Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1846-10-27

The Tribune; and leaving the thrice ransacked
classics and The gods 10 the Italians and Greeks,
/ makes Ruth that wins The admiration OF every
beholder These are not merely SO many indi-
vidual, independent mea-hey represent The coun-
try Ii is American Art standing up amid the
art Of The classic age, of the palmiesI days oil
Greece and Rome, and comparing features, and
form, and grace and beauty. The academy
would have killed these men-oyerwhelmed all
the suggestions OF Nature with lis rigid rules.
must confess there is something cheering in thus
beholding Western men on the classic ground oil
ltaly, finging abroad their arms in the same
unrestrained freedom they did on their native soil.
We deeply needed this same spirit in our li'era-
lure. We must he proud Of Americanisms, Il
do not mean, by that, words and phrases, peculi-
al expressions, but views and feelings and criti-
cisms,l if we would be relieved from thraldom,
and take the place art IS so rapidly taxing. !
would that every author, like Powers, should use
The products of genius and learning oil the OLD
world but not lei them use HIM. And why should
il not be so There are good strong Saxon hearts
/ here as ever beat on the soil oil England. Tins
Society is doing a noble part TO accomplish ihls
object in art; would that literature had as power
!, iu an ally.
S! Blu, will leave this subject 10 say word on
| the effect of art On national feeling. Some one
| has said, give me the writing of the songs OF
/ country, and you may make lis laws had al
most said, give me The control of The art OF
country, and you may have the management of
| its administrations. There can be no great
er folly than that committed by our states.
men. when they treat art and literature as
something quite aside from great national inlc-
rests. The Tariff, Internal Improvements Banks,
political speeches and party measures, are pui
paramount TO them, and yet they all together do
not so educate The soul OF the nation They al.
L. Nd Jol,f ap1n and
offices. In The days ut Italian glory, artists and
poets were The companions Of Kings, and Kings
were honored by the companionshp They were
fosered not more from taste than from self-ineres
Art is loo often looked upon as an abstract thing
designed only for men Of taste and leisure. The
painling or statue, whichis the embodiment OF the
ideal perfect in the artist may be so, but there are
other more useful departments OF art not 10 De
overlooked Every great national painting OF
battlefield, or great composition illustrating some
event in our history-every engraving, Autograph
and wood cul appealing TO national feeling and
| rousins national sentiment-is the work oil art;
and who can calculate the effect Of all these on
the minds of our youth Pictures are more
powerful than speeches. Suppose that every paint
ing and engraving, whether rude or complete,
every monument TO human worth, were removed
from this country for The next forty years, what
would be the effect on The national taste and leel-
ing? And yet Tor all that our statesmen volunta.
rily do for these things, such burial would
take place. They show themselves but hall
acquainted with the true resources OF The ma
lion when they overlook or neglect lis genius and
refined talent. Patriotism that neblest oil senli-
nenls, for il is sentiment as well as principle,
and governs more in that capacity than IN the
other is kept alive by art more than by all the
political speeches of The land. | should like to
| see the Massachusetts army that would retreat
gu, of The shadow OF Bunker Hill Monument be-
lore a foreign Zoe. Were it necessary in some
great crisis Of our counlrys fate 10 move an au-
dience like this TO some heroic resolution de-
manding peril, and perhaps death-if speech
should fail 10 do ii, would ask only for the can
vass 10 unroll before you, on which was flung,
with an artists hand, the battle OF Bunker Hill.
would point to that lillle icloubl on The crest OF
the hill, curtained in witt, The smoke OF baitle-to
the shattered columns breaking down The slope
, 10 the flames OF burning Charlesiown shooting
towards Heaven, without one word. The ar
tist should speak, and he were slave that could
s resist his appeal. Could man be coward,
S fighting in The shadow Of monument TO Wash
D ington? What American soldier would retire
from such spot, if compelled 10 retire before a
$ superior force, with the coun,enance OF Wash
ington looking mourntully down on him,
, without his heart breaking within him The
r moral power OF example is stronger than num-
/ bers. England understands how much national
pride and patriotism are kept alive by paintings
| OF her great events and monuments raised over
D her dead heroes. | have seen The Duke OF Wei.
) lington squirting his seed past his own colossal
. statue, melted from the cannon he himself took
in ba,lle, reared TO him by grateful country be-
tore he died. London has her Trafalgar Square
and glorious monument 10 Nelson. Even An.
$ Dire has monument in 81. Paul's Cathedral
Whenever an English patriot falls, England calls
( on art TO come conseerate the spot So does
France; so has Italy in all ages. Kings and
statesmen have understood how much national
existence depends national pride and patriot
ism, and how much also those depend on monu-
I ments and mcmenlos of her great dead. The
5 Palace Of Versailles is filled with paintings Of
Buonapare's great battles. | once saw young
painter in The Kingdom OF Sardinia, who had
suffered Imprisonment Tor painting one OF The
struggles of The Genoese Republic for freedom
All The fury and excitement OF headlong fight
between The people and the government were
thrown upon The canvass, recalling the days OF
, Spinola. The painting was seized and locked up,
and the young artist imprisoned. What was the
malter2 Arr, which is ever on the side OF liber.
", had come up with her silent, YET strong ap-
peal 10 popular feeling. Every stroke OF young
, Isoa's brush was buee note, summoning the
spirit Of freedom from its grave, and calling on il
10 rise and seize lis ancient heritage. The youth
= OF every land are educated more by art than by
, speeches. Let monuments rise from Concord,
Lexington, Bennington. Ticonderoga, Yorktown,