Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1868-04-15

5 BOHEMIAN LITERATURE. - We have lately had
Y occasion "a 10 look at some Of the numerous specl
e)meus of magazine literature which are now
acontending for public favor as successors OF the
aotd Port Folio, the first monthly magazine OF
y ay , note il this country. The Port Folio was
or originally started in Philadephia in 1900, and
was ably edited by Dennie, the celebrated es,
.sayist and Iayapreaoher. III It connted among
it's contributors Richard Rush, John Quincy
Adams, Nicholas Biddle, Robert Walsh; Char
les, oBrockden Brown, Francis Haopkinsto,nl,
Thomas Cadwallader, Gouyerneur Morris and
other eminent men. Among the contributors
to the Monthly Anthology, started in, Boston
in 1903, were John Quincy Adams j. 3 BUCK
minster George Mcknor. and William Tudor,
WHO founded the North American Review IN
1878: Another early American periodical was
the Analectic Magazine, started in Philadei-
lphia. Its name was changed to Select Reviews
by Washington Irving who edited 1t tor two
years; and j. K. Paulding and Gullan Y. YER
'planck contributed to it.jd Without enumerat-
ing other pioneers of the, multitude, OF Amerl-
can magazines and reviews which have since
appeared, and in nearly a hundred instances
have also assappea1ea, we must say that when
We compare those which fourishcd fifty or
sixty years ago with those which are flourish
ing now the comparison is sadly upfaVorable
to the latter .r-..,.Is.~I-r~t.s -,
In respect to two important particulars the
comparison becomes contrast. The spirit OF
the early American periodical literature was
pureIapd undefled, and the most tender rell-
gious ,susccptibiities were never offended. But
nova -days-our periodicals seem to vie with
each other in making open or covert assaults
upon religion and morality. .",i
The whole mass of Bohemian literature is
lesyened with the spirit of infdelity and Iicen-
tiousness The professed satires levelled against
iocntiousness, and particularly against the in
decent exposures which are now so common on
the stare and in the fashionable ballroom, arc
less calculated to shock and alarm than to COM
pete as closely as possible with the fatal! tascl-
nations which they pretend to condemn: The
Bohemian satir;sts fairly gloat over the indc
cencies which they describe Witha suspicious
affectation of holy horror. They emulate ~
their descriptions the 'prurient plctorlals'
which they denounce. They dilate with pecu,,
liar satisfaction on the naked truth as illustrated
by the "salacious sprites' Of the ballet. They
L scstter" swords that burn, even when they aim
at saving that music and scenery and effects
l{Hareimerely the pretext for representing the
unchaste convolutions of the goddesses OF I'M
publicity at the fullest angle OF lewdness and
through the rosy medium of amorous sugges'
ton." -. :, -, =,
The mob of gentlemen that write with ease"
is doubtless larger than in the infancy OF Amer
lean periodical literature But we cannot ad-
NIT that such contributors to it as Dennle,
Washington Irving, Buckminster, Edward
Everett, Alexander III. Everett, Geo. Iicknor,
and others who might be mentioned, have been
surpassed as writer's by those whose names now
figure conspiouously in flaming lists OF maya
,zinists and reviewers. AS We have already IN
y timated, our modern periodical writer's in their
most elaborate disquisitions too often bctray the
corrupting influence of the very evils against
which they inveigh. Their foWery pages ex-
hale poisonousj odor; aud like the fig leaves
in the basket of the Egyptian queen ITO bor-
row an illustration,) are defled by the asp $
0 trail aud slime, while the sly worm turks be-
= meath. ,31'.' s.,.1 -. ~: -, -.
This degcneracy Of Bohemian literature is
: not unaccountable, however, if we remember
that it, mirrors and: reflects here, and lin the
midst Of the nineteen the century, such scenes as
are represented with impunity upon the stage
scenes for which no parallel can be found save
at Rome il its worst days, at the lasciyioqs and
effsminate court Of Byzantium, at Hercua,
neunm, at Pompeii,o or at Sodom and Gomorrah.
N Y Herald. - gaiN Il = GAt1.H-