! What a quare-looking place it is!Kape me from sich all the days of my life!Sure, but I think what a burnin' disgrace it is,Niver at all to be gettin' a wife.See the ould bachelor, gloomy and sad enough,Placing his tay-kittle over the fire;Soon it tips over—St. Patrick! he's mad enough(If he were present) to fight with the Squire.Pots, dishes, pans, and sich grasy commodities,Ashes and praty-skins kiver the floor;His cupboard's a storehouse of comical oddities,Things that had niver been neighbors before.Late in the night then he goes to bed shiverin';Niver the bit is the bed made at all;He crapes like a terrapin under the kiverin':Bad luck to the picture of Bachelor's Hall!"
His poem entitled, Our Home's Fireside, expresses his appreciation of domestic life. He felt that the homes of a country are the fountain of all true happiness, and the bulwark of civil and religious liberty:
"There's not a place on earth so dearAs our Home's Fireside,When parents, children all draw nearTo our Home's Fireside;When the toil-spent day is past,And loud roars the wintry blast,Then how sweet to get at lastBy our Home's Fireside!'Tis wedded love's peculiar seat,At our Home's Fireside,Where happiness and virtue meetAt our Home's Fireside;When each prattler, loth to miss,Climbs to claim the wonted kiss,'Tis the sum of human bliss,At our Home's Fireside."
He was ambitious to write a National Hymn which should voice the patriotism of the people, but this wish was never gratified. The "Ode for the Fourth of July" was an effort in that direction—constant attention to business prevented the cultivation of his poetical talent:
"ODE FOR THE FOURTH OF JULY."Tune—"Hail to the Chief."
Hail to the day that gave birth to a nation!And hail each remembrance it annu'lly brings!Hail Independence! Thy stern declarationGave Freedom a home in defiance of Kings.Britain's despotic swayTrammeled thy early day.Infant America, "child of the skies."Till with a daring handFreedom's immortal bandSevered thy shakles and bid thee arise!Then was the standard of Liberty planted—The star-spangled banner proud floated on high;Columbia's sons met the foeman undaunted,With firm resolution to conquer or die.Precious the prize they sought,Dearly that prize they bought:Freedom and peace cost the blood of the brave.Heaven befriended them,Fortune attended them—Liberty triumphed o'er tyranny's grave!Peace to those patriots, heroes, and sages,Whose glorious legacy now we enjoy!May it descend to the world's latest ages,Like primitive gold, without any alloy!Then let our motto be,"Union and Liberty,"High on our national banner enshrined,Like a bright morning star,Glittering from afar,Casting its beams o'er the world of mankind.
When urged by friends to make a collection of poems for publication; he found, (in 1866), that many had been lost beyond recovery, his hope of writing something more worthy of preservation made him careless of that which had been published; there is, however, considerable variety in the collection, ranging from "grave to gay." These are some of the titles; "Lines," written on opening a mound on the bank of Whitewater near Richmond, Ind. containing a human skeleton. "What is Life," "What is Faith," "A Prayer," "My Loves and Hates." This was the first poem written for publication. "Valedictory, on closing my term as Clerk of the Wayne County Courts."
In lighter vein are, "Advertisment for a Wife," "The Last of the Family," "To My Old Coat," and "The Miller."
Mr. Finley was not a church member but his creed is embracedin the following sentence—"The Fatherhood of God and the Brotherhood of Man."
An unpublished fragment, found after death in the pocket-book he carried, shows his truly devotional spirit:—
"My Heav'nly Father! deign to hearThe supplications of a child,Who would before thy throne appear,With spirit meek, and undefiled.Let not the vanities of earthForbid that I should come to Thee,Of such as I, (by Heav'nly birth)Thy Kingdom, Thou hast said, shall be."
TO JOHN FINLEY.By Benjamin S. Parker.
"Hail thou poet occidental,First in Indiana's Clime—Whose true passions sentimental,Outward flowed in living rhyme.Let no more thy harp, forsaken,Hang upon the willow tree,But again its chords awakenTo thy songs blithe melody,As thou didst in time now olden,When our Hoosier state was young,'Ere the praises of these goldenDays of progress yet were sung."
Strickland W. Gillilan, wrote a "Versified Tribute."
"He nursed the Infant Hoosier museWhen she could scarcely lisp her name;Forerunner of the world's great lightsThat since have added to her fame,He blazed the way to greater things,With "Hoosier's Nest," and "Bachelor's Hall;"And, while the grand world-chorus ringsWith songs our Hoosier choir sings,Let not the stream forget the springs,—Let Finley's name before them all."
FOOTNOTES:[1]"The Hoosiers," pp. 20-30.[2]History of Indianapolis and Marion County, p. 72.[3]"Early Indiana Trials and Sketches," p. 211.[4]Coggeshall's "The Poets and Poetry of the West," and Finley's "The Hoosier's Nest and Other Poems" published in 1860.[5]Indiana Democrat, Jan. 12, 1833.[6]"A Winter in the West," p. 226.[7]Indianapolis Journal, January 20, 1860.[8]Sketches, p. 45.[9]Salem Democrat, October 25, 1899; March 28, 1900.[10]Published in 1835, Vol. 1, Page 210.[11]Georgia Scenes, page 73.[12]Pages 188-9.[13]Pages 182-5.
FOOTNOTES:
[1]"The Hoosiers," pp. 20-30.[2]History of Indianapolis and Marion County, p. 72.[3]"Early Indiana Trials and Sketches," p. 211.[4]Coggeshall's "The Poets and Poetry of the West," and Finley's "The Hoosier's Nest and Other Poems" published in 1860.[5]Indiana Democrat, Jan. 12, 1833.[6]"A Winter in the West," p. 226.[7]Indianapolis Journal, January 20, 1860.[8]Sketches, p. 45.[9]Salem Democrat, October 25, 1899; March 28, 1900.[10]Published in 1835, Vol. 1, Page 210.[11]Georgia Scenes, page 73.[12]Pages 188-9.[13]Pages 182-5.
[1]"The Hoosiers," pp. 20-30.
[2]History of Indianapolis and Marion County, p. 72.
[3]"Early Indiana Trials and Sketches," p. 211.
[4]Coggeshall's "The Poets and Poetry of the West," and Finley's "The Hoosier's Nest and Other Poems" published in 1860.
[5]Indiana Democrat, Jan. 12, 1833.
[6]"A Winter in the West," p. 226.
[7]Indianapolis Journal, January 20, 1860.
[8]Sketches, p. 45.
[9]Salem Democrat, October 25, 1899; March 28, 1900.
[10]Published in 1835, Vol. 1, Page 210.
[11]Georgia Scenes, page 73.
[12]Pages 188-9.
[13]Pages 182-5.
Transcriber's Notes:
Inconsistencies in spelling and hyphenation have been retained from the original.
Page 11: typograpical should be typographical; perodical should be periodicalPage 14: occured should be occurredPage 17: Pulskys should be PulszkysPage 22: electic should be eclecticPage 24: Dictonary should be DictionaryPage 26: symptons should be symptomsPage 28: occured should be occurredPage 32: abhorence should be abhorrencePage 36: shakles should be shackles; Advertisment should be Advertisement
Punctuation has been corrected without note.