, 1841-10-23
THE PRAIRIE FLO w Err:
I'm Mdepsni"at Magazine Of Literature
api Criticism.
dpd Criticism


Western Literature, Confound the phrase.
we hope we shall never hear another word
about "WcSiern Literature" rs long rs we
live! What is "weSiern literature" that il
is different from eastern nr southern or anv
| other sort of literature! Scarcely 4 news
paper ~ periodical which we open is with
out some encouraging and condesccndIng
lovc-pai IN the poor shoulder Of 'we>te:n
literature. or "we>'crn r"";rv.' or some
such outrageous nonsense. N"w "" hive
The presumption Ia br!ieve that literature
and poetry. wherever they exist. are found
ed upon the same imInurahle principle. which
principle is 4 communication Of human ge.
mus with the immortal beauty pervading all
nature-which shapes alike tEe cloud, the
rainbow, the starry skies, the whispering
landscape, and clothes them all in its celes-
tial essences-and which developes with its
beauty-creating power as well The delicate
r~ose-ieaf as The souls hi. hest aspirations
after the infinite and the eternal. In the
material rs well as the intellectual world.
ever thing tends constantly towards periec.
ton. The germ bursts from the rotling
seed, in the dark furrow. and springs upward
towards the light To bring forth ITS perfect
and beautiful forIns-even rs the soul OF man,
struggling with the mis,S of animal passion
and cropping in the darkest Of its imperfect
organization. tends upward and onward tII
it again mingleS with the divine source OF
beauty whence il sprung.
This is literature; and what miserable
nonsense. then, TO talk Of .weStern" lI:erl-
ture, as if it were a thing apart from the
general order of nature-some interesting
phenomenon-an intellectual monstrosiiy-
TO be patted encouraginglv on the hack, and
10 receive, the Stinied and reluctant praises
of ~seli-appointed ''eastern" critics. bestowed
verv much in the same manner that they
would drop Il shi ling into the hat Of an itine-
ran, mendicant, who murders CinGerella's
" alrz and the overture to Fra Diavolo on n
villanous handnrgan! We want no such pat
rnnIZinn encouragement. Does "we>tern"
patriotism. or "western" eluquence, or ''wes-
tern" craftsmanship. shrink from n COMPARE
son with the patriotic and the eloquent of
the world! When men sneak of Clay, or
Prentice. or Marshall, do they qualify their
admiration by the remark that "thev are pref
" well for Il new country? and why should
distinctions so odious and So ridiculous be
made respecting literarure? We ale sick
Of this afiectation; and, so far as our humble
abilities 90, we are determined that it shall
be done away with. We are about to com
mence the publication Of an independent
magazine of literature and criticism-inclu-
ding within its range every subject OF Inte-
teres, in belIss-lettres, the fine arts and gene
raj literature. We mean to show TO the in
credulous world that the unnoticed PRAIRIE
FLOWER, which "wastes its sweetness on the
desert air." CLOVIS with rs divine a beauty,
and breathes as pure a fragrance. as the gay
est exotic that faunts in the parterres Of me-
tropoliian fashion. We ask no allowance TO
be made-no indelgences to be granted-our
modest boquet, because it chances to be gath,
cred from the painless prairie, within the
shadow of the Indians wig-wam or the rude
hut of the ruder pioneer. We wish on
work to BE- Judged strictly, severelv-with
out prejudice or favor; and if the PRAIRIE
FLOWER, dripping with fresh and odorous
dews, fnda welcome. well-if 1t be thrown