Daily evening star. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1852-1854, 1853-04-06
ror seven lines or less For fourteen lines or less
TO AMERICAN POETIC
TALENG!
$500 PRE- IIC NJ,

SoUO Els Il VI y VI.
IMPRESSED rs tm W wth tn controlling influence
xlicn exercise by tie fine upon tn direc-
a AMI est,ny of human aft rs, it has given M i'll
-qi;. pleasure t., w,t .ess the Doun Itul manner in
oern lro ii ne t. tune. p,intng and statua have
ga .sed and rewarded by tIe Councils of the
Nation.
BIt while this ackn owl d mant is due to the dis
.rni .. aud ,rthy patrons of these noble arts it is
n rjuIl Of huni i.tio aud sorrow tehoid
T.. tpJIrent aoathv ami iutitf with which they
Il t. re5 trt the lhcOm paiab.y more valuable
alonS 0f poetry.
see t,rp uorn tn wiIlS Of the Capitol with the
,osi u revai lions of the pencil and h CO ate the
an l. = Ou uls with the costly chef doeuvres of the
raiS. j. an oneu of good viii h will he hailed and
agJ aaie by tli ceerIng pledge of the progress
rli cement. But. whilst they lavish their thOuS-
ants upoI theSa immobie oducts Of canv and
i and br 'nz-, they otter reward for the more
.lljed, enduring Il ii renowned ovatiOns Of lie
g,l No fostering h ind from these high places has
vet invited tile PrOmethan fire of poetry to ami
the history OF OAR country. which, with all its
rmOny OF form and Onder OF proportion, lies asleep
a-5 AL tka humble vault Mount Vernon, really to
uru into life and beauty at the first kidding toucn
gfhis nial inspiration.
i.,ure, work of supererogation to Introduce
the pro f. that crowd the records OF the past to show
hE far above all other stands the "divine art' of
ly What are all the paintings, statues, and rega-
of Versailles, of Fontainbeau. and the Tuileries,
impaired With the - Marseilies Hymn?' What the
in.y .noply of gold and gems heaped up in the
OF London; Wnat the cOilecl0nS or the Royal
Academy, even the time hallOwed shrines of West
mustr Abbey, when compared with the songs of
Blrns and Dib1en, and Campbell? Or what has the
S0r that We would take In exchange for Hail Co
unba' and the I" "Star-Spangled Banner?" Well
might the British statesman exclaim, ''let but
write the ballads of nation, and 1 care not who
m4kesitS laws"
A. far as the living breathing man is above the cold
nsensae marble that is made to represent him; as
fr the liant skies of summer are above the per-
hlble to which the pai ter bas transferred
their feeble resemblance so far is poetry above all
arts that have their mission to console and ele
Tats and inspire the immortal mind Of man.
la view of these facts, and considering the lament
able pauci of patriotic SCI gs in my distinguished
ad beloved country, and with the hope of beiug the
humble means OF proper public feeling upon this in
testing subject, have been induced to offer, and
10 hereby off r. the sum of five hundred dollars d
prize for the best National Poem, ODE or Epic.
Inc rules which will govern the payment of this
sum follows:
lst. have selected without consulting them) the
blowing persons to act judges arblters of the
l11e thus offered namely:
Ine Preside of the United States.
hsa. o. P Nicholson OF Tennessee.
ll'n Chas. Sumner, of U. 5. senate
Hen. VI L. Huuter, do
Hon. Jas q. Jones, do
Hen J R Chan nier, of U. s. House Representatives.
tsn. Addison Whit, do do
nsn' Ihos IL Btyly, do do
u'n ID. [. Disney, do do
Hou. John F. Kennedy, Secretary of the Navy.
d. Johu W. G. Evans, of New Jersey.
D. rhoS saunders.
Joseph Gales,
I.l n: = t. Am; A';rmstrong, of the Press.
w. S.ltJp
gt's,>or H.ary, ofthe smithsonian Institution.
v q e,dan, laee Ere tsur-r of the United States.
hsF Z VI. Batter, Episc pal Church.
hrF Ii. tiure Pr .-byteran Church.
AF>. sell. Ne ho T. iSlopal Church.
nv. Nr DOIeian. Cathotic Church .
i IneSr genu men, u any three of them. are
-reY authorized 10 meet at ,he Smii hsOnian Insti
e- u Tue SecO nd Monday of December next, at such
H'H aS tIry mly app int, and there lr 81 to read
~ eximlne the variO po. ms which may have
~ re;elye't and TO determine which of them is
.! nrrItoriouS and deserving of the prize And
stoy bud EySe to pay the sum aforementioned
=. t'lth VIII ever they shall present to me as the
1n WHO has written within the time prescribed the
, NU'9nal Patriotic Poem and upon the represen-
Ion @ tlat he or she is American citizen.
" All communications must be sent to me at
,n{ stoh po't-pai'D befor- e first Monday In DE
. nut u xt. with full aud complete conveyance of
Upright to ard my heirs and assigns for
~, ~ l hereby bind and obi gate myself to sell the
i ' IN - sent tn practicable, Tor the
price, and to give the proceeds to the poor OF
Il ny OF " WaShiugten.
~ No poem will be consi Tered subject to this
i = Which sh II not have been written subsequent
nj H late, aud received before the first Monday in
i DTembr next r. W. LATHAM
i "4SHINGTON, FEB 10, 1853 ebl7-