Daily evening star. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1852-1854, 1853-06-01

airs, it has given me infinite pleasure to
! mess the bountiful manner in which, from
IN. to time, painting and sgatuary have been
| sg., ia 5ed and rewarded by the Councils Of
| rae .tion.
But. while this acknowled gment is due to
re disce ming and worthy patrons Of these
| able it is an equal source of humiliation and
srrow to behold the apparent apathy and in
| Frerence with which they seem to regard the
i9;omparably more valuable creations OF
rqetry.
| To see them adOrn the walls of the Capitol
v;-h the glowing revelations of the pencil, and
i.,0rate the public grounds with the costly
| .5ef i puvres of the chisel is an omen OF
.,oi which will be hailed and applauded by
III as a cheering pledge OF the progress Of re-
s.ement But. whilst they lavish their thou
sands upon those immobile products of canvass
sal marble and bronze. they offer no reward
t- the more exalted, more enduring and re-
.jwncl 0yati0ns of the pen. No fostering
sAl ON these high places has ever yet in
vel he Prometh thean fire of poetry to animat
ne 2 sorry Of oar country, which, with all its
.;r,n ...y OF form and wonder OF proportions
1., sleep around the humble vault of Mount
Vernon. reldy TO spring into life and beauty
.; The first kindlins touch of this genial in
-praJion.
i. surely were a work of supereroga:ion to
n.r0da.;e the proofs jhat crowd the records of
lie past TO show how far above all other stands
lie divine art" of poesy. What are all the
paintings statues, and resaiia of Versailles,
II Fontainbleau and the Tuilleries, compared
With the Marseilles Hymn ?" What the
kinsly panoply of gold and gems heaped up
in the Tower of London what the collections
IF the Royal Academy, or even the time hal
hTeI shrines of Westminster Abbey, when
.unparel with the songs of Burns. and Dih-
den. and Campbell? Or what has the world
tat we would take in exchange for {. Hail
C,luinbia' and the $ Star-Spanglel Banner1'
Well mi ght the British statesman exclaim
let me but write the ballads of a nation,
and care not who makes its laws.
As far as the living, breathing man is above
he cold insensate marble that is made to re-
present him; as far as the radiant skies OF
summer are above the perishabie canvass to
which the painter has transferred their feeble
resemblance. so far is poetry above all other
arts that have their mission to console and
elevate and inspire the immortal mind oi
man.
In view of these facts. and considering the
lImentable paucity of patriotic songs in my
lis.in ruished and beloved country, and with
the hone of heinz the humble means of Il pro
per public feeling upon this interesting sub
let. | have been induced to offer, and dc
hereby offer the sum of five hundred dollar:
aSanrize for the best National Poem Ode o.
Epic.
The rules which will govern the paymen
Of this sum, are as follows:
lst. I have selected without conSultn?
them) the following persons to act as judge
or arbiters of the prize thus offered, namely
- tla init tpI
Hon. A. o. p. Nicholson, of Tennessee.
Hon. Chas. Sumner of L. S. Senate.
Hon. r. NJ T. Hunter, do
Hon. Jas c. Jones, do
Hon. ]. r. Chandler, of L. S. II. Reps
Hon. Addison White. do do
lion Thcs H. Bayly, do do
Hon D. T. Disney, do do
Hon. J. P. Kennedy Secretary of the Navy
DIV. C. Evans of New Jersey
ID. Thos. Saunders.
5s';'s s:n: s ss?So: asn.,roas. of tn. Press.
Dr. y. Bailey,
W. W. SeatOn.
Prof. Henry. of the Smithsonian Institution
VIM. Seldom. late Treasurer of the U. S.
Rev. G. NJ Butler. Episcopal Church.
Rev. r. r. Gurley Presbyterian Church.
Rev :. s RoSzell, NJ f. Church.
Rev Mr.. Donelan. Catholic Church.
2I These gentlemen, or any three OF them
4re hereby authorized to meet at the Smith
>nnian Institutute on the second Monday o
December next. Mt such hour they may an
n,int and there proceed to read and eXamln
the various poems which may have been re
,ejyed. and to determine which of them
most meritorious and deserving of the prize
And [ hereby bind mvself to pay the sun
aforementioned forthwith, TO whoever the
shall present to me as the person who ha
written. within the time prescribed. the bes
National Patriotic Poem, and upon the repre-
sensation that he or she is m American citizen
81. All communications must he sent to nj
at Washington (post paid before the hrs
Monday in December next, with full an
complete conveyance Of the copyright to m
and nv heirs and assigns forever.
ith. hereby bind and obilGate myself =
sell the poems thus sent to me as soon as prac
ticable. for the highest price. and to give tn
proceeds to the poor of the city OF WASH
lngton
5th No poem will be considered as sublec
TO this prize which shall not have been writ
ten subsequent to this date, and received oe
fore the first Monday in December nexf
r. w. LATHAM.
WASHINGTON. FER. 10. 1858. teh IL