Daily evening star. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1852-1854, 1853-04-21
TERMS OF ADVERTISING.
For fourteen lines or les
ugAGEMENT TO AMERICAN POETIC
TALENT!
5000 PREMIUM.

TALENT!
$500 PREMIUM.
PRESSED as / am with the controlling influence
kch is exercised by the fine arts upon the direc-
y E7ide5tiuy of human affairs, it has given me in
! pslsure to witness the bountiful manner in
rom time t. time, painting and statuary have
.ao0ucsged and rewarded By the Councils of the
While this acknowledgment is due to the dis
\, snd worthy patrons of these noble arts, it is
aa s0urce of humiliation and sorrow to behold
osrent apathy and indifference with which they
. regard the incomparably more valuable Gre
Of poetry.
.s them adOrn the walls of the Capitol with the
z revelations of the pencil, and decorate the
rounds with the costly chef d'osuvres of the
! i an omen of good which will be hailed and
.ie1 by all as cheering pledge of the progress
nsment But, whilst they lavish their thous-
upon these immobile products of canvass and
and bronze, they offer no reward for the more
l! more enduring and renowned oyations of he
No fostering hand from these high places has
Y: iGgited the Promethan fire of poetry to ami
..s history OF our country, which, with all its
Iny Of form and wonder Of proportion, lies asleep
the humble vault of Mount Vernon, ready to
into life and beauty at the first kindling touch
:enial inspiration.
lrey were work Of supererogation to introduce
rJfs that crowd the records Of the past to show
.r above all other stands the "divine art +" of
What are all the paintings, statues, and rega-
Tstsailles, Of Fontainbleau, and the Tuileries,
srvI with the Marseilles Hymn" What the
gll0ply Of gold and gems heaped up in the
Il London; what the collections of the Royal
Fay, or even the time hallowed shrines Of West
& Abbey, when compared with the songs of
aud Nbden, and Campbell? Or what has the
lat We would take in exchange for " Hail Co
and the "Star-Spangled Bannsr2" We'll
he British statesman exclaim, "let me but
the ballads of a nation, and I care not who
its laEsn
IS the living, breathing man is above the cold
ate marble that is made to represent him; as
lie ra1iant skies of summer are above the per-
canvass to which the painter has transferred
.soe resemblance, SO far is poetry above all
Its that have their mission to console and ele-
ID Inspire the immortal mind of man.
sH OF these facts, and considering the lament
a1city Of patriotic songs in my distinguished
E0ved country, and with the hope Of being the
means Of q proper public feeling upon this in
ly subject, have been induced to offer, and
:S7 offer, the sum of five hundred dollars as
b; the best National Poem, Ode, or Epic.
rules which will govern the payment Of this
y Is follows:
have selected (without consulting them) the
ng persons to act as judges or arbiters Of the
daS offered, namely:
P!eslte1t Of the United States.
A. D. P Nicholson, of Tennessee.
Chss. Sumner, of U. s. Senate.
H. ~ I. Hunter, do
= Chandler, of Q. s. House Representatives.
ALLISON White, do do
lnOs II. Bayly, do do
D. I. Disney, do do
!2ln ?. Kennedy, Secretary of the Navy.
5al W. c. Evans, Of New jersey.
oos. Saunders.
s'':a 's:so' z:a''sons, Of tn. Press.
Seat0n,
gi Henry, ofthe Smithsonian Institution.
S.ian, late Treasurer of the United States.
n Butler, Episcopal Church.
M turiey, Presby yterian Church.
" hoszeil, Methodist Episdopal Church.
NJ Denelan, Catholic Church.
Gentlemen, or any three of them, are
atA0Hzed to meet at the Smithsonian Insti.
as second Monday of December next, at such
-sy may appoint, and there proceed to read
IN. me tae various poems which may have
@,ei, and to determine which of them is
9Hous and deserving of the prize. And
sIa myself to pay the sum aforementioned
whoever they shall present to me as the
~ 1as written within the time prescribed the
-. -a' Patriotic Poem, and upon the represen-
F - he or she is IN American citizen.
oonmunications must be sent to me at
.Da postpaid) before the first Monday in De.
AT With full and complete conveyance of
''sn' to me and my heirs and assigns for
+s'eoy bind and obhgate myself to sell the
sent to me as soon as practicable, for the
5sT mTF' and to give the proceeds to the poor OF
kI " " 8Shinrton
al Een will be considered as subject to this
snail not have been written subsequent
Hod received before the first Monday in
z. w. LATHAM.
4 '''S, FED. 10, 1858 feb IL