The primitive Republican., 1851-05-22
For TIE Printing Renublican.
No. VIII.


BY ruIL. P. NELLY.
No. VIII.
LoNGFELLoW-Cov
A third characteristic of Longfellow, in
dueing me to place him in the front rank of
Ihisage, is to be found, in the intense earnest
|ncss-thc warm sympathy, and the fcrvent
love of humanity, wherewith his writings a
bound
Every man is responsible for his improve
ment of the powers God has given him, and
should hold himself under solemn obligation,
to employ them in some way, that will bring
blessings to his race. The press opens chan
mel, throughwhich, mind can commune with
vast multitudcs, and thus silently, pour bless
ings along the paths of thousands, whose IA
ces have never been seen by the writer.
For an author to employ his pen, with no
higher intent than amusement, is without ex-
cusc. How deserving then of the most un-
equiyocal social anathemas, must those pro-
ductions be pronounced, in which, the high
gifts of genius, are prostituted to intellectual
pander;sm; where vice in its most liccntious
forms is depicted in style Of singular attrac-
ton; and where scenes, alike disgusting to
virtue, and inaaming to a nascent lascivious
propensity, are portrayed with free and ca
sy pencil. With all our deep reverence for
that great son Of song, Shakespeare, we can
not have for him 50 great a respect, as we de-
sire, because Of the undisguised obscenity, in
which, some Of his best plays abound The
same objection obtains 70 Burns; and even
Tom Moore, with his nico tit-bits Of scnsu-
outs sentimentalism, is often, TOO near the bor-
der line Of indecency, to be rciished with a
right good yirtue-improying appetite. OF
the Don Juan" tribe OF poets and poctasters,
together with the entire batch Of French
and some Amcrican-novcIists Of this class,
who have had the unblushing hardihood and
shamelessncss, to offer their vile corruptions
| to men and women making pretcnsions to viz
tue, no expression Of disapproYal, and Of in
dignant rebuke, can be too strong.
An author may be playful-nay humor-
Gus, to the great enlargement Of his rea-
der's sides, as was Coryantcs in his Don
I Quixote," ana as is the mirthfrd author Of
the Georgia Scenes" andyet, prove a bless
ing to his race, because of some fine moral
deducible from the narration 50 ludicrously
made To all this, no man can reasonably
object; but'when the object is no more ele
waited an one, than simply to excite laughter
the writer cannot be charged with having any
great desire to make better the sad state q
humanity around him.
Longfellow gives US in his Prelude tn,
following, as his call and commission tt
write
Look, there. into thine heart, and write
Yes, into life's deep stream!
All forms of sorrow and delight,
All solemn Voices of the Night,
That can soothe thee, or alright
Be these henceforth thy theme"
Most faithfully has he obeyed this commits
sion to write in tones of solemn earnestr ess
and truly too do these tones, alternately
{ 1soothe" and alright, " him, whoreads nil
/ a loving sympathy, and an approciati7e nind
q He is. never cynical; though solemn he ma,
). be. However much, his lines, may SAVIOR Q
the conyenticle, it is that portion of the con
yentiele, which every author, should inweav
with his song. The bigotry of religion
] intoIerant spirit, and its narrow prejudice
: these, which stand out, not as parts Of th
true con9enticle spirit, but as its deplorabl
] abuses-these, we say, cannot be found j
the volumes Of I.ongfellow. He writes t
{ man as he finds hin-a noble ruin, a wrec
of mournfuI grandeur. He goes to him, ur
tev the persuasion, that he is a disorganize
-spirit, creature of inlrnlity, q being Of in
perfection In giving 5o such, he assumes
I not to be exempt from frailty, but to be
companion IN trial and partner nsuferin
sone "a 8 u points, tempted z like mt
his brethren 20 those brethren he goei
and s words 81 intense SYM By, and {
9la5Efel imp seeks 70 Iouse eneIgie y
: dorm ant, and 70 call fF that aetion
osghie le ruin may Be repaired, ans th
: -elon. 81 aSll esln 4 f,a, it,f, fl,a ,slss,. l;l
! of day, andlnte the sunshine of happiness.
We loSe him for hislvery 5lene
Z Ile has not cs round ail 5oG
8 lave He does 8n ng5l.IlB
clouds, nor from ons 81 thunder el
7 before YOU ou hirl, and behol - In
q brothes dong his utmost
] you proper estiina lie aFis
e elrelatieas.