The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1848-05-05
Politics and Psstry-Mr. Folks influence In


Politics and Psstry-Mr. Polk's influence In
Literature.
Every administration in the history of civil
lied governments, throughout the Christian
world, and, we may add, also, the he athen and
H'ndoo, including the Mahometsn, has been
distinguished, it distinguished at all, for some
remarkable influence upon the poetry and litera-
ture OF It's own era. The old ballad maker. Ho-
mer, marked the history of the early wars of
Greece. The reign of Augustus, in Rome, was
celebrated by Virgil and Horace. Ferdusi, the
celebrated Persian poet, shed the rays of his
poetic light over some of the dynasties of his
century. Haroun AL Raschid's administration
of the early Arabian empire still breathes with
all the vividness of its literature and poetry
Corneille and Racine covered with rays of
efugence the dynasty of the Bourbons, and
the era of Louis l4th. Queen Elizabeth's
reign was glori6ed by the extraordinary
genius of Shakespeare, and Charles II. and
his age still live and shine In the verses of
Hudibras. The distinguished dynasty of Mr.
Polk, from Duck River, In the United States,
bids fair to be immortalized by the lines OF the
American Hudibras, few of which we are en-
abed to give to our readers this morning, as
they have issued from the obscure pens and
presses of the metropolis Of Washington.
Every body remembers the great election of
General Harrison, and the wonderful campaign
of politics and poetry which commenced with
the famous ballad of Tippecanoe and Tyler
too" The poetical genius who struck the key
note in that famous song yet lives, and is kicking
against the powers that be in Washington The
same spirit that produced that famous song
which exercised more influence in the election
of General Harrison than all the speeches and
addresses of politicians, has again sounded its
| Tyre, with songs upon the administration of the
general government, and the dynasty now in
| Washington. A specimen of these new song 8
OF the day may be found In our columns else
where. Read and laugh-laugh and read These
illusions are sharp, and witty, and eloquent, and
feeling, and heroic, and vulgar, and cutting, and
severe, and everything in human nature, taken
together, like a dose of medicine. Some OF
them may, perhaps, have appeared in print be-
fore; but not one of them, we believe, has ever
travelled beyond the narrow neigbborhood of
Goose Creek, or the Tiber. By proper encou
ragement, and plentiful addition of misfortune,
the author of these stanzas and songs may pro-
| duce more illusions and higher efforts of poetic
| genius.
The enquiry will naturally be made "who was
the author Of the famous song of Tippecanoe
| and Tyler too! Aud who is the author of the
| present illusions! We can inform all enquirers
| that it is one and the same person. 1t appears
that he is native of Pennsylvania, has follow
ed the sea, and was lately lieutenant or cap.
tain in the United States Navy; but in conse-
quence of having been found out by Mr. Polk to
be actually the author of the famous song which
elected General Harrison, some fault was found
with his past conduct, and year ago he was dis
missed from the Navy without cause and with
out reason. Mr.. Polk, however, in graft
| flying his exquisite sense Of political JUS
tce in Diminishing from the public service the
poet who gave birth to the famous song which
gave the wings the victory in 1910, has perpetra-
ted deed which will perform essential service
to political literature, and to the poetry of the
approaching contest for the Presidency All his.
tory demonstrates that misfortune is the great
element of poetry. Feed, clothe, regale poet
to the highest capacity of his appetite and person
and he will become songless, useless, and barren
as waste /; but throw him, NO matter whether
| right or wrong, upon the world, without PROBES
sion, without penny, without a cent in his
pocket, and Immediately he will draw a draft or
drafts upon his imagination and fancy, which
will have an influence over the age, and shed
halo around the century in which they appear
Mr.. Polk, by his policy, has furnished oppor-
| tunities for the creation of heroes in the Mexi-
can war by the dozen. The vast expenditure
and immense sums of money required to carry
out that heroic expedition, have also required
the genius of finance in its fulles. developement
| He has, also, by this necessity, brought forth
| ~ en- oidad hu WALL
| err, the chief of the lot. In addition to thus
giving an opportunity for the creation Of heroes
| and financiers, he has, moreover, in the case of
the author of "Tippecanoe and Tyler too"
brought himself up in a fresh place, like duck
| from the bottom of river, singing and quack-
ing, and leading the way to a new age Of poetry
| and PIndarics.
We desire our readers, therefore, to peruse
those specimen passages which we present from
the exhumed poet of the famous hard cider CAM
pagn In the coming Presidential election, the
same poetic genius, no doubt, will show itself as
fresh and vigorous, and pungsnt and poetical in
his verses as he is to-day, or as he was eight
years ago, promising not only much interest to
politicians, but a great deal to the lovers of
poetry and humor.
NEWSPAPERS AT WAsHINoroN.-The newspa-
pers published at Washington are lamentably
wanting in efficiency, talent, power of intellect
and intelligence. The journals published there
are hardly worth half of the subscription price
paid for them. They contain nothing of inte-
rest to the reader, not even giving the Washing
ton intelligence at all complete or interesting,
as many of the journals in the large cities of the
North can testify. The reports of the debates
ia Congress are very nearly given up by them.
1t is only on some particular occasion that those
newspapers give any account of the debates,