The New York herald., 1868-04-19
Our Periodical Literature.


northern part of this Continent many changes
but we can scarcely say we have been without
a periodical of literary pretensions and ability.
Our earliest periodicals were not by any
means destitute of talent, although most of
them enjoyed but a brief existence. In pre-
revolution times there does not seem to have
been any lack of literary enterprise. but of
most of the magazines and reviews, the names
of which are connected with that PERIOD it is
only truth to say that they appeared but to
die. The tremendous power which was known
to be exercised by the two great English
periodicals, the Edinburgh" and the "Quar-
terly," prompted literary ambition on this side
of the Atlantic, and the result was the appear
ance in 1915 of the " North American Revisw.'
This was the most ambitious attempt which
great waters in the higher forms of jour
nalism, and it is only fair to say that
under the successive managements of such
men as Tudor, Channng Dana, the Everetts,
Sparks, ,Palfrey, Bowen and Peabody the
'tNorth American Review" has earned fair
reputation for scholarship, taste and literary
ability. High excellence has characterized
many Of its numbers, but we cannot say that
continuously it has for any length of time lived
on the same level with its two English con-
temporaries. Since 1915 till now legion is
the name of the periodicals which have catered
for popular favor. OF these periodicals some
have been good, some have been excellent,
some have been trashy, and most have died.
We have only had one quarterly which, judged
from a national standpoint, can bear compari-
son with either of the great English reviews.
We are not forgetful of the high merits Of the
'Bibliotheca Sacra" and of the princeton Re
! view." OF these periodicals it is impossible to
| speak in terms too highly laudatory, but it is
to be borne in mind that they have never at
tempted to represent other than sectional in
terests. We are not forgetful either of the
National Quarterly Review" which, notwith-
standing its many merits, has never justified
its claim to be a national organ. Our month
| lies have never been of character to justify
comparison with ''Blackwood, with Frazer"
| with Bentley" with ''Colburn," or even with
macmillan" the ''CornhiIl" or the other
numerous monthlies which have made their
appearance in Great Britain in recent years.
In this respect, indeed, our so-called higher
journalism has Jagged miserably behind the
daily press. The daily press of this country
is in certain important respects ahead of the
daily press of England, of France, of Ger
many. of the world but the same compli-
ment cannot be truthfully paid to either our
quarterly, our monthly or our fortnightly pc
riodicals.
|. Our demerits or shortcomings in so-called
higher journalism compared with similar
efforts in Great Britain or France or Germany,
are, we willingly admit, on certain points, of
easy explanation. We are younger people
The tastes and tendencies of our people have
another direction than that of literature We
are as yet and naturally enough, more political
than literary, and more money-seeking than
either. High literary and artistic tastes
have only as yet in the worlds history been
developed in old communities and among that
class where wealth has been a fact, where
leisure has been enjoyed, where the mind has
been highly cultivated and where the developed
mind has sought easy and agreeable exercise.
| In our national history we have not yet reached
that stage of development. 1t would simply
| be absurd for us to compare ourselves with
the British. with the French, with the Ger
mans not to speak of the Italians, who must
ever be spoken of as at once the parents, the
custodians and the exponents OF all that is
highest and noblest and best in literature and
in art. II, however, our country is to be
worthy Of itself; if we would have our impress
left on the nations; If we would prove to the
world that now is and TO the world that is to
follow; if we would have the future of this
people to be as great as it ought to he and as
1t IL capable of becoming II, in brief, We
would prove TO all nations and to all time com
ing that we are as great intellectually and
morally as we are terrtorially, then we must
have regard to our current periodical literature.
by our literature We are at once determining
, our own future and our moral and religious
, character before the world. This-and we say
it with sorrows the particular in which as a
people we have fallen and still do fall miser-
ably short.
The character Of people. II has often. but
not too often, been said is TO he determined
by the literature on which il feeds On,
quarterly, monthly and iortnightly publications
are. rightly or wrongly. supposed TO be the
outcome and overflow Of the thinking and
. representative minds Of the hour. These
c journals, if they represent anything, represent
the men Of leisure-the men Of leisure who
, have at once the desire the means and N,
q ability TO express their thoughts Thcs,
> thoughts whether they be good or whether
they be bad are the prevailing thoughts in th,
circles in which the thinkers live and mov,