Daily evening star. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1852-1854, 1853-06-24
Encouragement to american Poetic Talent!
SdOOiR remium.

/ huence which isbyereised by the fine arts
arts upon the direction and destiny of human
affairs, it has give me infinite pleasure to
witness the bountial manner in which, from
time to time, painting and statuary have been
encouraged and rewarded by the Councils OF
the Nation.
But, while this acknowledgement is due to
the discerning ant worthy patrons Of these
noble, it is an equl source of humiliation and
sorrow to behold tie apparent apathy and in
difference with which they seem to regard the
incomparably more valuable creations Of
poetry.
To see them adut the walls of the Capitol
with the glowing r,yelations of the pencil. and
decorate the pubic grounds with the costly
chef d'oeuvres of lie chisel, is an omen of
good which will bahailed and applauded by
all as cheering Ildge of the progress of re-
6nement. But, wi st they lavish their thou
sands upon those rnobile products of canvass
and marble and bd1ze, they offer no reward
for the more eSalbA more enduring and re-
newned ovations ,fthe pen. No fostering
hand from these hsl places has ever yet in
vited the Promethsn fire of poetry to animal
the history of our ,o,ntry, which, with all it's
harmony of form am wonder of proportion,
lies asleep around lib humble vault of Mount
Vernon, ready to ping into life and beauty
at the first kindlite touch of this genial in
spiration
It surely were work of supererogation to
introduce the profs that crowd the records Of
the past to slow low far above all other stands
the & divine artyof poesy. What are all the
paintings status, and regalia of Versailles.
of FontainHea and the Tuilleries. compared
with the iMsrseilles Hymn What the
kingly pancry of gold and gems heaped up
in the Towef of London what the collections
nf 4 hop A 1xo1
lowed shriles of Westminster Abbey, when
compared With the songs of Burns, and Dib-
den, nd Campbell? Or what has the world
that We Would take in exchange for s'IIaiI
COLUMBIA and the g Star-Spangled Banner?'
Well hight the British statesman exclaim
IS let nj but write the ballads of nation,
and DIRE not who makes it's laws
AS fas asthe living breathing man is above
the coldlintensate marble that is made to re-
present him as far as the radiant skies of
summers re above the perishable canvass to
which tie painter has transferred their feeble
resemblance, so far is poetry above all other
arts that have their mission to console and
elevate AID inspire the immortal mind Of
man. =
In viay of these facts, and considering the
lament,b paucity of patriotic songs in nv
distinguished and beloved country, and with
the hoye of being the humble means of pro-
per public feeling upon this interesting SUBJ
iect, { have been induced to offer, and do
hereby offer, the sum of five hundred dollars
as a ,rize for the best National Poem, Ode or
Epic
The rules which will govern the payment
Of this sum, are rs follows:
1st. [ have selected without consulting
hem) the following persons to act as judges
(r arbitcrs of the prize thus offered, namely:
The President of the United States.
Hon. A. O. P Nicholson. Of Tennessee
Hon. Chas. Sumner: of U. S. Senate.
Hon. r. NJ. T. Hunter, do
Hon. Jas. c. Jones, do
Hon. J. R. Chandler, of T. S. H. Reps.
Hon. Addison White. do do
Hon, Thos. H. Bayly, do do
| Hon. d. T. Disney, do do
Hon. J. P. Kennedy. Secretary of the Navy.
o. J. w. c. Evans, of Now Jersey
D. Thos. Saunders.
EEs sn: R: ' Armstrong, Of III. pr..,
pr. G. Bailey, vi Vic ifeSS'
r. W. Seaton,
lrof. Henry, Of the Smithsonian Institution
YIN. Seldom, late Treasurer of the U. S.
lev. G. NJ. Butler, Episcopal Church.
lev. r. r. Gurley, Presbyterian Church
ev. S. S. Roszell, NJ f. Church.
ev Mr.. Donelan, Catholic Church.
!. These gentlemen, or any three of them
arh hereby authorized to meet at the Smith
sohn Institutute, on the second Monday of
Defmber next, at such hour as they may APP
polt, and there proceed to read and examine
thdarious poems which may have been re-
ceitd, and to determine which of them is
mos meritorious and deserving of the prize
And hereby bind myself to pay the sum
aforementioned forthwith, to whoever they
shall present to me as the person who has
wriaen, within the time prescribed, the best
Nat1nal Patric tic Poem, and upon the repre-
senttion that he or she is an American citizen
3D. All communications must be sent to me
at Washington (post paid before the first
Money in December next, with full and
comp etei conveyance of the copyright to me
and ny heirs and assigns forever.
4thl hereby bind and obligate myself to
sell th poems thus sent to me as soon as prac-
ticabA for the highest price, and to give the
proceeds to the poor of the city of Wash
ingto4
9Th. No poem will be considered rs subject
to thisprze which shall not have been writ
ten subsequent to this date, and received be-
fore tR first Monday in December next
r. W. LATHAM
WAstISGToN, FEB 10, 1853 feb. II
DIR. j. S. ROSES NERVOUS AND INVIG-
GRATING CORDIAL.