Phenix gazette. [volume] (Alexandria [D.C.]) 1825-1833, 1830-11-09
No. YI.--TuEsDAy, NOVEMBER 9, 1880.

"The man that hath not music in HIMSELF
Nor is moved with concord OF sweet Sounds
Is fit for treasons, siratagems and spells;
The motions of his spirit are duh rs night,
And his affections dark as Erebus--
Let no such man be trusted "-Shaks
In the motto which have chosen for this day IS
paper, the Poet, in that happy and mastery man
nei so peculiarly his own, has portrayed the 'hard
and si0ckish' soul that man possesses who is not
moved with concord of sweet sounds Indeed,
50 universal is the sway of Music, so powerful
is its influence, that the opinion is 10y no means
Improbable that it originated in the very instincts
of our nature-and that he who is insensible TO
its trauquilizing delight, or who is not reused
and agitated by ITS spirt-stirring tones must be
regarded as kind Of IN anomaly among our race
-bereft of much of the generous feeling and no
BILE impulse for which man is distinguished. Whe-
tier or not this opinion is well founded. or whe-
Their the nature Of our feelings is dependant en-
tirelv upon the construction and adaptation OF
our organs of hearing, to the reception of sound.
are nice questions. deserving. perhaps, OF exa-
mination. bat which cheerfully leave to the dis
cussion of the learned aud g orer-curious." And
as do not set mvself up as one of your delicate
cared mortas. who profess to possess the capaci-
rs and discriminating skill necessary
40 untwis, the chains that tie
The hidden soul of harmony"
I shall make no observations upon the inquiry,
whether the wide diversity we see among men as
To their power of distinguishing sounds, is attri
butable to constant practice alone, or whether 1T
is to be ascrbed partly to their physical tempera-
ment; and all similar topics, which NAV suggest
themselves. will he left to the consideration of
the speculative, who are fond of dealing in refn-
ed discussions. AS to myself. from the nature
of nv pursuits. feel every inclination to con-
fine myself to facts aloncs and these oil th''
NV present design would induce me to look tor.
Nor do intend to hunt up for my readers II
have AMY the various ancie, hctOns, and curious
nodern facts. illustrative of the power OF music:
for these things arc seized upon with so much
av,ditv. and have been So frequently worked up
into verse by our poetasters, that 1t would be un-
necessary and inappropriate to repeat them' AS
10 what intend to do. that may be ascertained
bv reading what follows.
When the question is asked where are your po-
cts. vourhistorians-ori in one word, your nation
nj hterature-we reply, without hesitation, Our
country is vet only in her infancy mere bant-
,;nr. and how can it reasonably be expected that
,yr shall all at once send forth productions. that
;l rival the best efforts of the greatest geninses
tbat have ever lived. 1t would require kind OF
hot-bed process, into the mysteries OF wh'ch we
are not vet initiated. But when the enquiry Is
made where is YOUR national uustc. unfortunate
~ for nv countrymen. the answer is not 81 rea
DIV or satisfactory. Unless we are diierenti
constituted from other people, one would suppose
tha, something indigenous to our own sou Wou,'
arow up. Is this want OF Music, Pecui'ar'..
our own, to be ascribed to the tact that II Is SC,
ence but partially cultivated; or IS the Tact itse'
to be attributed to a want OF SUFFICIENT Jeeang, OF
Tho mart Of the people. to appreciate the deligh
,,J rnIo.sure If confers? The first suggestion
would derive confirmation from well know
fact as to the state of Musical taste in Germany
Tn that country. which has produced the mos
eminent composers that have ever lived. 1t
made mart of the education of children to In
st,uct them thoroughly in the theory and execu
+;or of Nusic. 1t is taught as science ana
an art Hence it is said, they have eminent con
nosers. and eminent performers. Ihelatter sus
ces,;on has been insisted upon as the true caus
from another fact which saw incidentally mel
t;oned. At the performances which took plac
m New York, soon after the arrival OF the Frenc
Comnany. some of the finest Italian AIRS wei
s,po-but, to the astonishment OF the Manager
they were listened to without calling forth tro'
the audience the slightest applause. Soon ate
wards, i'm the course OF the performances th'
beautiful Scotch air, - Herrah for me bono'e
nj BL,e." was sung by an English actress, an
,yas received with shouts Of applause, and repea
ed cries of Encore Here deny the sutfloiel
cy of this fact. to prove any incapacity on Il
part of the people to appreciate fine Music. Q
the contrary, regard it as evincing kind
taste as pure, and asfee from fault as that wnit
would lead an individual to fall into hysteric
Cts Of admiration at the latest Italian or Fren'
SOM sung in language unknown to the heare
iTnon these two opinions. and the facts upt
which they rest for support. 1 think thus niue
may be sadhat if the science S , OF m n"nn.
view to the actual taste wmcn .ne people III, I'd,
e g ~ nn,v the effect. in few years, would
I;.n,vsrsJ in the gradual formation of naiio
e %Wrs;e. similsr to that Of other countries