I have the highest appreciation of Burns’s genius, & the greatest respect for his memory—therefore it was a pleasure to me to contemplate assisting at the honors of the 26th, where I meant to attack one position of that poet—though not in an irreverent way—& endeavor to show that Man was not made to Mourn. But circumstances have occurred to-day to change my route & extinguish my speech. I began to write the speech, & was producing a logical, compact & convincing argument, when there was an interruption.

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