Orleans independent standard. [volume] (Irasburgh, Vt.) 1856-1871, 1859-01-14
The Atlantic Monthly.

I
be almost as likely to forget the House
Of Commons as the English reviews
The time has come when every school OF
politics, philosophy and literature, must
have its acknowledged e1posior; and
our New England fraternity Of indePen-
dent thinkers have almost without intend
ing il, established an organ which repre-
sents Them as faithfully as the London
Quarterly does the gold lace and purple
of the English Court, or the Edinburgh
does the compromise Of thought aud form
in Sidney Smith, jeffrey, Brougham and
Macauey.
The Atlantic Monthly is not rs most
Of our periodicals are and have been
eharacierless. It bears a stamp, Aei0
England stamp, as unmistakable As a
court seal.
The representative men Of our New
England system Of thought and style
Ebo have given US literature as distinc-
live and as national IS our constitution,
and who By their experiments upon the
public mind as lecturers, have found that
their literature is but the later develop
ment or our politics and popular philos-
opby, aud that il is therefore received
With Partially, are breathing freely IN
the pages Of this magazine the musings
Of their golden leisures."
As an index Of our tendencies as a
people, the peculiarilies Of the Monthly
are worthy the careful study Of every
observer.
The Atlaatic comes from Boston, but
IS no puritan. It is marked by none Of
the strsitness Of Cotton Mather-Done
Of the slernncss Of Jonathan Edwards
none Of the fvrmalities which character
ise usually as well those who most hate,
as those who most lore form. But We
perceive in it the same love Of metaphys-
zeal speculation that marked the old colo
NAL writer's Of New Englsnd-tbe same
tendency TO combine the extreme ideal
with the extreme practical, but all tenn
pered with an intenser love Of beauty
and warmer sympathy With men, which
have resulted in a more generous Philos'
ophy and more liberal, perhaps too LID
eral, religious faith.
Jonathan Edwards under the inAuenc,
Of this later culture, would regard il a
no sign Of weakness that be once plante,
row Of elm trees, or even that be in
seribed a love sonnet to her whose subse
queut loss it required something NOR
than Roman fortitude 10 enable him {
endure. But art has acquired no del
pOtism over the New England mind
Every page of the Atlantic exhibits
kind Of Fourth of July Independence
and while disregarding the conventions
rules Of composition, challenges criticism
Pointedness it prefers to elegance; for
70 beauty, aud sometimes-it he to
feared-novelly TO truth, and effect
prudence. 1t loves, as the "Professo
says, TO "depolarise words" and takes
secret pleasure in shocking Us. 1t Won
reveal the Utmost, even at the sacrifice
dignity, and while it deiGes humani
most pililessly exposes its weaknesses.
While we notice these characterize
as common to all or yearly oil he "
tiers Of the school which the 4t'antie r.
resents, we do not forget that these "
tiers are individuals and have each
peculiar genius.
Emerson says a quaint thing, thrc
out a nugget Of gold or diamond, {
instead Of stopping to pick up the tire
ure and turn it over in bis hand 10 ST
its beauty, its rarity or its beauty, mo
on as if il was Of no consequence to b
the children might take care Of it if 4
wished, he would walk on while quit
leisure and cut a chip or Two from
morning star.
Holmes on the other hand never
give US a fine thing till as the stint
masters say, be has talked Us into
proper condition" and as soon as be
said il, be cries, "plaudiis ros."
wit, humor, keenness, common sense
poetry, thrown before Us promiscuor
at once startle and delight Us like q
ultaneous exhibition Of Ere works
fine music.
Lowslrs political articles which
sag we're conceived last summer il
Adirondack woods, are fearless and
culated to do good execution. His
guage is more than we could hav,
Pecied the pure English Of Addison
The great secret or the failur
many OF our periodicals has been a
tempt to maintain . neutrality il pc
in q country where everybody is a ?
clan. The Atlantic attempts no
thing, but faithfully represents the