Daily evening star. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1852-1854, 1853-04-23
TERMS OF ADVERTISIN
r,r seven lines or less. For fourteen lines or le
TO OAMERICAN POETIC
TALENTi
$500 PRE- MUM,

$500 PREMIUM.
| IMPRESSED as | am with the controlling influence
which Is exercised by the fine arts upon the direc-
aul destiny Of human affairs it has given me in
iii. pleasure to witoess the bountiful manner in
I:h, from time to time painting and statuary have
n encouraged and rewarded by the Councils of the
5lt while this acknowledgment is due to the dis
nins and worthy patrons of these noble arts it is
| eIua source of humiliation and sorrow to behold
!. apparent apathy and indiferen with which they
IN u regard the iucomparably more valuable Gre
Ions of poetry.
them adorn the walls of the Capitol with the
5Sing revelations OF the pencil, and decorate the
bic grounds with the costly chef Toeuvres of the
,t., is omen of good which will be hailed and
,g.aulel by all a cheering pledge of the progress
r+inement. But, whilst they lavish their thous-
|Ai, up0u these ilmObile products of canvass and
l1ie and bronze, they offer reward for the more
laiLe, more enduring and renowned ovatiOns of he
20. No fostering hand from these high places has
r yet invited the Promethan fire of poetry to ami
the history Of our country, which, with all its
rn1ny OF fDr1 and wonder OF proportion lies asleep
-yaul the humble vault of Mount Vernon, ready to
1, into life and beauty at the first kindIinp touch
this cenial inspiration.
Isurely work of supererogation to Introduce
proofs that crowd the records of the past to show
yg far above all other stands the divine art of
y. What are all the paintings, statues, and rega-
of Versailles, of Fontainbleau and the Tuileries
15.y plnopiy of gold and gems heaped up in the
over of London; what the collections of the Royal
ihmy, or even the time .hallowed shrines of West
l-nstsr Abbey, when compared with the songs of
lrnS, an1 Diblen, and Campbell2 Or what has the
o-li that we would take in exchange for Hail Co
lm1a and the "Star-Spangled Banner?" Well
might the British statesman exclaim, ''let me hut
'Hte the ballads of d nation, and L care not who
MAKES iti laws
4, far as the living breathing man is above the cold
lsenSate marble that is made to represent him; as
r the raiiant skies of summer are above the per-
aabe canvass to which the paiater has transferred
er feeble resemblance, SO far is poetry above all
ler arts that have their mission to console and ele
yate and inspire the immortal mind of man.
in view Of these facts and considering the lament
sJe paucity of patriotic songs in my distinguished
a beloved country, and with the hope of being the
ble means of proper public feeling upon this in
-r flr, subject, have been induced to offer, and
Do ht,vOy offer, the of five hundred dollars as a
me for the best National Poem, Ode, or Epic.
Ihe rules which will govern the payment Of this
sum aIe as follows:
l't have selected (without consulting them) the
flowing persons to act as judges or arbiters of the
ne thus offered, namely:
Inc resident of the United States.
Hon. 4. D. Z. Nicholson, of Tennessee.
Hon Chas. Sumner, of u. 8. Senate
Hon. X. VI. T. Hunter, do
hon. Jas. Z. JONES' do
IonJ K Chandler, of U. s. House Representatives.
Hon. Addison White, do do
lioa ThO5 Ill. Bayly, do do
Hon. D. T. Disney do do
Hon. john p. Kennedy Secretary of the Navy.
d. John W. c. Evans, of New Jersey.
Dr. rhOS. Saunders.
/. .s; '5'E & rs:ss' 1,'1Sstrons, Of the Press,
DrG. Bailey, VI 'he fresS'
Wv. SeatOn,
,o'f4.sor Henry, ofthe Smithsonian Institution.
nm sehlen, late Treasurer of the United States
% %e5. T. ~ Butler, Episcopal Church.
Hr'. f. H. Gurley, Presbyteria Church.
nv nv = 3 Roszell. Methodist EpisdOpal Church.
n-S. hr Donelan, Catholic Church.
- these gentlemen, any three of them, are
Roy authorized to meet at the Smithsonian Insti-
on the second Monday of December next, at such
ll examine the various poems which may have
IN received, and TO determine which of them is
-. merit0riOuS and deserving of the prize. And /
E oni myself to pay the sum aforementioned
-""l'i, 20 whoever they shall present to me the
~ %ho has written within the time prescribed the
-'"lohal Patriotic Poem, and upon the represen-
~,i W mat he or she is an American citizen
n 'L All communications must be sent to me at
auiISton tpOstpaid) before the first Monday in De-
-Tr next, with full and complete conveyance of
epyrlght to me and my heirs and assigns for
'4- hereby bind and obligate myself to sell the
az mus sent to me soon as practice bic, for the
-" price, and To give the proceeds to the poor of
S,"y Of Washington.
~ No poem will be considered as subject to this
Which shall not have been written subsequent
-, date, and received before the first Monday in
USIo'r next i. W. LATHAM.
"hilNGToS, FEB. 10, 1858 feb17-