Sunbury American and Shamokin journal. [volume] (Sunbury, Northumberland Co., Pa.) 1840-1848, 1844-02-10
Dickens nnd the United states.

spleen against this country through the medium
oehs Notes and his Martin Chuzzlewt.' An
additions cffusion has Just been put forth in the
leading article of the Foreign Quarterly Re-
view, in which an examination Of Griswod's
! collection of American Poetry is made the pre-.
| text OF an attack on the Poets and Poetry of A.
mcrica, couchcd in the characteristic style of
the writer when speaking of men and things in
/ the United States. The following passages,
extracted from the article referred to, will give
/ the reader an idea of lis spirit:
/ "'American Poetry always remindsus Of the
/ advertisements in tie newspapers, headed The
/ best substitute for Slycr:--f it be not the
( genuine thing, it looks Just as handsome, and
/ is miles out Of sight oheaper'
We are FAR from regarding it as a Just ground
of reproach TO the Americans, that their poetry
/ is little better than the far.off echo Of the IA
! therand; but we think it is a reproach TO them
that they shou'd be etcrnally ttrusting their
! professions to the rnctical character in the face
Of educated nations. In this particular, as in
most others, what they want in the integrity of
mpudencc. To believe themselves, they are
the finest poets in the whole world before we
| close this article, we hope TO satisfy the reader
that, with two or three EXCEPTIONS there is not
poet OF mark III the whole Union.
The circumstance of America, from the COM
mcncement Of her history to the present time,
have been peculiarly uniavorabe TO the dcvel.
/ opement of poetry, and if the people were wise
, they would he coatent 10 take credit for the
| things they have done, without challenging
criticism upon the things they have failed in
attempting. They have tellcd forests drained
marshes cleared wderncsses, built cities, cut
canals, laid down railroads Ooo much OF this too
with other peoples money! and worked out a
great practical cxcmpiiication, in an amazing
short space of time, ofthc political immoraliics
and social vices OF which democracy may be
rendered capable. This ought to be enough
for their present ambition. They oughtto wait
patiently, and with brfittiug modesty, for the
time to come when all this frightful rush and
conflict of wiid energies shall in some measure
| have subsidized, to afford rcpose for the fine arts
I 10 take root in their soil and 'rpcn in the sua
1t is not enough that there are individuals in the
I tossing multitude afflicted with babling desires
/ for ease, and solitude, and books, and green
places; such dreamers are only in the way, and
more likely 10 be iraiup'ed down in the blind
crowd and yet audicuce for their delicate music.
There must be national heart, and national
! sympathies, and an intellectual atmosphere for
poetry. There must be the material TO work
upon as we'll as to work with The ground
must he prepared before the seed is cast into
it, and tended and well-ordered, or i, will be-
come choked with weeds, as American litera-
'urc, such as 1t is, is now choked in every one
ofis mu,iGrious manifestations A. yet the
American is horn.handcl and pig-headed hard,
! perscvcring, INSCRIPTIONS, carnverous, ready
for all wea,hers, with an incredible genius for
lying, vanity elastic beyond comprehension,
the hide OF buffalo, and the shrek oi steam
engine; "A rral nne-font breast of q fellow,
steel twisted, and made Of horse shoe nails, the
rest of him being cast iron with steel springs
The one thing that goes down most success.
fully in America is money. This is the Real
which has so eflcc,ually stranglcd the Ideal in
It's iron grpe. A bag Of dollars is a surcr in.
PRODUCTION to the best society IN America than
the highest literary reputation. A famous au-
thor will be stared at and joslcd about, and
asked questions, and have hls privacy scared
and broken in upon by Impertinent curiosity !:
but a rich mau moves in an atmosphere of awe
and scrvity, and commands every thing that
is to be had in the way ofprccedence, and pomp,
and circle.worship. As there must he an aris-
tocrscy every where Of some sort, Of blood, or
talent, or titles, so America has made her cleo.
ton, and set up her aristocracy Of fdoIlars-the
basest of all. II would be the greatest ofca-
lamities were it not also the greatest of bur
lesques, and their is hope that its essential alb
surdity may at length bring il into general con-
tempt. People are sometimes laughed out Of
their vices, who cannot by any means be in
duced 10 reason upon them and so il will hap
pen, doubtless, in the fullness of time, with the
arIstocracy of America. 1t cannot be endured
for ever. A sense Of the ridiculous must one
day set in, and The whole fabric must be smelt
ed, and such proportion Of ore as it may really
contain will be separated from the dross witt
which it is now mixed up. Generals aud colo
nels keeping whiskey stores and boarding
, houses-titles Of honor borrowed from the ol(