Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1850-10-09
STAUNTON, VA, WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 9, 1850.

| THE PRIZE SoNG-Poe,s must be scarce in A.
merca. if two hundred dollars cannot coax the muses.
10 do better than The sprze song" il is raihera fiat
composition and il il were the best, how few must
have been the worst! We have heard it said that
the great bulk of the songs were inadmissbeln con-
sequence Of misapprehenson of the subject. BAR
NUNS advertisement was not perspicuous 1t merely
suggested the snbiec, of the song to be Jenny Lnds
"Wecome TO America" Now the majority OF the
poetasters thought that the intention to represent
the American Eagle, the Goddess of Liberty, or The
spirits Of Washington, Warren and Montgomery, well
coming the Swedish songstress 10 'he land OF the
free and the home of the brave" They expected the
nightingale would sing song Of welcome 10 herself,
such as
Silver throatcd one, hig toned one,
Superb in cadenzas and strong in your wiad,
The American eagle, bird never regal,
/ Dofs his beaver 10 thee, divine Jenny Lnd.
The spangled joins in the hozanna;
The Goddess Of Liberty with pleasure has grnn'd;
And Washngton's 'perit arpauds your grea, merit
Thou Swedish curiosity, sweet Jenny Lind.
But Jenuy, To the confusion of the litterat reius-
ed tn sing such compositions she preferred one like
this
! greet with full heart the land Of the West,
Where gold is quite plenty and bank notes unrolled;
Where my trils aud my warblings in cash invest,
And the mania to hear cannot be controlled;
The land of rich hatter., the land Of dear Genin,
Who pays fora seat in magnificent pride,
And hecds the Of how others srinnin
Who pay but three dollars and sit by his side.
1t was this strange obliquiiy as to the real inten-
ton of the song which led seven hundred and sixty
eight competitors To entirely mistake the design of
composition. There were only two-Bayard Tay.
lor and some one, who wrote verse-who had per-
s,,cacitv enough 10 understand Barnum's offer This
rs lamenlabIe indeed, 10 think that seven hundred
and slxtv.eight perSpiring youths" should have la
bored in vain-hammermg at rhymes and drawing out
lines with pincers. Wha, waste Of genius II is
rnv deplorable, but al the same time convinces us
that this is indeed great country."-S1nday Dis-
paich. :.
LITERARY RANK OF THE KoPAN-That distinguished
statesman and scholar Edward Everett thus attess the
value Of the Bible. by comparison with the Koran and
other works esteemed sacred in Eastern countries:
81 have several times in h,y s, said he. "alempted
to read the Kuan have done lately. have approach
ed it with highly excited literary curiosity have felt
strong desire To penetrate this great mystery of the Ara
ban desert As have in quiet Turkish towns listen
ed the cose day. the clear, calm voice of The muez
zn from the top Of the graceful mlnare, calling the faith
m to evening prayer-as have unused on the vlcissudes
Of all human things, beneath the venerable ONE of ST.
Sophia's have may say, longed to find some rational
groand Of ofsympatay between Christianity and Islam; but
anything more repulsive and aanviting aan the Koran
have seldom attempted opeuse, even when taken up with
these kindly feelings And yet sir, you are well aware
that it is not conceived in spirit of hostility to the Old
and New Testament but recognizes them both as Divine
Revelations ssh portions Of the sacred books of the
Hindoos as have fallen in my way the case is far worse
The NEUROLOGICAL system contained in then, is tissue Of
nunslrostes and absurdiles by revolving and
nauseous defy psrusa except from strong motive of
duty or of literary curiosity, which would prompt the in
ves,gaton really believe, sir, that few ,hings would
do more raise the Scriptures in esmation-than to
compare the Bible with the Koran and the Vedas. 1t is
not course Of reading to be generally recommended The
books are scarce and. have said, their emf
nenty repusve; but will venture to say to those whose
professional duty is to maintain the sacred character of
Christian Scripture, that know Of any line Of read
Ing which might be taken up with greater advantage for
the purpose Of fair comparison, than that of the sacred
books as they are called, othe Mahommedans and Hn
dous."