True American. [volume] (Steubenville [Ohio]) 1855-1861, 1858-05-19
FoR The TRUz AMERICAN.
Literature. 4l
BY W. A. URQuHARr.

tury, we find the most truthful exponent
Of the hopes and fears, the aspirations
and anxieties which sway, agiIate, and
beset the contemporaneous mind of hu-
manity. To begin with Germany,the great
nursery Ofthe worlds best thought; there
we find a remarkable apathy in literature,
reAecting as it were, the apathy Of the in.
dividual mind. We hear no more the
Cosmical strains Of Goethe. The ecsta-
tic music of KlOpstock's epic ia hushed.
Schiller's enthusiastic thoughts seem to
fall dead upon the public ear. We heai
no more Of Herden's poetic philosophy,
no more of Wieland's genial muse, no
more Of Vioner's stirring songs. The
great German mind has not yet been able
to cope with the new features Of the cen,
tury and from Keiman to Berlin, from
Dresden to Vienna, all seems apathy and
silence. In France it is still worse. The
rule of the stock exchange and shrewd
military despot is not favorable to fer
mentation Of ideas, and the Intellectual
aspect Of France is as little cheering as
the political condition of things lherc.--
The Spanish literature Of the present day
reverberates only faint echoes of the past
intellectual splendor Of the proud peninsu-
Ia. and in Italy, thought is killed by Po-
perry and by Austrian bayonets. The
only countries which give sign of literary
activity are those where freedom finds a
home Britain and America. In Great
Britain we find in the thoughts Of Ten
nyson, and above all, Of the Brownings,
promises of brighter days, while novelists
and journalists shame the Clergy out Of
theirs by laying open the social and po-
litical scars Of the land, and thus paving
the way for reform. Dickens, Thacka-
ray, Punch, the Leader. and other authors
and weekly and daily papers are perform
ing herculean work in the service Of
humanity, which must sooner or later
operate great changes in the laws and
ideas of England. aa.- 7.. n' So.
Among the European races which set.
lied on this continent, those who are of
English or Scotch descent have inherited
much Of the Saxon love of letters and
thus we find our best poets, authors,
journalists, and clergymen hailing from
New England. But it was to be expected
that the great mass of illteraie and ignor-
ent Continental or Celtic Europeans, who
at later period inundated our country,
would introduce great change in Ameri-
can literature. The Celts, however much
endowed with sentiment, are utterly des-
titute of unity of the right, and in all parts
Of our country where they settled, q fatal
influence has been produced. An equal.
" unfortunate influence has been in oper
alton wherever those European settlers
who for ages past have been mentally
and morally crippled by course labors r
Ethe field, and by unrefned association.
generally, from the original stock of tn,
present American inhabitants. t,l.
l. Yet q certain glittering of intelligence
has been introduced into the minds of al
those populationsby our common schools
and by the general influence of GU
country and Of our institutions, Hence
we find here much larger proportion o
people than IN Europe insearch of book
and information but in order 10 be pala
table 10 their imperfectIy developed taste
the one must be written by authors VIII,
spring from the same latitude of though
and the other must besupplied by person
whose views do not transcend much thos
Of the individuals whom they endeavor t
enlighten. Hence The bulk Of American
} literature has virtually to retrogress fror
the highest European standard in orde
) to adapt itself TO the limited mental an
, moral atmosphere ofthe low Celtic an
> the low Dutch stock from whom gres
+ proper ton Of our people spring.
) This has operated beneiicially, ia /.
. far as many persons who otherwise woul
: never have taken a newspaper or boo
in their hand have thus been allowed
! seek information, although it must be sal
e thata little learning is most dangeror
: thing! On the other hand, there was Il
general freedom Of our institutions,
addition 10 the inspiring freshness OF Il
b country, 10 start intellectual lermentatic
J. in the minds Of many who, If their ance
s tors had remained in the old world, wou
IS probably have vegetated their life awi
e in animal self contentmeni, without ev
d having their souls agita.ed by a sing
Is thought or their imagination thrilled
is some glimpses Of new idea. So far,
ID good perhaps one hundred thousa
ST members Of humanity who have previol
= ly passed their life in degrading slt
es have here become aroused toia world
u, inyigorating thought and activity. '''
NJ, FH