The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1861-05-20

n SrsESGrH OF REPUBLICAN, INSTITUTION
ON Tn. A-FALsE IMPRESSIONS ABROAD.
Everythins has its uses, aud even gre
national caian. "y may bring forth good fr,
in the end. Thus ne revolution which il no
oisiracting our counA v, and threatening a
only the integrity Of or republic. but q
best Interests of our citizens, NY lead to a.
yantag eous results the extent of wb,sh II
impossible for us at present TO calculatd
Among other things of greater import it
likely to inaugurate new era in literatnr
and art. The greatest works of human intel
lect and skill, both ancient and modern, hav
been commemorative and Illustrative of histd
rical events. The chefs-doa,pre OF painting
sculpture, operate and dramatic literature
music and poetry, have been inspired By III
heroic and mighty deeds which hay
from time to time divided the hissor]
Of nations into epochs, and guided th,
civilization Of the world. We have onlJ
to turn to The most successful operas, tragedis
and comedies, the most valued paintings, th,
most beautiful conceptions in marble, freso(
or wood, the finest works Of the lyric stage
and the grandest flights Of the poetic and his
toTic muse, for instances Of the effect Of his
tory upon literature and art. We might sal
more, and include the literature of ages; fo
the literature OF every country is Influenced
by its history, and the greater and more event
fOl the history Of any country, the richer and
more abundant is its literature likely to be
come great event leaves its mark upon ths
civilization of its time, thereby Influencing
other events to the remotest posterity; and
events make men. If it had not been for The
last supper of our Lord, Leonardo di Vino
might never have known fame. nor Juda
lscariot have hanged himself If Moses had
never been in Egypt, Rossini would
have lost the theme Of one Of his suHlimes&
compositions, and so with others and effect
generally
The Revolution Of 1875 was go great an even
that it not only entirely changed the history Of
this country, SO Influencing it to the remotes
time, but made, and is still making, aud will
ever continue to make, its effect felt through
out the world. The changes which were i'm
mediately produced thereby did lot extend 10
any great degree to art, because our commu
nifty at that period was young aud unable to
do much towards the cultivation of art, and
even in the literature of fiction the Spy" ID
the only work in which the scenes Of the Revo
luton were depicted with anytoing like com
pleteness. But even that falls far shor
Of what the subject affords, and there
fore we may say that as yet we ara
without good novel Of the Revolution. In this
more advanced age, however, euch neglect oil
historical materials will not be suffered 70
exist When the war is over, we shall fad his
torians. noyeliats, poets, dramatists, painters
and sculptors busy at the work of recording ind
their own peculiar way the striking incidents
that may have transpired duriog the cam
paigr. Play bills, pictures and books will
more national character and healthy vitality
will be Infused into the several branches of ma
tive literature and art, while our dram 4tic add
lyric stage viii be wen supplied, not with
foreign, but American compositions. Fortu
rately we have in our artist soldiers men Who'll
may rival the Horace Yerpets aud Vander-I
melfens Of the Old World, AMI whose personal
im pIessions OF the revelation will be OF tho
highest yaine in enabling them to form that
new school OF American art Of which We havs|
now the promise.