The Portland daily press., 1870-05-18
Puhlic L;hrariea.

l.,
that Greatest thing in city is man himself He
i its End We admire its palaces but the mechanic
who builds them m s = eIeaser ian those palaces
OF but one true prosperity. Does the Human Soul
grow and prosper here?- Claiming.
1t is not long since English writers. especial
~ the reviewers, We're won't to speak with cou
tempt Of the literature Of America, and much
bitterness of feeling was engendered by the
freedom with which they criticised the produc-
tons CT our authors. Nor can it be denied
that, IN some instances they provoked retorts
which we wonld now wish never to have been
spoken. But the days Of recrimination among
authors who employ the English language no
matter whether they write in England or
America, have passed. We have conquered
the prejudices of Europe, and it is permitted
US to-day to point with honest pride to the
names Of Irving, Prescott, Longfellow and
scores of others who have secured for Ameri-
can authorship an honorable position in the
Republic Of Letters. 1t may be worth our
while to look at the circumstances under which
our authors have achieved their SPLENDID sue
cess.
The best Life of Columbus ever written was
composed by an American in Spain; Wheat
ou's History Of the Mortimer is work OF
great learning, but ali the materials for its
composition were collected in Europe; Motley's
Dutch Histories have given their author
brilliant reputation, but they are the work of
an American laborng In European libraries.
How scanty the materials for any of these
works would have been found in this country?
Mr.. Justice Story, in an address before lit
;,,G ~, a1,,l
ago, remarked that s'we have no reason to
blush for what we have been or what we are
But we shall have much TO blush for, if, when
the highest attainments Of the human intellect
are within our reach we surrender ourselves
to an obstinate Indifference, or a shallow medi-
ocrity." He then alluded to one of cur great
est national deficiencies and yentured to
repeat al observation which had previously
been made, that "there is not single library
in America sufficiently copious to have enabled
Gibbon to verify the authorities for his his
tory" Livermore, commenting on this re-
mark, did not hesitate to say that not one nor
all the libraries in this country combined,
wonld furnish sufficient materials for writing
a complete history of that little book of three
or four score diminutive pages, "The New
England Primer" To write the history OF any
of our Statas, or Of almost any of our towns,
the author would be compelled 10 spend
months in the old libraries of Europe examin-
ing papers which cannot now be purchased.
Those documents we're once as trifling and
apparently worthless as much that is now de-
stroyed every day but those who come after
us will desire as earnestly as we desire The rec
ords of the Middle Ages.
Private fortunes will rarely enable one to
procure these literary stores, and private FORE
sight cannot be relied upon to make this pro-
vision for the distant future. The people col
lectiyely feel this want most sensibly. Collec.
lively they are the better able to supply it,
The support and the supervision of Public Lii
braries should be in the hands of the public.
A security and permanency can then be given
the m which they cannot otherwise have. How
much more willingly and literally the public
spirited men contribute of their means to the
enrichiug of collection of books which they
were assured be preserved tothe latest genera
tions, and which would be more and more
more highly prized as time gave added value
to their intrinsic worth. q.