Daily evening star. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1852-1854, 1853-03-30
TERMS OF ADVERTISING.
- seven lines or less For fourteen lines or les
EgC0 TO AMERICAN POETIC
TALENT!
$500 PRE- MUM.

5OOO N1
w ESSED as AIN with the conrro ling influence
! which exercised by tie fine arts upon the direc
: II md destiny of human atfrs, il has given me in
lit. pleasure tn wit-eSs the bouniitul manner in
l.ca from time t. time, painting and statuaty have
-tn encouraged AMI rewarded by tie Councils of the
NatiJI.
Bll while this acin ladgmsnt is due to the dis
.uas aud worthy patrons OF these noble arts it is
al ts,u ii source Of humi iatiou and sorrow to behold
II. apparent apathy anu indifftren with which they
u regard the incum paIabiy more valuable
al as OF poetry.
Ts See them ior1 the walls of the Capitol with the
.OsiI5 revolutions OF the pencil and deco ate the
gdoi; sruuniS with the costly chef d'euvres Of the
.nisei, i, OF good which will be hailed and
..pauiel by ali cheering pledge of the progress
il refinement. But, whist they lavish their thous-
sl.ls upon these immobiIe p oducts of canvass and
marble and brnz-, they offer reward for The more
tted, More enduring a"d renowned ovatious If lie
,eI. No fostering hau1 from these high places has
yet invited the PrOethan fire OF poetry to ami
se the history OF Our country, which, with all its
lrwany Ot form and onder OF proper ion, lies asleep
Iui the humble vault OF Mount Vernon, ready 10
,Orns into life and beauty at the first kindliug touch
u this Z Mai inspiration
surely were work of supereroration to Introduce
Tie preJf that crowd the records the past to show
how far above all Other stands the " di,i art of
Joy. What are all the paintings, statues and rea.
OF Versailles of Fentainbleau. aud the Tuilerits
~onpared with the - MarsciiIeS lIymn?n What the
kiasy pinOply OF gold and gems heaped up in the
AaI..ny, even the time .hallowed shrines of West
m.ast:r Abbey, when compared with the songs of
Blrns, ami Di5tlen and Campbellg Or what has the
wOcIl that would take exchange for Sc Hail Co
iunbia" and the ''Star-Spangied Bannsr?' Well
might the British statesman exclam, '.let me but
write the ballads of nation, and l not who
makes it, laws"
A far the living. breathing is above the cold
!nseusate marble that is made To represent him as
fr the iiaut skies of summer are above the per-
shable canvass to which the pal ter has Inserred
tner feeble resemblance so far is poetry above all
0her arts that have their mission console and ele
vdte and inspire the immortal mind OF man.
In view OF these facts, and considering the lament
able paucity of patriotic songs in my distinguished
and beloved country and with the hope of beug the
Almble meauS ola propsr public feeling upon this in
;-rrtns subject, have been induced to offer, and
ID hereby otf.r the sum of five hundred dollars as
Prize for the best National Poem, ode, or Epic
The rules which will govern the payment of this
follows:
lst have selected without consulting them) the
Glowing persons to judges arblters Of the
HFlLe thus offered, namely:
The Preside t Of the United States
Hon. A % 2. Nicholson, OF Tennessee
Hon ChaS- sumner, OF U. 5. Senate
Hon. X VI. L. Hunter, do
Hon. Jas q. jones, 10
ilon.J, Chandler Of US House Representatives
Hon Addison white, do do
Hon. Thos Ii BIyly, do do
non D L. Disney, do do
Hon. john ?. Kennedy, Secretary of the Navy.
III. john W. g. Evans, @f New Jersey.
Or. thoI saunders.
Joseph tales
ten Il. Armstrong,
Dr.CI. B0tey, ~ I'i0 'i''''
W ". Seat1n,
W pt,t'.sor Henry, ofthe smithsonian Institution.
nm S'!den. late rreasurer Of the United States.
h''. = VI Butter, Episc pal Church.
v'' IL Ia. tiur!e Presbyterian Church.
NV = : sell, Mehodi t E. islopal Church.
hrV: hr Donelan. Catholic Church
i Inest gentlemen, any three Of them.
-7.eoy authorized TO zt the Smithsonian Insii
A' on tue secoad Monday Of December next at such
aS tlry may app int, and there Fr0ce ii to read
t examine the varoas poems which may have
II received, and to determine which of them is
.'>S lerit0rouS and deserving OF the prize. And
@o.toy o'nd myself to pay the sum aforementioned
-H.H"Hh u VIII ever they snail preseut to the
t'n who has written within the time prescribed the
'i'ohai Patriotic Poem. and upon the represen-
i'u -, tidt he or she is American citizen.
W All communications must be sent to me at
"'h6tou Postpaid before re first Monday in De
r' h,xt with full aud complete conveyance OF
ever nv A ~ ~ ~ 'o
III hereby bind and Obligate myself to sell the
Price and to give the proceeds to the poor of
"E 9y Of Washington
'u' No poem viii be considered as subject to this
= - q which sh Ill not have been written subsequent
M u late and received before the first Monday i'll
un"r next II. w. LATHAM.
-3>alNGToN, FEB. 10, 1858 fpbl7-