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Edward W. Searing to Walt Whitman, 15 April 1887

About This Item

  • Title: Edward W. Searing to Walt Whitman, 15 April 1887
  • Date: April 15, 1887
  • Creator(s): Edward W. Searing
  • Whitman Archive ID: loc.03703
  • Source: The Charles E. Feinberg Collection of the Papers of Walt Whitman, 1839–1919, Library of Congress, Washington, D.C. Transcribed from digital images or a microfilm reproduction of the original item. For a description of the editorial rationale behind our treatment of the correspondence, see our statement of editorial policy.
  • Contributors to digital file: Alex Ashland Stefan Schöberlein Ian Faith Stephanie Blalock
  • Cite this page: Searing, Edward W.. "Edward W. Searing to Walt Whitman, 15 April 1887." The Walt Whitman Archive. Gen. ed. Matt Cohen, Ed Folsom, & Kenneth M. Price. Accessed 02 January 2025. <http://www.whitmanarchive.org>.
  • Source File: loc.03703.xml (TEI)
 loc.03703.001_large.jpg Edward W. Searing. Attorney and Counsellor at Law, Vanderbilt Building, 132 Nassau Street. Room 78. New York, April 15 1887 Walt Whitman Camden N.J. Honored Sir

I have the honor as Secretary of the Seventh Assembly District Association of the United Labor Party of the City of New York to send you the following resolutions which will explain themselves.

Wishing you every happiness I remain Very Respectfully Edward W. Searing Secretary Seventh Assembly District Association United Labor Party  loc.03703.002_large.jpg
 loc.03703.003_large.jpg

Headquarters Seventh Assembly Dist. Association

United Labor Party New York City

At a regular meeting held April 14, 1887 the above association the following resolutions were adopted.

Whereas, America's greatest poet Walt. Whitman is now in our city and has invited all his friends and those who wish to see him to call on him and shake his hand this this​ anniversary of Lincoln's "death," and

Whereas, we all recognize ourselves as included and if engagements did not prevent would gladly go personally and honor ourselves by honoring the poet and

Whereas, in all ages the truly great poets and artists have ever been the truest exponents of the spirit of their age, and

Whereas, we recognize in Walt Whitman's poetry the truest and best expression of the real and vital destiny of the toiling mass of this age and to his greatness in this respect (as Emerson said)1 the surest of all men to be remembered a thousand years from now.

Resolved that we of the United Labor Party of the Seventh Assembly District of New York not being able personally to take the venerable poet by the hand as we would desire on this anniversary send him not only our respectful greetings, but would express for him  loc.03703.004_large.jpg  loc.03703.005_large.jpg our reverence and love

Resolved, that not only does Walt Whitman have our reverence because of his tender association with the name of Lincoln, but also because of his human sympathy, and for his undying poems singing the dignity of labor and the equality and brotherhood of man

Resolved that a copy of these resolutions be sent to Mr. Whitman

 loc.03703.006_large.jpg Edward W. Searing Secretary 7th Assembly Dist. As. United Labor Party

Correspondent:
Edward William Searing (1860–1926) was a labor unionist and lawyer. He published in a variety of socialist and freethought periodicals and even ran for for the office of district attorney of New York in 1887 on a Progressive Labor Party ticket. Searing was married to Laura Redden Searing (1839–1923), a well-known poet, journalist, and disability rights activist.

Notes

  • 1. This is likely a reference to Ralph Waldo Emerson's "The Poet." [back]
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