New-York daily tribune., 1858-11-20

with the succinct avowal tbst The purpose
"this book is to comprise within the bounds oil
" sir gle volume whatever is truly beautiful aud
" admirable smonx the minor poem OF the Engu'n
"lsngusge" OF course, tho work is fSlrly TO %
judged by its success in achieving this end. Does
il really co1tain al, or nearly Al, those poems ot
less than fifteen hundred lines or 80 which the great
mass Of readers Of English would wish to possess
10 4 convenient form for instant reading or refer
ence' And are its arrangement so judicious, ITS
index 20 lucid and perfect, that whaever is sought
may BE- readily found. provided the volume con-
tsins it If these questions are to be answered
sfrmativey, then the book has merit and will live,
though several persons who have written fair verse
fail to figure on its pages and are naturally annoyed
or enraged at the omission.
Since the outcry Was raised against " The House
hold Book" we have looked through it with some
care, and find in it at least forty-nine OF every
ffty pieces Of which We would have such work
composed. We miss FIVE or six admirable poems
-mainly By Browong or by Tenpyson-thst we
could have wished 10 see here; but the number OF
pieces actually quoted from those writers-eleven
from Browning, thirty-three from Tennyson-
probably deferred the compiler from farther cita-
tons from those poets. We miss also three or
four American names which we should have gladly
seen here-but not one Of them is among those BY
whom or in whose behalf the cry Of partislity, IN
justice and suppression has been raised But let
Us be specific.
The compiler Of /" The Hou ushold Book is con-
cerned in editing an Anti-Slavery newspaper, and
is therefore presumed, not unreasonaby, to cherish
Anti.slsvery opinions. Hence it is assumed that
writer's Of Southern birth or Pro-Slayery tenden.
cies are studiously ignored by him. Now it is not
enough that We state the fact that thought of the
Pro.Slnyery or Anti-Slavery attitude of our poets
or poetasters ever crossed the editors mind while
making his selections. We proceed to show that
the imputaton is not merely false but ridiculous
The following are the names of those poets born
in the Slave States from whose works citations are
made in The Household Book
wAsHSGros ALLsToS. PHILIP T. Cooke,
CHIsToPHEs p. CsANcH, FRANCIS :. KEY,
EpwsRD c. PNcKSEy EDGAR ALLAN PoE,
AMELIA b. WELBY, RICHARD HtNRr WILDE.
MARGARET M.EcER.
We are not aware that either Of these ever wrote
an Anti-Sayery line in his life, though Mr.. Cranch
may possibly have dene 50. Most of them are well.
known uphOlders Of the system of Slavery.
But let us pursue this scrutiny little further:
There was born, somewhere among the Berkshire
hills, some sixty years ago, person now residing
in or near New.York, known as William Cullen
BRYANT who writes verse that most of US accept as
poetry. There was born, or at least there lives,
somewhere in South Carolina, another writer,
sometimes in verse, denOminated William Gilmore
Simms. Mr. Bryant edits an anti. Slavery news
paper; Mr.. Simms uphods Slavery; but this
circumstance does not prove nor di,proye him
poet. We propose that some one who wishes to
test the worth of the clamOr against "The House
.hold Book" shall assemble-nOt jury of New.
York or New. England schOo-children, all of whom
know something of Bryant's poetry and nothing Of
Simms's-but q dozen or 50 Of Charleston negro
traders under pretense of consulting them about
the purchase of live stock for new Texas planta-
ton, and, having melowed them into cosy and
confidential mood, ask casually if any of them ever
heard of poet named Bryant. Among these
dozen will doubtless be found more then ono
who answers ByrOn's Characterization, Of "as mild
sa hammered man, as ever sunk q ship or
"cut q throat" with others whose sin-stsined,
rum. soaked tobacco .smirched visages, give small
token of literary culture or appetite; yet ve do
not believe one Of them can be 50 ignorant - not
to know something of Bryant's poetry. Very
likely, the dullest Of them could hum you stave
of "Marion's Men," or. with kindling eye and
cleaning cOuntensncc, recite few lines Of "The
Evening Wind" or "Thanatopsis." Now change
the subject, and in half an hour afterward ask If
any Of them chance TO know aught Of Simms's po-
etry, and note the look Of yacuity OF bewilderment
that will travel around the circle: "Simms, eh .
poet NO Sir; there's Col Sims down in Wax.
4" haw, has middling good plantation, and lots of
" hearty niggers-vey likely, he would cell
&" dozen or two reasOnable-but there isn't any
90 poet Simms that We ever heard Of" And yet
the circumstance that Mr. Gilmore Simms does
not figure in "The Household Book is one main
cause If the outcry against it as antiSOukhern and
anti.Sayery!
Again: in the North. Eastern angle of Massachu-
setts. down by the Merrimsc River, there were
born, and, We believe, still live, two literary per-
SOILS Of nearly even years, but of widely dssimilar
characters, tendencies and attainments. They
are known respectively as John Greenleaf Whittier
and George Lunt Each has written verses; but
there the parallel ends. Whttier's-many Of
them, at least-are poetry; Lunt's might be rect-
ed or chanted to nOn-particular crowd on a
Fourth Of July, after the expenditure of gunpowder,
alcohol and other stmulants had raised the general
patriotism to fervid and undiscrimnating attitudes
but poetry they are not, any more than Lightning
Trains Liverpool Grafton or Caleb Cushng's Rich.
mond anti.Agricultural Address. Therefore, Mr..