Daily evening star. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1852-1854, 1853-04-30
ines or less. For fourteen lines or Il
TO AMERICAN POETI
TALENTi
$500 PRE- MUM.

TALENT!
$500 PREMIUM.
IMPRESSED as am with the controlling inf uence
which Is exercised by tie fine arts upon the direc-
and destiny of human affairs it has given me in
+ pleasure to witness the bountiful manner in
gE, from time to time, painting and statuary have
a encouraged and rewarded by the Councils of the
ZION.
.a,, while this acknowledgment is due to the dis
nng aud worthy patrons of these noble arts, it is
eiual source OF humiliation and sorrow to behold
| sDparent apathy aud indifference with which thew
n to regard the incomparably more valuable Gre
as of poetry.
/ % see them adorn the walls of the Capitol with the
sias revelations of the pencil, and decorate the
j; grounds with the costly chef feuvres of the
vi, is Omeu of good which will be hailed and
aule1 by all as q cheering pledge of the progress
-.iuement. But, whilst they lavish their thous-
! upon these immobile products of canvass and
f5e and bronze, they offer no reward for the more
! LED, more enduring and renowned Ovations of he
L. No fostering hand from these high places has
yet invited the Promethan fire of poetry to ami
a the history of our country, which, with all its
-a0ny of form and wonder Of proportion lies aseep
mi the humble vault of Mount Vernon ready to
-ny into life and beauty at the first kinding touch
lis genial inspiration.
surely were work of fsupererogation to introduce
proofs that crowd the records of the past to show
tIr above all other stands the " divine art !" of
y. What are all the paintings, statues, and rega-
II Versailles, of FOntainbleau, and the Tueries,
,qared with the . Marseilles Hymn" What the
a;y panoply of gold and gems heaped up in the
Eer OF London; what the collections of the ROYAL
ssmy, or even the time. .hallowed shrines of West
nter Abbey, when compared with the songs of
as aud Dibden, and Campbell? Or what has the
III that We would take in exchange for I" Hail Co
l5s" and the Star-Spangled Banner?" Well
mt the British statesman eXclaim, 'Elet me but
re the ballads of a nation, and 1 care not who
&kes its laws
far as the living breathing man is above the cold
.1sate marble that is made to represent him; as
the raiiant skies of summer are above the per-
able canvass to which the painter has transferred
If feeble resemblance, so far is poetry above all
er arts that have their mission to console and ele
an9 inspire the immortal mind Of man.
new OF these facts, and considering the lament
Paucity of patriotic songs in my distinguished
beloved country, and with the hope of being the
lbe means of proper public feeling upon this in
FSins subject, have been induced to offer, and
hereby Oifer the sum of five hundred dollars as q
e lor the best National Poem, Ode, Epic.
ne rules which will govern the payment of this
"a follows:
* | have selected without consulting them) the
wing persons to act as judges arbiters of the
thus offered, namely:
le President of the United States
.on \, D. p Nicholson, of Tennessee.
!9a Chas. Sumner, of U. S. Senate.
i9a K. " L. Hunter, do
iel. Jas. g. Jones, do
@a- j. r. Chandler, of U. s. House Representatives.
ion Addison White, do do
Ion Thos. IL Bayly, do do
lon D. I. Disney, do do
don. John p Kennedy, Secretary of the Navy.
W. John W. c. Evans, of New Jersey.
tr. ThOS. Saunders.
Joseph Gales
!. e. { R lam: Armstrong, of the Press.
v. ". S!aton,
1essor Henry, ofthe smithsonian Institution.
IN seiden, late Treasurer of the United States.
%'.G W. Butler, Episcopal Church.
e'' H. H. GureY, Presbytera Church.
e'.S So Roszell, Methodist Episdopal Church.
~, DIT. Donelan, Catholic Church.
= IneSe gentlemen, any three of them, are
y authorized to meet at the Smithsonian Insti-
,Oa The second Monday of December next, at such
~ they may appoint, and there proceed to read
examine the various poems which may have
received, and to determine which of them is
herltorious and deserving of the prize And l
Nnd myself to pay the sum aforementioned
uf"n, to whoever they shall present to me as the
va Hho has written within the time prescribed the
'a'lonal Patriotic Poem, and upon the represen-
a .lat he or she is an American citizen.
All communications must be sent to me at
-aSton tpost-pai0 before the first Monday in De-
hext, with full and complete conveyance of
p!rlght to me and my heirs and assigns for
hereby bind and obligate myself to sell the
= mus sent to me soon as practicable, for the
: price, and to give the proceeds to the poor of
hy Of Washington.
- No poem will be considered as subject to this
=: men shall not have been written subsequent
rI late. and received before the first Monday in
wiOvr next. X. w. LATHAM.
q --NaNGroN, FER. 10. 1858. feb II