The daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1848-1851, 1849-05-12
Ar and Nationality.

foreigner who has been for several months per-
forming on the American boards; and one OF the
principal objections to Mr.. Macreadys is, that he
was not SO fortunate as to be born on this side OF
the ocean. We think all such feelings as these
are detrimental to art as well as to patriotism. As
the great Bacon observed, by mingl1ng philosophy
and religion we make both bad philosophy and
| bad religion. So when we mix up national likings
and antipathies with the divine elements of Art we
deteriorate both we produce bastard art and a
fantascal patriotism. If Mr.. Forrest had only re-
1ected little on these subjects, he would have
spared himself much shame and his countrymen
much notification for he would hardly, if he had
thought deliberately on the matter, have published
the foolish and vindictive letters which, ont of
tenderness for the American tragedian, we have
passed over in silence. But since Mr.. Forrest will
not be warned by the counsels his friends have
given him in regard the publication of his letters,
and continues obstinate in the folly of manifesting
his jealousy and dislike of Mr.. Macready, he can.
not blame his admirers and countrymen if they
speak more loudly than heretofore their disappro-
baton of the course he has lately pursued
The malicious feelings which Mr. Forrest mani
tests in his letters of little importance to the
public; they injure himself alone and scarcely if
at all affect the rest of the community But all are
interested in the attempt he is making to introduce
national questions into the domain of Art. Every
one-from the infant just opening his eyes to the
light to the dotard standing with one foot in the
grave-is' interested in maintaining Art pure from
the passions which agitate us in the walks ofevery
day life. If we wish Art to remain the comforter,
the CONSIDER and the purifier of the earth-the
hopeful companion of youth, the monitor of man
hool has & - 1taI
above the agitating feelings which stir us in the
more material occupations of existence. And pat
riotism, though fine and generous passion
though comparatively elevated in its tendencies
and noble in its asprations-is still of the earth
earthly. 1t is, when strongest in its developments,
only restricted philanthropy which limits itself to
country or a race-not the diffusive benevolence
which spreads itself all the beings of the universe
and embraces within its scope the millions of intel
LICENCES that people the regions of the infinite.
The patriot nearly always has prejudices against
other countries than his own; for the clashing in
terests of the world hardly ever permit nation to
remain in perfect peace with its neighbors. And
even if his country has always been at peace with
others, the stronger patriots love for the laws,
the customs and the institutions of his own land,
the powerful is apt to be his dislike if not his
hatred of other laws, customs and institutions.
Such are not the feelings with which we must
approach the shrine of Art. The heart must be
purified from all hatred, and malice, and guile
when we enter the temple and bow before the
Beautiful. Art is no respecter of persons. 1t has
no home; it acknowledges no country for its habi-
tation Earth cannot confine it it is coextensive
with the universe. Time and space are 10 it but
accidents Art dwells in the past, the present and
the future. 1t dwelt with Homer, and Eschyus,
and Sophocles in years long past when these poets
lived and sung on the shores of the Mediterranean
1t took up its abode with Shakespeare, and Milton,
and Goethe, and Schiller who breathed the chiIlier
air of the North. And all true lovers of Art must
acknowledge and admire the beautiful and sublime
no matter where found. The genuine worshipper
sees the merits of Racine and Corneille as we'll as
of Calderon and Lopez de Vega No nationality
can make the truly beautiful hideous or transform
the veritable sublime into the grotesque.
As to the particular merits of Mr.. Macready and
Mr.. Forrest, we see much to admire in both of
them. Our appreciation of the one does not render
US insensibe to the genius of the other. We do
not despise and ridicule the one because he is an
Engshman; exalt and idolize the other because
he is an American. We humbly endeavor to OBJ
serve in both those qualities which transport us
beyond this ignorant present. and makes us "feel
the future in the Instant. The possession of these
qualities is the divine prerogative of genius; and
we admire and reverence them whenever we OBJ.
serve them-whether in the living or in the dead,
in the savage or in the civilized man-in the Euro
pean or in the American-in the African or in the
South-Sea Islander
STEAMERS BETWEEN New ORLEANS AND New
YoRK.-The New York Sun says: "a new line
of steamers is proposed by number of our wealthy
capitalists, to run between this city and New Or
leans. No definite arrangements have yet been