The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1856-12-31

death. Glimmer slowly succeeded to glim-
mer-light still struggling with thick dark
ness, not for weeks, or months, or years,
but for centuries before the~day-spring
became manifest Yet no sooner had
the long delayed and long looked for full
ness of the time arrived, than the marble
tomb of ignorance suddenly gave way,
thousand glorious events and discoveries
throng upon each other with pressing
haste, to behold and congratulate the
mighty birth, the new creation of which
they were the fore-runners, till with steady
and triumphant step the peerless form of
off the death shade by which it had been
entombed, ascending to the glorious resur-
reclion of that meridian brightness which
irradiates the horizon of our own day.
From this period to the present, litera-
ture, science, and art have met with pop
ular favor from the masses, not only phi
lanthropists and Statesman, but govern
ments patronizing and fostering the same,
nation vifing with nation throughout chris
tendon to excel in the higher standard OF
moral taste and literary greatness.
This noble emulation has done much
in establishing the literature uf the differ
ent nations OF the present day Hence
we have the characteristic literature of the
ETHEREAL Frenchman, the vivacious Britain
aud the phlegmatic German; all of which
has contributed to rectify and establish!
moral taste Yet, the literature oi En-
rope as whole is eXcept.onasie. Peri
odical literature is of moderD origin, and
is the channel through which access is had
to the popular mind. Hence the best
writer's of Europe and America seek those
/ channels of communication to the scien-
ti6c and religious world. Yet, it is a
fact much to be amented, that those chan
nels i'll Europe are filled with tales OF
fiction, the emanaton of morbid taste,
or perverted imagination, and the popu-
'Efarizing gaudy and senseless fashions,
many of which border on the ridiculous
While to great extent, if not altogether
in most of those publications the pure
doctrines and elevating precepts of the
Book of Life, are neglected or expelled
Man is social being, hence good and
evil is communicative; as o result much to
J; be deplored, American literature is run.
ming rapidly into the same channel. Oul
i literature, once pure and practical, is be.
ing replaced by fictitious trash, or the
sickly sentimentalism Of the old world
In support of this position would direct
4 your attention to the general features o
the periodical press of the United States
The greatest inducements offered in every
notice or prospectus issued by the pres
f is the long list of novelets, original tales
and early receipt of the Paris or Londor
fashions; while the religious sentiment o
the country is neglected, the history o
the stirring events of an revoutionar.
struggle the thrilling incidents of pioneer
life, if admitted at all is so frequently con
, verified into a novelet that we are unabi,
to separate the reality from the Gction
AS an apology for these objections,
, know that it is said that cur country il
: growing up without a national literature
; that the practical severity Of our Saxoi
intellect, produced by Locke, Bacon
or the Scottish philosophers, or our Wig
: orous religious faith, has dried up III
fountains of originality and strangled ih'
7 development of a national taste. As
/; rejoindcr, | hold that he first c>n'sition o
national literature, should be type OF ,h
e national character; nations advance grad
e ually as do individuals; consequently GU
e own wants but time We have the gerr
Z of vigorous and manly literature in
e prolific soil, and by proper training al
: in due time arise and display its pi"rie
like our native magnolia. Bns in Oh
: efforts to establish a national literatur
v we should AVOID hot-house processes
e This new world in which we live present
! a vast field of labor and practical art
h possessing immense mines of metal an
l. fuel, mountains of iron, rivers runnir
IS from the northern pole to the trepc
): with immense inland seas. And the pee
d pie who inhabit this new world, are br
IF the type of their fathers-fathers VIII
II hurled defiance at their oppressors in tn
,f iron bolts of their strong saxon speecl
n who confonnded the conquerors Of til
5 world on the field of battle, where y.
)f! stands the StnmpS of Our primal foreSt