The native American., 1838-02-24
From he Ne,p York Daily Wing.
AMERICAN LITERATURE.
MOL.


! almost start in alright from my desk, on pen
ring the above caption to few remarks which
have to offer for the readers of the Wing Sand
pray, inquiries some one, I" what happened to you
which occasioned your afiright!" Nothing, my
dear sir, but what just now happened to you also.
mean The bare perusal of the words" I" American
Literature" which suggested to my mind the
possibility that the ghost of some genuine John
Bull, who figured not long ago in the columns of
the English Quarterly Review, might be frowning
at my elbow upon the dearng wight from under
whose pen the words had appeared. American
Literature! Why few years ago. we all know,
the words sounded absurd in our own ears even,
well accustomed as they were TO very gross adula-
ton concerning most things pertaining TO coun-
try ; and as for foreign nations, particularly our
notable step-mother England, g Lord have mercy
on us--how these parceaas do vapor! was the
least they, and especially she would have said at
the uiterance OF such an expression. But, in
good faith, the tables seem somewhat turned now.
Even the wofsh Quarterly or" Quarter-ing, as
Lord Byron appropriately termed it Reviews
seems to be abating somewhat It's ierocity towards
American Institutions and peoples though doubt
whether the change be owing to any accession
of sincere good WILL and it becomes us to be rather
pertnaciously distrustful of the show made by a
50 unprovoked malice. What is Great Britain
herself doing now to grace the walks of literature
Not much. She is teeming with namby-pamby
verse and $3.50 novels. | speak dsparagingly Of
the English literature, of the day, because the
few gems in the ocean of worthlessness are not
sufiiclent to make the exceptions too for
the principle. These gems themselves seldom
ind their way to the surface-such is the COM
mon English taste at present. What homage
are the English now paying to the noble Muse
oi history! Scarcely any, except indirectly in
the plauds which they cannot but accord to foreign
worshippers at her shrine. Alison's History Of
the French Revolution is the only work worth
notice as valuable sacrifice on her altar. Since
the death of Walter Scott, English imagination
has found no worthy standard-bearer in the fields
of prosaic fiction. The ephemeral Bulwer,
(ephemeral both in the webs Of ties, fctons, and
in the manner in which he has managed those
webs,) is supposed by popular opinion 10 have
good claim to SCOTS mantel. Why, Bulwer,
trying to stalk about in Scotts mantle, would look
much like puny fopling of the Court Of Queen
Victoria trying to sport the armor of Edward the
Black Prince! Where, too, is English Poetry
fastening Most Of that Of the present day will
GO "to the tomb of the Capuets.
But must cut short my thread of remark on
English literature, to say what had more parti-
cularly in mind when began. American literature
is fast gaining for itself sa local habation and
name," (and honorable ones too,) in the public
mind of all Europe. Our writings are now as
often repubished in Great Britain as British are in
our own country, in proportion to the number of
Indigenous productions in both. Further,
believe there is more of genuine sterling worth in
the Developments of thoroughly literary men in
this country at the presentday than in Great Britain
We may match PrescoH's Ferdinand and Isabella
with any thing that Great Britain has produced
in the way of history since Gfbbon., Nearly as
much may be said concerning Bmcrofi's History
of the United States. Time would fail me to
speak suitably of the writings of Sparks and
many, many others, who have made American Lit
erature, young as is, well worthy Of place beside
the literature Of many nations, whose civilization is
hoary compared with hers and must quit my
topic for the present IsocRATEs.