New-York daily tribune., 1845-01-27
THE TRIBUNE
Correspondence of the scHoclpo,f.
Popular Literature ia Germany.

q
! .tsir turn, once the property of these educated
classes, have condcscended step to those whom
re designate by the strange name of the people,
+ asif we ourselves were no part of The people,
In this sense is rising among US popular litera-
/ ,urc that mey easily begin revolution In the
literary world.
In every age, writers, and even German wri-
1 ,ers. have busted themselves with the lower
8 cssses but in the same direction as row. Cess,
ner described for us Arcadian shepherds from
whose weary and wearisome seniimentalities we
were 10 learn virtue. 1flend, and Schiller also,
+ in his "Cabal and Love-" on the stage, Lalon-
tame and innumerable others in romances, &C.
picted the common citizens life, often with the
intention of showing factilious azstocratic ex.
( is,ence in contrast with a healthy activity
I Others wrote, in arrogance 10 make jest OF the
/ clownish ways of artlzans and peasants. But,
1 by none of those earlier writers, as the life of
/ the poorer classes treated in its whole depth,
< force, and fulness.
| All literature depends on the spiritual tenden.
cies of its time, and those problems of which some
are in every age proposed by the nations to them
| selves. With us, are now awake in full earnest.
| ness the questions as TO pauperism the Commu
nist Social tendency; and this it is which mas
giveE new interest to the life of the common
people. On these questions of modern times, 10
which distress and disturbance, ip some regions,
with the stream OF emigration, have given, OF
stc, The most powerful interest among ourselves,
rests also the sympathy winch Charles Dickens,
by such books as Nicholas NicklebY, which Eu-
gene Sues else go formless and confused works
have found in Germany. Yet we Germans had
caller turned our eyes upon our labofng classes
though we have, just at present, less reason To
concern ourselves for them, as they are neither
60 oppressed, nor Sd demoreilzed as IN France
perhaps, also in England.
The first class ofsuch writings in ournew Ger
man literature, is formed by pictures of peasant
hie not IDEAL, like those Of Gessner, but true 10
nature. Our great Karl Immermann, who pre-
cedes, as standard-bearer, almos, all efforts OF
this newer school, made beginning Ill his
Munchausen' by pictures Of life of West
phalia, at that time the most patriarcha, CON-
pact, and powerful in all aur country. The sub
ject Of pauperism was not introduced there, be-
cause lhs hamlet. patnarchs, of that region, are,
for The most part, 1cher than The nobility; thus
the novelist, IL the portrait OF his magistrate
does not move by sympathy, but conquers the
reader by healthy power. Munchausen is great
y indebted for It's influence to this interest Ill the
life OF the people, Somewhat carrier, a Swiss
writer SAID by some to be pastor in the Canton
OF Berne, published his Baucrnspicgel," Ill
which is described the noble peasant-h!e of his
Swiss home. Pity! that the book morazes too
much and paints rather in black, than in pleasant
coofs. 1t is apt to be 50 with parsons, II they
venture into the narrative lire; and thus the
book has missed The friendly reception 1t would
have bsen sure of in Germany if its tone had
been as benefcent as It's descriptions were pow
erful. Many writers of talent now followed the
lead of Immermann. WE'LL in his "Elsasser
Geschichten," Frank in his Were Brudernaus
dem Volk'' and his writings "Aus dem Bohmcr-
wald," Auerbuch in the Schwarzwalder Dori
geschichten,' gave scenes from their home l'e,
and especially the last named has excited the in
terest and gratitude of the public.
Hack!ander, lively comrade, who in youth
shared the bachelors life, full Of gay freaks in
many cities ia Germany, and aftcrward travelled
in the East, gave us bald Daguerrotypes of what
he had seen. He, then, under the title of " Sol
dateneben i'm Frieden,'' Life of the Soldier in
time of peace,) relates his experience in the bar
racks at an earlier PERIOD painting, mastery good
and bad through all the grades OF rank and man
ners. 1t is book, not only humorous and inte-
resting for US, who are in the midst of these
things but which will remain, monument OF
culture, as to eur preparations for defensive war;
which, though in detail pedantic, and often ridi-
cuious, yet, when considered in relation to arm.
ing nation, on which ali depends, assume 50
great and elevated meaning. And is not just
this mlnuteness in detail, even with the greatest
and most urgent purpose, the peculiar character
lsi!cs of cur German efforts?
Beside these works, which seek to represent
The common people, and attract 10 them the in
teest Of the upper classes are those addressed to
the people themselves These mostly sad at
affairs yet. There are plenty Of books OF pieiy,
and political works both of The conservative and
destructive SORT intended for the people, but by our
bad theological and philosophical maDner. the
writers spoil the game. TIE chasm between the
classes has been sunk SO deep in the course of
centuries, that the writer, educated among the
cultivated, can rarely translate his thoughts to
the mind and manners Of the peasant or bargher.
Even SO the preacher, from his pulpit, rarely can
reach the inmost heart of his audience. The
schoolmasters have experience tina, nigh, enable
them To writu for the people, but they dsdain 1t,
and dsbble rather in the province OF learning, or
they arc too poor and too hard d-pressed to write.
We have not even history written in the true
popular tone, although Edward Daller came near
giving US such an one. Were our theatre better,
1t would at least, be au organ Tor the poPulace OF
The towns, through which The bost thoughts OF