The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1844-01-29

planted without egsnerscy. The lack OF po.tca ma
chnery ek SO iorclby that the poets are Obliged
how the poor and hauadryads iose themselves la
the American woods flow the elves and sprites nope
about In the dismal soudes Their eniorc ed presence
only reminds the more painfully OF the posac desoa
ton OF the land which mserably destitute Of all
ring changes upon and in the last extremity Of
distress the poets sometimes cali her the Western Star
One OF them sort OF despair expresses serious doubts
whether she has properly any distinctive designation
whatever and considering that America the name Vi
the whole continent that columbia actually adopt
ed il now "repudiated - that North America includes
States applies equally to the Southern Confederation and
that there nonng lett native to the SOIL except the u-
dcrous New England title OF Yankec, does a. Il the
founders Of the Republic forgot 10 give 1t a name.
The poetry OF all other countries distinguished by
particular characeriscsby it's forms, coorlng teInpe-
rament There nothing OF this kind in American poet
ry 1t takes all forms and coors. 1t national only
one senseit never fails, opportunity serving To
The smartsst nation
$50 In all creation. r.Ufr'
Upon this point all the poets unanimous The want
OF historical eemeu supplied by the intensity Of the
glorifcaon The two great subjects Liberty and the
Indians Upon these SUBJECTS the poetical genius OF
the country riot from Nova Scotia 10 New Orleans
from the Alleganes TO the with sundry significant
ceptions in the south and Two unfortunate
topics could not have been hit upon All men are born
equal the declaration OF independence we are the
fees OF the tree the poet aud 80 the slaveowner
illustrates the proposition by tratckng IN hs own sons
and daughters and enargmg his seragno to increase his
live stock He is his own usty breeder OF equal.born
men. curious instance Of American liberty cited by
trav Her. who inorms that he knows lady residing
near Washington who is in the habit Of letting her
own natural brother As to the Indians nothing
coed the interest these writers take in their
heads and flowing lmbsexcept the interest they take
their lands Nobody could ever suspect, while reading
these fine illusions upon the dignity ana beauty OF the In
dams that they written by the people through whose
cupidty talsehood and cruelty the Indians have been
stripped Of their possessions and left to and
that While they were thus evincing the tendercs regard
for the Indian nations octos VERSE; Congress
engaged through It's servants, subonng Indian Chiefs
and making them drunk TO entap them into deeds Of sale
OF their hunting grounds and as II these and similar
atrocities not enough kto mark the die be-
tween the poetry and the policy OF the States importing
bloodhounds from Cuba to hunt the Indians OF Florida
1t IL quite impossible Tor the folly
which tempts them to indulge III such themes, unless we
refer to the same infaua.on which makes them
their morality ia hs face OF their filthy newspaper press
aud OF their honesty in the teeth OF pocketpckng Penn
sylvania. l.ter.. .I1raa .rI tsf
.a, Cocx-A-DoopLE.poo! .r-. &. .,ta.
The declaration Of Independence threw all the small
wits Of eervescence The crudes talent Tor
tagging and scribbhng songs I'D captandun was
hailed miracle; and some estimate may be formed oil
the OF the people by glance ut two of the
ballads which stirred their blood to battle, and like
trumpet made their spirits dancsr The two
national songs of America those entitled Hs Coun-
bia and The Starspangled Banner" These songs are
still popular ever Mr. Griswold assures NJ that
they "as well known throughout the United States
the Rhine Song in Germany, or the Marseiles III Hymn
in France" The former written by less person
than the late excellent Judge Aopknson snd opens like
q cannonade
Hail. Columbia happy land
Hail ye Heroes heaven-born band
Who fought and BLEED in Ereedoms cause,
And when the storm oil war was gone,
Enjoyed the peace your valour won.
The poet has given them credit for their good
IN enjoying the blessings Of peace when the war
the Skies and rally round their liberty and in the opening
OF the next sanza he calls upon them rather unexpsc
eddy, to 60 to war again
Immortal patriots rise once more;
| Defend your rights defend your shore.
This standing invitation 60 war although there be
no foe to fight witha hits of with felicity the empty
buster Of the national character. The call upon the
Immortal patriots to rise mores sung at all hours
in every corner Of the Union by men, women, and chill
dren; and is very likely that every day heaven
horn band get up Of their beds they believe they
actually rising defend their rights and their
70 ,ns of Ss
making any further requsition upon their valour THAI
that they shall implicitly believe in it themselves. The
Star spangled Banner" is constructed the prnc
pie, and blows the 'heaven-bOrn" bubble with equal
husiasm closing with the vivacity Of cock that knows
when to crow on the summit OF its odorierous hill
| Oh thus be il ever when freemen shall stand
Between their loved home and the wars desolaton
Blessed with victory and peace, may the
Praise the Power that hath made and ed US ma
These genuine samples of the cock
| Of warlike ballads
AMERICAN SocrErv.
Certainly there IL nothing vulgar and base Ameri.
| can demonstrating so coarse a. American
dclicacy- nothing so tyrannicalas American free
at every turn what will Mrs Grundy say is the
type OF the fashionable society of America II lives
catching any contagion in its polite hon
people would be Of mourning public shame. marriage
with an actress is punhcdb by sentence of ostracm
the actress might not be- and out OF the very joyous
and spirituality Of her life had not fair chance OF
being, hundred times intellectual and oveabe
mind and heart than the whole mob of
In England where have legitimate frame o k
society and something at stake in the intenxture
ders marriages Of this kind spite Of little begging Of
md art araf rnou
enough for the vndcation of poor humanity American
exclusveness would be abomnably shocked at
ration OF the people who have married from the stage into
high life and done honor to 1t in the end Lady Herbert
married Beard the singer Lady Berthe married Gallini
on O'3ren the comedian Mrs. Robinson became LADY
Peterborough Lavina Fenton became Duchess OF Boil
ton; Miss Bolton was married to Lord Thurlow; Miss
Brunton TO the Earl Craven; Miss Farren the Earl
Derby Harriet Mellon to the Duke of st. Albans Miss
O'Neal to Sir Wrixon Beecher catalogue which might
be advantageousy enlarged BY the introduction Of the
names of Miss Tree Miss Searle and twenty Others
not worth while to ask why the actress who may thus
ascend to rank and prosperity in England is not permit
gentility'
AMERICAN Ponrs AND THIEvEs.
All poetry Is initiative True poetry initiates nature
that which initiates poetry ought to have some other
name. Of this latter sortthe spuriousthere
kinds nasmnch as there are several kinds of models
dss are better than the because they TO
the source and fresher and less artificial and less
conventional. The tendency of America is strenuously
towards the She IL new herself and being afflicted
with perpetual resessness and curiosity, she Is always
looking round her and orw ard but she never looks back
The past Is, to her, oblivion There modes in
it to be revivedno grsnd.mothers hoops, volumnous
wigs, no buckles no rufs She IL always the watch
or the last fashion, with the eagerness Of citizens wife
who thinks the world at end she does not dress In the
taste Of the day. Even in this, America ~ unfortunate
for by the time the fashions reach her they pretty well
cast off in the old countries Her newest shapes out
Of date stepping out Of the literature Of England into
that Of America, like going back twenty years into
sort resuscstion Of the style OF
that PERIOD.
We find constantly recurring examples Of this fad,
spirit scattered through their poetry which il every
where patched up with phrases long since thread
baresuch realms yet unborn "a magic and marvel
in the the eagles "quenchess eye" "thc beautiful
and brave "thc land OF the storm" &c All this looks
rihng enough separated from the context but petness
and trashiness the crying sins OF this description Of
II there nothing to complain Of but that
drowsy familiarity Of fourue,s which sends vague fsg
ments Of "reminiscences fitting through ones memory
would be hardly worth noting but unfortunately this
petty larceny forms prominent and ostentatous feature
in these productions. II is almost the first popularity you
m an American pOem ia common To ali