Daily evening star. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1852-1854, 1853-03-07
For fourteen lines or less
For seyrn lines or less.
TO AMERICAN POETIC
ThLENTi
$500 PREMIUM.

$500 PREMIUM.
IMPRESS ED IA / with the controlling influence
wicn !, exercised by tie fine arts upon the iirec
N ,ni destiny of human affairs, it has given me in
rgj,. pleasure tn witness the bountiful manner in
rh H. from time t. time painting and stntuary have
a encouraged and rewarded by the Councils of the
Nation.
Hlt while this acknowledgment is due to the dis
min. and worthy patrons OF these noble arts, it is
L. rlua! source of Illumination and sorrow to behold
APPARENT apathy AMI ntlferen with which they
n t. regard the incomparably more valuable ere
ions Of poetry.
To.ee them aorn the walls Of the Capitol with the
wing revelations Of the pencil and decorate the
bi: grounds with the costly chef dCeuyres of the
a.., is an Of good which will be hailed and
9ludc by ali q cheering pledge of the progress
relnemcnt But, whilst they lavish their thous-
| All; upon these immobis products of canvass and
t-hc and bronze they offer reward for the more
,ltpJ. more enduring and renowned Ovatious Of he
,a- No fostering hand from these high places has
,-r yet invited the Promcthan fire of poetry to ami
tie history of our country, which, with all its
nony OF form and Ondcr OF proportion lies asleep
r,.nl the humble vault Mount Vernon, ready to
5nc into life and beauty at the first kindling touch
this .nai inspiration.
surely were work of SupererogatiOn to introduce
proofs that crowd the records of the past to show
far above all other stands the divine art - of
~. What all the paintings, statues. and rega-
ot y ersallieS. of Fontanbeau. and the Tuileries,
lmPared with the " Marseilles Hymn" What the
l,y p,noply of gold and gems heaped up in the
wrr Of London; what the collections of the Royal
saemy or even the time. .hallOwed shrines of West
flH>t-r Abbey, when compared with the songs of
! lrus AMI Dbien, and Campbell? Or what has the
Jrri that would take exchange for '' Hail Co
lmba' and the = 'Star-Spangled Banner?" Well
ltat the British statesman exclaim, "let me but
ritz the ballads Of a nation, and l care not who
l1.es it, laws
~ as the living. breathing man is above the cold
lsensate marble that is made to represent him; as
II the til liant skies of summer above the per-
liable canvass to which the painter has transferred
ler feeble resemblance, far is poetry above all
hT arts that have their mission to console and ele
AZ and inspire the immortal mind of man.
iu vie" Of these facts and considering the lament
oe paucIty OF patriotic songs in my distinguished
nj beloved country, and with the hope of being the
mple means of proper public feeling upon this in
-'-,tns subject, have been induced to offer, and
hereby offer, the sum of five hundred dollars as a
Lr Ter the best National Poem. ode, or Epic.
The rules which will govern the payment of this
I'LL ale rs follows:
st. have selected without consulting them the
owing persons to act as judges arblters of the
lze thus offered, namely:
lac Preside / of the United States
hon y. p Nicholson. of Tennessee.
ION Clas. Sumner, of U. S. Senate.
t'l K VI. T. Hunter, do
II n Jas G. Jones' do
a'aJ. Chandler, of I. 5. House Representatives..
lion. Addison White dc do
- 4IioS- IL DdSIN, 10 DO
i'n. d. L. Disney do do
~ n, J'hn 7. Kennedy, Secretary of the Navy.
Vt. John ". c. Evans, of New Jersey.
" ihoS Saunders.
'ePh tales
'"n L. Armstrong
-'.t. Bailey, vi Uue iresS'
W. S-aton.
';'i',~,r Henry, ofthe Smithsonian Institution.
I Se,en late Treasurer of the United States.
49, VI Rut!cr, Episcopal Church.
- IA H. durley, Prrsby terian Church.
. koSzcll, Methodist EpisIopal Church.
'' -F DOnean, Catholic Church.
I"'St Gentlemen, or any three Of them. are
! authorized To Meet at the Smithsonian Insti-
'H LAe second Monday of December next, at such
'ry may appoint. and there proceed to read
| AinIihe the various poems which may have
-"H'ei and to determine which of them is
| "tntprlpuS and deserving of the prize. And |
- oihd myself to Pay the sum aforementioned
~'"h' u whoever they shall present to me as the
! @ho has written within the time prescribed the
'4N'hai Patriotic Poem, and upon the represen-
nat he or she is al American citizen.
'. III communications must he sent to me at
-ih-ton tpoSt-paid) before the first Monday in De
: mkt, with full and complete conveyance of
;!vsht TO me and my heirs and assigns for
~ hereby bind and obligate myself to sell the
- mus sent to me rs soon as practicable, for the
- Price, and to give the proceeds to the poor of
N oi Washington.
VI No poem will be considered as subject to this
-; men shall not have been written subsequent
,..1 ua'e and received before the first Monday in
H E,Ir,,neNt. neNt. II. W. LATHAM.
HNHLNfToN, FER. To- 1853. febl7-