Daily evening star. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1852-1854, 1853-07-20
Encouragement to American Poetic Tsl,,,,
$500 Premium.


encouragement to American Poetic talent,
$500 Premium.
IMPRESSED as am with the eop,ro,,;,.,
l. huence which Is exercised by the fine 4,
arts upon the direction and DESTINY of hn,-.
| affairs, il has given me Infinite pleaspr.
| witness the bountiful manner in which o
| time to time, painting and statuary have -
encouraged and rewarded by the Council, :
the Nation.
But, while this acknowledgment is du. q, l.
the discerning and worthy patrons Of tl.s
noble, ii is an equal source of humiliation ~.
sorrow to behold the apparent apathy and j.
difference with which they seem TO regard i.
incomparably more valuable creations
poetry
To see them adorn the walls of the Can't,
with the glowing revelations of the pencil an
decorate the public grounds with the cos,,
chef d 9uvres of the chisel. is an omen q
good which will be hailed and applauded \,
all as a cheering pledge of the progress OF:
fneInent. But. whilst they lavish their IA 7
sands upon those immobile products Of cany,,, n
and marble and bronze. they offer no rewr5
for the more exalted, more enduring and y,
newned oyations of the pen. No fostenp,
hand from these high places has ever Yet in
vited the Promethean fire Of poetry 10 anin,,
the history of our country, which. with Az it,t
harmony of form and wonder of proportl,n
lies asleep around the humble vault of Mour,C
Vernon, ready to spring into life and beauty
at the first kindling touch Of this genial IN.
spiration.
1t surely were a work of supererogation 70 |
introduce the proofs that crowd the records Of |
the past to show how far above all other stand,
the divine art of poesy. What are all the /
paintings statues, and regalia of Versatile,
of Fontainbleau and the Tuilleries. COMP real
with the " Marseilles Hymn % What ibe
kingly panoply of gold and gems hesped I'D \
in the Tower of London what the collections
of the Royal Academy, or even the time hal.
lowed shrines of Westminster Abbey. vhent
compared with the songs of Burns, and Dihi
den, and Campbell? Or what has the world
that We would take in exchange for Hail ,
Columbia and the % Star-Spangled Banner
Well might the British statesman exclaim
let me but write the ballads of nat
and L care not who makes its laws" "A
AS far as the living. breathing man is abcy.
the cold insensate marble that is made to re-
present him; as far as the radiant skies Of
summer are above the perishable canvass 10
which the painter has transferred their feebl.
resemblance, so far is poetry above all other
arts that have their mission TO console and
elevate and inspire the immortal mind Of
man.
In view of these facts. and considering II
lamentable paucity of patriotic songs in a.
distinguished and beloved country, and with
the hope of being the humble means of pro.
per public feeling upon this interesting sub.
iect, have been induced to offer, and do
hereby offer. the sum of FIVE hundred dollars
as prize for the best National Poem, Ode or
Epic
The rules which will govern the payIl n
of this sum, are as follows:
LIST. | have selected without consultag
them the following persons TO act as judges
or arbiIers of the prize thus offered, namely {
The President of the United States. 4.
Hon. A. o. p. Nicholson, of Tennessee
Hon. Chas. Sumner. of T. s. Senate
Hon. r. NJ. I. Hunter, do
Hon. Jas c. Jones, do
Hon. J. r. Chandler. of e S IT. Repet
Hon. Addison White, do do
Hon. Thos. H Bayly, do do 80
Hon. D. T. Disney. do do ~
Hon. j. P. Kennedy. Secretary of the Naty,
ID. J. W. C. Evans, of New Jersey.
d. Thos. Saunders.
Joseph Gales, !
DIR. 6. Bailey, Vi INC rress-
W. W. Seaton,
Prof. Henry, of the Smithsonian Institution
VIM. Seldom. late Treasurer of the e. 6
Rev. c. NJ. Butler, Episcopal Church
Rev. r. r. Gurley, Presbyterian Church.
Rev S. s. Roszell. NJ F. Church.
Rev. Mr.. Donelan. Catholic Church.
I'd. These gentlemen, or any three of them
are hereby authorized to meet at the Smith.
sonian Institutute. on the second MONDAY Of
December next. at such hour as thew NAV an.
point, and there proceed to read and examine
the various poems which may have beeS re-
CT he'd, and TO determine which of them i,
on ,Aeritorious and deserving of the prire
:. II hereby bind myself to paw the sum
urmentioned forthwith to whoever they
ecs present to me as the person who has
fIoen, within the time prescribed the best
N.snal Patriotic Poem, and upon the repre-
sentNtion that he or she is an American citizen :.
3D.. All communications must be sent 40 meS
at Washington (post paidl before the frst
Monday in December next with a full spd
complete conveyance Of the copyright TO me
and my heirs and assigns forever
4th. | hereby bind and obligate myself to
sell the poems thus sent to me as soon as prac.
ticable. for the highest price, and to give the
proceeds to the poor of the city of Wash
ingtOn. Z
5th. No poem will be considered as subject
to this prize which shall not have been writ
ten subsequent to this date. and received be.
fore the first Monday in December next
R. W. LATHAM
WASHINGTON, FEB. 10, 1853 feb. IL :
CHARTER OAK LIFE INSURANCE COM
PANY.