Daily evening star. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1852-1854, 1853-02-28
TERMS OF ADVERTISING
ZEN lines or less. For fourteen lines or less.
ENCOURAGEMENT TO AMERICAN POET
&c TALENT,
$500 PRE- MUM.

$500 PREMIUM.
IMPRESSED as / am with the controlling ir;iuence
which i< exercised by tie fine upon tn direc-
non destiny OF human affairs it has given me i'll
init pleasure to Sltness the bountiful manner in
which. from time t. time, painting and statuar have
een encouraged aud rewarded by the Councils of the
Nation.
But while this acknowledgment is due to the dis
cning and worthy patrons OF these noble arts, it is
sn equal source Of humi iation and to behold
tn. apparent apathy and indferen with which they
seem u regard the incompal ably mors valuable
a,lOns of poetry.
IL see atorn the walls OF the Capitol with the
gOsng revelations of the pencil. and deco .ate the
publ: grounds with the costly chef doeuvres of the
chseI, Is of good which will he hailed and
sppiaudeI by all cheering pledge of the progress
Of refinement. But whilst they lavish their thous-
andS upon these immobie pl loducts of canvass ard
marble and brUnZe, they offer reward for the more
exalted, more enduring and renowned ovatons Of he
pen. Nc fostering hand from these high places has
yet invited the iromethan fire OF poetry to ami
mate the history of our country, which, with all it's
hrmony OF form and Onder OF proportion, lies asleep
aTOdni the humble vault Mount Vernon, ready to
spring into life aud beauty at the first kindliug toucn
q thiS NAL inspiration.
Itsurel d work of fsupererogation to introduce
the proofs that crowd the records OF the past show
bow tar above all other stands the ' vine art of
poesy What all the paintings statues, and rega
liz of Versailles, of Fontainbleau and the Tueries
compared with the - Narcotics Hymn What the
aHgy p4nOpiy OF gold and gems heaped up in the
Academy, the time hallOweu silrnes of Vest
m'nstsr Abbey, when compared with the songs of
Burns and Di6!en, and Campbell? Or what has the
world that we would take exchange for Hail Co
lumbla' and the 'Star-S Spanged Banner:" Well
might the British statesman exclaim, ''let me but
write the ballads of a nation, and care not who
m4keSitl laws
A far as the living breathing man is above the cold
insensle marble that is made to represent him;
far the liant skies of above the per-
shabe Canvass TO which the pai ter has transferred
their feeble resemblance, so far is poetry above all
ether arts that have their mission to console and ee
Fate and inspire the immortal mind OF man.
In view OF these facts, and considering the lament
aOle paucty 0f patriotic songs Ia my distinguished
and beloved country, and with the hope Of being the
humble means Of proper public feeling upon this in
terestlng subject, have been induced to offer, and
10 hereby offer, tse sum of five hundred dollars
prize for the best National Poem, ode, Epic.
sam follows:
lst have selected without consulting them) the
following persons to act as judges arblters Of the
prize thus offered, namely:
ne Preside t OF the United States
Hoa. y. p. Nicholson. OF Tennessee.
irn Chas. Sumner, of g. S. senate.
h0n VI. T. Hunter, do
ti9a Jas Z. Jones, do
aon.J R Chandler, off, S. House Representatives
Hon Addison - hitp do do
Hon Thos Il Bayly, do do
Hon b. t. Disney do do
Hon John I. Kennedy, Secretary OF the Navy.
Bf John W g. Evans, of New Jersey.
Dr. Th0S. Saunders.
Joseph tales,
Dr.lr Bailey, VI 'no ieSS'
Wv. Sraton
rr!e's0r Henry, of tue Smithsonian Institution.
'M Seiden, late Treasurer of the United Sites.
'e'' VI Butler, Episco opal Church.
ne' H. Gurie PreSby yterian CHURCH.
heV. "a. Resell. Methodist Z islopai Church.
NeV. MI Donelan, Catholic Church
u, 1hese gentlrmen or any three Of them.
eoy authorized TO meet at the Smithsonian Insti-
-f on The second Monday Of December next, at such
f aS they may app, int, and there proceed to read
p-i examine the various poems which may have
IL rerelVed, and to determine which of them Is
I>t nerltoriOus and deserving of the prize. And |
10y oind myself to kay the aforementioned
-Ih"Hh, t whoever they shall present to as the
- On who has written within the time prescribed the
e,tAatOna Patriotic poem and upon the repreaen-
N'Jh tnat he or She is au American citizen.
"a All communications must be sent to me at
Washington post-paid) before first Monday in De
Sem6rr next. with full and complete conveyance of
"e Copyright TO me and my heirs and assigns for
ever.
IN. hereby bind and obHgate myself to sell the
ems th rs sent to me IA practicable tor the
shrst price and to give the proceeds the poor of
hscity of WashiBgton
aIh, No poem will be considered as subject to this
.'He which shall not have been written subsequent
'ihS date and received before the first Monday in
Trner neat. X. W. LATHAM.
"AsHNGT0N, FEB 10. 1853. feb IL