, 1841-10-02
THE PRAIRIE FLO
IN independent Ndgdz'ne OF
and Criticism.

ana CT1flclSm.
Western Literature! Confound the phrase,
we hope we shall never hear another word
about western Literature" as long as we
live, What is "western literature" that IL
Is different from eastern or southern or anv
other sort of literature? Scarcely a news
paper OF periodical which we open is with.
out some encouraging and condescending
~lovc-pat on the poor shoulder of "western
literature or "western poetry" or some
such outrageous nonsense. Now we have
the presumption to believe that literature
and poetry, wherever they exist, are found
ed upon the same immutable principle, which
principle Isl communication Of human ye.
MUS with the immortal beauty pervading all
nature-which shapes alike the cloud, the
rainbow, the starry skies, the whispering
landscape, and clothes them all in its celes-
tial essences-and which developes with its
beauty-crealing power as well the delicate
rose-Ieaf as the souls highest aspirations
after the infinite and the eternal. In the
material as well as the intellectual world.
ever thing tends constantly towards perfec.
ton. The germ bursts from the rot,ing
seed, in the dark furrow. and springs upward
towards the light 10 bring forth its perfect
and beautiful forms-even as the soul of man.
struggling with the mistS OF animal passion
and cropping in the darkest Of its imperfect
organization, tends upward and onward I'LL
IL again 'mIng!es with the divin" source of
beauty whence II spru ..
This Is literature; aud what miserable
nonsense. then, to talk Of "western" li,era.
ture. rs If IT were a thing apart from the
general order OF nature-sOne interesting
phenomennn-an intellectual monstrOsity-I
to be Patted enc"uragingly on the back, and
10 receive. The stinred and reluctant praises
OF ~seIt-app"inted eastern" critics. bestowed
very much in the same manner that thew
would drop Il SIN ling into the hat Of an iiine-
RAM mendlcant, who murders CindereIla's
v allz and the overture to Fra Diavolo on a
villanous handorgan! We want no such pat
encouragement. Does s.we>tern"I
patriotism. or "western" eIvquence, or 'swes-
craftsmanship. shrink from Il COMPARE
son with the patriotic and the eloquent of
the world? When men speak of CLAW, or
Prentice. or Marshall, do thew qualify their
admiration by the remark that "ihey are pref
~ well for a new country? and why should
so odious and so ridiculous be
respecting literature, We are sick
Of this atfectatIon; and, So far as our humble
abilities go. w are determined that it shall
be done away with. We are about to COM
nence the publication Of an independent
of literature and criticism-inclu-
ing within its range every subject OF inte-
crest IN belles.lerires. the fine arts and gene
al literature. We mean to show TO the in.
.redulOus world that The unnoiiced PRAIRIE.
LOWER, which "wastes its sweetness on the ,
esert air" glnws with rs divine Il beauty,
nd breathes as pure a fragrance. as the gay
ST exotic that faunts in The parterres of me-
ropoIiran fashion. We ask no allowance TO
e made-no %indelgences to be granted-our -,
iodest boquet, because it chances to be gath. c
red from the painless prairie, within the d
Of the Indians wig-wam or the rude a
ut of the ruder pioneer. W. wish our q
'ork tc b" judged strictly, severeIv-with. c
ut prejudice or favor; and If the PRAIRIE e
LOWER, dripping with fresh and odorous "
ews, finds welcome, weIl-if 1t be thrown
TO mingle unnoiiced with the rubbish u
hich strews the earth, j, is also well. The -
lly favor we ask for it is that no favor, be-
its strict deserts, shall be extended to
The first number of the PRARIE-FLowER
i'll be issued on the first of November next
after that, it will appear monthly. The P
m chosen for the work is similar to the c
her monthly magazines-a large octave, el
'ch number containing from 48 to 81 pa
IS.