, 1841-09-25
THE PRAIRIE YER:
I'm Independent Magazine of Literature
and Criticism.

THE PRAIRIE FLO Elk:
I'm Independent Magazine of Literature
and Criticism.
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 1t
is different from eastern or sovihern or any
other sort of literature? Scarcely a news
paper OIL periodical which we open is with
out some encouraging and condescending
~love-pat on the poor shoulder OF "western
literature or "western poetry" or some
such outrageous nonsense. Now we nave
the presumption to believe that literature
and poetry, wherever they exist, are found
ed upon the same immutable principle, which
principle is a communication Of human &C.
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 IFS celes-
tial essences-and which developes with its
beauty-creating power as we'll the delicate
rose.leaf 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 periec-
ton. The germ bursts from the rotting
Iseed, in the dark furrow, and springs upward
towards the light TO 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 till
it ag%ainImingles with tho divine source OF
beauty whence it sprung.
This is literature; and what miserable
nonsense, then, to talk Of "western" li.era-
ture, as if it were a thing apart from the
general order of nature-some interesting
lphenomenon-an intellectual monstrosity-
to be pa,ted en~couragingly on the back, and
to receive, the stinted and reluctant praises
of seltappointed eastern" critics, bestowed
very much in the same manner that they
would drop 4 shilling into the hat Of an itine'
rant mendicant, who murders Cinderella:
Waltz and the overture to Fra Diavolo on q
villanous h%andorgan! We want no such pat
~ronizing encouragement. Hoes 'western'
patriotism, or "western" eloquence, or ''wes
term craftsmanship, shrink from a compari
son with the patriotic and the eloquent o
the world? When men speak Of Clay, OF
Prentice, or Marshall, do they qualify thei
admiration by the remark that "they are pref
ty well for a new country? and why should
: distinctions so odious and so ridiculous b'
made respecting literature! We ale sicl
=. of this affectation; and, so far as our humble
q abilities 90, we are determined that II shall
be done away with. We are about to com
!, mence the publication Of an Independent
magazine of literature and critlcism-inclu
ding within its range every subject OF int
A terest in belles.lettres, the fine arts and gene
raj literature. We mean 10 show TO the IN
credulous world that The unnotlced PRAIRIE
AZ FLOWER, which "wastes its sweetness on tht
desert air." CLOVIS with as divine j beauty
h and breathes IS pure a fragrance, as the gay
: est exotic that flaunts in the parterres OF me
tropolitan fashion. We ask no allowance Il
be made-no indelgences to be granted-our
modest boquet, because it chances 10 be gath
cred from the pathless prairie, within tn
shadow Of the Indians wig-wam OF the rud'
hut of the ruder pioneer. We wish on
Il work to be judged strictly, severely-with
out prejudice or favor; and if the PRAIRIE
FLOWER, dripping with fresh and odorou
dews, finds welcome, we!l-if 1t be thrown
aside, to mingle unnoticed with the rubbish
which strews the earth, it is also well. Thu
only favor we ask for it is that no favor, be
= yond its strict deserts, shall be extended 4
it.
The first number of the PRARIE-FLowEl
it will be issued on the first Of November mex
at -after that, it will appear monthly. Th
form chosen for the work is similar TO TN
other monthly magazines-a large octave
each number containing from 48 to Ga pa
I'd ges.
The price of the Prairie Flower is IS
year. Single numbers can always be procu
red, at so cents each.
= Letters relating to the work must be ad
dressed, postpaid, to "Publishers Of tn
Prairie Flower, ST. Louis, Mo-"
Editors copying this advertisement Wi
le confer an especial favor, and will OF cours
y be entitled to an exchange.
st. Louis, Sept. 8, 1841.