Daily evening star. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1852-1854, 1853-02-07

ire most successfully fostered, they are the
most universal ministers to public and popu-
lar enjoyment. Nothing can be more striking
that the universal appreciation of artistic
excellence among the French and Italians,
who have breathed all their lives the atmos-
phere of public Enthusiastically and freely
public; while in England, where nothing can
be Seen but for money, the tastelessness and
of the lower class is proverbial.
So apparent has this become to the English
themselves that the best minds of that peo-
pie are now earnestly engaged in devising
plans for popularizing art. They tried in
1851 the plan of throwing open galleries
and buildi gs that had never been profaned
before by vulgar tread, and found, to their
surprise, that common people could behave
with entire propriety in such places, and
could really enjoy visiting them. They saw
themselves left far behind in every point of
where taste was requisite, and
they did not fail to find the true cause for
this inferiority in the uncultvatel character
of the labor with which they had to work.
They were stung by this discovery, and went
to work at once and in earnest to remedy
the evil by well-directed efforts for general
and popular art education on scale such
as the world has never seen before. This
trt movement in England is one of the most
remarkable social phenomena of the age.
We mention these facts to show that the
lie arts are not aristocratic, but cminents
y popular; that the people always come in
OF the largest share Of the enjoyment and
benefit where they take deepest root and
most largely flourish. We do not mean to
ay that such countries are politically most
popular and happy; bat if they are not so
t is not the fault Of the arts. They indeed
re too often the only links that connect
heir sympathies with what is high and no.
lie, and save them from utter decredation
Taste in the fine arts land here we mean
ather the capacity to judge than to enjoy)
omes only by contact with the works of
rt themselves. The principle is indeed
broader than we have stated it. To iudpe
f beauty of any kind we must have seen
nd compared many examples oft. Hence
here is comparatively SO little difference of
plnion among people of ordinary capacity
bout the beauties of nature The grace
al, the grand and the sublime in nature
eem to appeal alike to all, and to raise the
anne emotions lin kind at least, if not in
legree) in every human breast 1t is be-
ause all are familiar with the clements Of
natural beauty, Gf they have not gone
trough life with their eyes shut and are
prepared to pronounce true judgment on
he combination of them.
From the preceding remarks We think it
nay be justly inferred that we shall not, as
! people, attain to that taste which the arts
give, and which is SO inseparab!c from re.
inement and the highest grade of civiliza-
ion, until we surround ourselves with more
works of genuine merit until we extend a
generous patronage to the talented artists
If our land; until "storied urn and ami
mated bust" shall hand down to posterity
n worthy monuments the memory of our
great and good; until we have noble parks,
national picture galleries, and the highest
creations of the bruine and chisel
We shall apply the text in a futuer
number.
NATIONAL THEATRE.