The Walt Whitman Archive
Life & Letters
Correspondence
About this Item
Title: Edward W. Searing to Walt Whitman, 15 April 1887
Date: April 15, 1887
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, and Stephanie Blalock
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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
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 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
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]