The Rhode-Island Republican. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1809-1841, 1816-01-31
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AMERICAN I.ITURA.fURE,


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" Ehe Vaarferiy Reviewer nc xt enters 6p-
on the subject of our literature, Of which ga
speaks, atic perhaps With some feasoh; tatk-
er con'e mpluousIy, though we ate hot disjsS-
scd TO -mit the conclusion skdt out deheikks
cy, in this respect, is owing to the wahl VI
originality Of genius, ss he sffriiii. -.
The learning, lire the riches Of the H.
States, is more equally distributed thAR ~
any other country, With the exception, nSs;'
hsps, OF Scotland, to whose learning, mofGIs2|
and infexibe habits Of propric,y, We ikk3
this opportunity Of bearing q Willing add
hearty ,cs,imbny.-Lcsrningis is seldom 10 80
found here III g,es, masses, bu, diffussu; ia
u .euein deg,ec, throughou the Whole body
Of The people aud although We have ten ar
none that have gone into the depths or khowl-
edge, we have also few that have nor SKIM
med the surface. III we arc without mshy
profound scho!asl, We are also free from lhss
mass OF ignorance snc stupidity which Is Ia
be found among such la'gc portion of The
populsce Of England. Ii acutencss OF INTEL
sc', in general intelligence, and in tha, YER.
sa,ilily OF genius, which enables men 10 ar:
commods,c themselves TO new siiua,ioni,ahd
enter readily in,o the details Of tnuicd osco-
paIions, the people Of tho Uqi,cd S,a,cs Gro
particularly distinguished. They have Gis1
mote iaioI ma,ion, distinct and ihdcpcndtnr
OF the knowledge necessary 10 their daily EN-
poymcn,s, than perhaps any other nation:
Admitting then, o. we 60 without hesitation,
not for tho purpose Of making q par0dd 6f
our candor by the acknowledgement Of u self.
evident fact, but 10 demonstrate that We arg
ut all times ready TO acquiescc In the ,rdthS--
admitting that we are inferior to England III
learned Ulen, rather than in tncn Of original
genius, We at the same time feel stiongly
disposed 10 doubt, whether it is not tnuch.
more important TO the general Welfare 6t
mankind that they should all par,skc Of rts-:
sonab!c portion ef knowledge, than that
few, perlisps half dozen, should be bi6-
found scholars. Were The world, iruccd, tS
begiu again, and there arise nettAsity OF
once more building up systems, or creating;
as Il were, the sciences anew, pefhaps tho
Case. might be different but even thotS Il Is
not learning, 10, genius, thas leads the %syj
and all thai learning can do IS 10 collect, tbin-
bine, aud transmit TO postctity the discovery.
OF genius, and thus beqae,h 70 one race 81
men the result Of ages OF experience.
Though !. may subject w TO The tRarS6
OF ssndalism, we will venture 10 aucstitni
whether Professor Persons Greek, DotjEF
PARIS Lain, or Sir Humphrey Daay'j i0iS
rninotipg poweer, can make aneids fof ikA
want Of those common rudisncfss of tdutS-
ti5n among u vast portion OF theft t6dhtfts
men, tha, fAay be called nccessfries Of liieS
any more than the Marquis of Stafiord'S 6ka
hundred and sixiy thousand year fnskSs &:
fhends 10 society for The povAtty of iho6sy
ands. In tho present state Of ibe cisniseH
world, IL is believed that i, wcd!d be mdth
mo,c conduciyc 70 the happiness vf fi6nk!hJj
that ali should be able 10 read and write, thxa
that one should be Qualified 70 enter into lh8
iniiicacies Of Greek p.osody, expIlih 10 o6l
scdri,y in old Esoius or blow tiintclf up III
chemical expcsimcft. Tie dcff,h OF cel1
e5rstcd suihors In the United States has ffss
q0ently before been ssiribu,ed 70 de Scicney
Of natural or original genids. This fmpctay
iion was al FIRST connected wifn that or sn 10!
fcriociiy in physical organization, both ih tha
men and animals Of This country. Bccdusc
the aborigincs wore no boards, and the foes
produced no elephants, il was phiIosophitaiy
concluded upcn, thar nalutc herself laboscd
undcr sort Of strange insbceilisy ii this new
worId,and that being the lat Of her ofFspfihg;
we stood in the same relation 10 othcrb, that
the little pig called rim: usualy does 10 iic
rest Of the litter The digging up Of tho
Insmmolh bones, and the discovery that this
deficiency Of beards was oecasioned by their
being pultcd out by tho roots, put this part
OF the theory 10 the rou,, bur the oihcs half
sill remains 10 be combs'ed by any one that
liinks II deserves tie q ouble. Foroufselvcs;
We shall moi consider it worth suempdng,un-
iil'EnglaOd can show Us, With the same CIV
en- Dcrio., Of time. n ohiIosockcr suucrior I'M
n,gdnsi discoveries 70 Fr-nkiib, painter G.
qoaI to West or greater triumph OF nlc.
chaneal genius .hao ,ha. exhibited 10 The
steamboat. Perhaps il may be true, as the
Qosnesly Resicwer anirns Of franklin, that
these Men scqaifed their knowirdgc in Eng
iAnd. bu, they certainly did not acquirc their
original genus there, for they wefe men be-
fore ,hey Ief, their ns,ivc country.