Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1855-05-26
0bc Anti 5lourgp Buole.
AMERICAN LIGHT LITERATURE"

01NNAA i
Tho literature Of a nation is, undoubtedly, the
best expression Of the physical devel rn'cnt OF
that nation, one Of the very lest of critcria 10y
which to judge Of the Intellectual nnA moral con
dition of the people. For, although professional
Wsru,e9rS snstitute, in cycry country, bat a very
small portion If tho population stll as supply
will n,ver greatly exceed demand. We can judge
with a great degree OF accuracy. of the prevailing
intellectual and moral standard by the species
Of literature which commands the largest sale in
the market. Though we think this position will
be disputed by no ~retlect.ns pors,n, we fear that a
logical conclusion resulting from it, a conclusion
little fattering to our national vanity, will lie adj
mi'ted with hesitation. viz, that the literary
standard Of the American people is extremely
low.
We do not mean By this that America has not
produced authors Of very decided merit, whose
works are entitled TO rank as classics in the Eng
lish language that the uaticn has produced such
authors is admitted even in England, where the
litera Y tribunal is much more circunIscrihed than
in this country, and. asa consequence, more select
and fastidious. For in the department OF poetry
we have a Lowell. some of whose productions take
rank 10y the side Of those of Keats. a Whittier
whose writings, while they are peculiarly and
Enthusiastically American in every feature, "umliuc
genius and originality with t.vcry dlis,;c flash.
a Bryant WHO has recently forced his way uvcr
into Germany, and q Longfellow whose exquisite
mstreS Command the mingled admiration IF the
most cultivated classics in II II oil cl country,
~holdinsa place in every library with those of the
poet Laureate.
In prose we have a Judd whose "Margarct.',
though lit.le read, is one If the very best contri-
buttons to American literature, an Emerson, whose
superiority is everywhere acknowled sed, a Parker,
who mi 5it rank, n Sra'p Of thong t and profound
learning with Il German professor, IL llildreth WIN
deserves to be mere generally read, and "A Margaret
Fuller who has fully conquere. It place in the re-
public Of letters. These authors are read and
appreciated by the few, but it is not Of the few that
we are speaking.
While the H0Usaads turn tn the works of these
writer's for pleasure an in ,tru ,tion, the millions
are enttscl with the feverish tlsk of Ms. South
worth, Geo .se Lip,trl, AMI II ,len Dhu aitts G.
EIwtd Lester, a } i~mbihins >he milk and water
food for babes ami fucklins, which IS prepared on
the homeopathic principle, though certainly not
administered in homeopathic doses, in PlIiladel-
phia quack medicines labelled with the name Of
Cooley, and sometimes a dozen other literary char.
acters who iuiest our large cities, and who are one
by one, enabled to assume their rank among the
Am ,rican millinnar - through the amiahle sredulity
Of the American people, that, ostrich like swallow
leather, h1b-nails and broken glass indiscrim:
nately.
Among those who assume IL place in the literary re
publit,t controlling desire to ~cnlighten aud elevat
houllbe an indisp n,alle quality ;sbut unfortunat
y'tor us,tne v st majority If those who coutribu
to the fimsy mammoth iolios and Sellow-covere
monthlies If our eastern cities, I've do not kno
that the epithet is necessary are utterly ven
and would just as lief pander to a corrupt III
degraded public sentiment rs to sssist in elcvatil
the moral tune of the nation which latter servi,
they are by the way, from the very nature of II
case, altogether incapable of performing.
The evil effects of the species of literature {
which we have been commenting are incalculabl
We are as the reader has already observed &
from assuming the ground taken by many hone
and sensible persons, th-t Of hostility to ~everythiI
that falls under the head Of light literature"
we are fully convinced that very many produ
tiOns which are classed in this department a
an admirable means Of introducing large a
liberal views. We do not believe that any DO
has ever been issued Ivy the American pre-
which has exercised IL more salutary infuen
upon our national character than that which h
rendered tn name Of Mrs. Stowe n household-wo
in every country Of Europe. nor do we believe ii
any author Of the present century has c~Ontribut
to the literary stock of England n more substG
tial and enduring production than Miss Brur
when she presented to the public Jane Eyre
But between authors Of this class and thuse who
writings constitute the staple of the Americ
literary market the Gulf il imn1ssa nle.