Liberty advocate. [volume] (Liberty, Miss.) 1835-1866, 1839-03-14
National Literature.

1t is an enquiry often suggested 10 the mind
Isollcious for the welfare orour country. 0Wbo,
are to be her destnies in Literature and Sciencn
Are the men of other lands ever to remain ON,
philosophers and historians our METAPHYSICS
ans and bards! Are the high.press of Science
and the Arts ever to minister at our alters. mr..
rayed in the vcstments of a foreign cline, and
lutiering the idiom of another peopIe2 Are the
sons OF our own fair land never to arise, to con-
Isecrate the fame OF her past achevngs, or grave
in song upon the roll OF her prophecy hercon.
ing glory?-L2@iSuiYc Literary Nrps Letter.
For the last twenty years this country has
been assaiIed in every quarter-quizzed, sneer.
ed and laughed at by the Htcrat of Europe, Is
the only civilized country in the world totally
devoid Of national literature. Prompted b
patriotic feeling our writers have, at times, en-.
deavoured to repo the assaIants rs they best
might; but now that these United States have
risen comparatively to giants strength-now
that our institutions have become better known
abroad, and consequently respected and admit.
ted-now that we begin to be apprchcndrd by
others, let us not ioulishlv forget ourselves.
1t Is no doubt, very pleasant for rich aud well
led citizens to swallow, with looks of infinite
importance, the novel information, almost dai.
| ~ dealt forth by the press that we are "THc
GREATEST PEOPLE IN THE WORLD" Butlhcn how
they vince when stranger very naturally
rIdIcuIes the assertion. "Ayc, there's the rub!
Tor, like all grave nations, we are keenIy alive
10 rdicuIe; and we thiDk every rational man
viii agree with us, that it is not by such mis-.
calculating, discriminating pampering praise
that we can hope to attain, or deserve to main,
tain, that high place in the estimation Of other
nations.
Next to the civil government Of a country,
we would ask, in what does its proulest and
purest glory consist? It's literature undolbt.
IcdIy. The pride, ''pomp and circumstance Of
glorious war" passes with its generation, but
the records Of mind are mpcrshable. dry
detail Of facts is all that is left us Of Alexander
Caesar, while The green and undying fame Of
Homer and Virgil will remain unwihered as
long as civilization cndures. DECEASED and sunk
as the modern Greek is, he still turns with pride
TO the names and associations which have con-
secratcd that
"Climc of the unforgotten brave,
Whose land from plain to mountain cave,
was Freedoms home, or glory's grave.
The Frenchman gories in the lusre that The
name Of CornelIe, Racine, Moeire and Vol.
tare have shed upon his native land; and what
would induce the Englishman to part with The
proud privilege Of ranking as his countrymen
the mighty band Of immortal spirits who have
"Entwin'd their names with their lands language
Every hill and glen ofbarren Scotland is hal
lowed IN the imaginations, and endeared tothe
recolections of her children, by the touching
and romantic tenderness Of Burns, and tho
sweetness and pathoS of her unrvalled lyric
writer's. And Of what does American literature
consist 1t is with pain we acknowledge, lew
scattered names give back sterile answer. Anu
why is this? We know that the nvarlabIe rea
son heretofore assigned was ''that we were
new country" Bat this reason will not serve
much longer. We have enjoyed more ina"
half a century Of ndependence-have lncreaS
ed from three to at least fifteen millions oil peo'
pIe-and in every useful branch have far OUT
stripped expectation; yet as literary characters
there is scarcely a man in every million whose
name will be remembered forty years hence
Now we are far from ascrblng this TO the Gil
mate, the diet, the Indian summer, the prevail
ing winds, the inordinate use Of molasses, OF
any other equally reasonable physical cause
the fact is, in this Shank note world" oil ours
every one appears to be deeply mbued WIN
that sensible maxim oflago, "put moneyln my
purse" and Literature being of all others 10
this country the least expeditions way OF &C,
that desirable object. prolltaDe
and thrifty Commerce, rough and hardy Ayr
culture, with Manufactures, have thrust ng,
forth to wander "a waif upon the worlds wac
common" We are sorry for it. Every. gv
nv added to nation becomes a part OF inc
property OF every individual in that nation
strengthens his patriotic feelings, and twine'
tho love Of country closer round his hear
And what country furnishes more inspiring
themes for poetry than this, ourown green ior'
est land2 Our ocean lakes and limitless r"'