Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1872-07-06

azure OF every klnQ, from tne cOlu Ut
terances that show the letters of the
mind, to the generous outpourings of
the sons of freedom. At the present
day no one is astonished at finding on
his passage from an absolute to a con-
stitutional form Of government, that
in one the energies OF the mind are
Frustrated ere they can gather strength
to resist the whitening influences of op-
preston, while in the other intellect
ual power is on the rapid increase, in
telligence more ditt'used and exact, and
nature seems to shine with new beauty.
Ample explanation of the fact is at
| forded when the character of the pre-
vailing political institutions is consld-
cred Wherever blind obedience to
power is demanded and rendered
wherever one or o few aristocratlc
houses assume to think for the mass
wherever the youth are forced into the
schools of the State to have their
minds imbued with the blighting doc
trine of the divine right of kings, how
can it be expected that any number
may attain sufficient energy Of intel
loct to extend the boundaries of any
noble literature Or, should such be
found, who will dare exercise this su-
perior capability when it is full we'll
| known that an invasion of the pre-
cincts of liberal thought will bat end
in the narrow limits of prison? In
stances of such high genius and devo-
ton to truth must ever be rare. Du-
ring the largest part OF the world 3
history, alas, an iron oppression has
not merely stt1ed thought, but crushed
him who would dare think, causing
the few, who, until the latter and bet
ter times, have enjoyed the blessing of
freedom of thought and speech, to
mourn "Our hope of yonder land lies
dead on yonder bier
But where liberal thought is foster
ed where men are encouraged to send
forth the promptlngs of their genius,
or the results Of their patient investi-
cations where the Word of God is
free that blazing jewel around which
as settings, all other literature should
shine; where men may ponder the
gifted lives of their patriot poets, and
drink in the inspiring eloquence of
their native orators, there will be gen
Grated an activity of mind which will
display itself in literature extensive
and at the same time brilliant.
Such is the condition of things in
our own youthful republic. Here the
school and the college are not used as
means of training governmental spies,
and of lettering the mind of youth by
grinding it into some channel of big
otrv. Here the obicrt-thc only lc-
gitlmate onc-of education. is the free
development Of the powers of the
mind No censorship of the press saps
the liberties of the people. The au-
thor and editor utter untrammeled
their boldest thoughts, responsible
only to just law and to an enlightened
public sentiment. Is ii strange then
that American literature is making
such strides toward first place in the
estimation of the world Already
mas IL 'nTpIi'il SDlIlt lliiIil'N IIid1 l'oo-
teritv will not willingly let die. -
Longfellow and Bryant in poetry,
Cooper in romance, Bancroft, Prescott
and Motley in history, Wheaton and
Story in international law; Calhoun,
Clay and Webster, a triumvirate I'M
surpassed in eloquence and statesman
ship, whatever faults Us to opinion may
have been theirs, by Pitt Burke and
Fox; together with a host Of others
whose names would grace the palmiest
literary epochs of England, might be
mentioned, to large extent the unde-
niable offspring of our free institutions.
Ever and anon some bright spirit yet
appears as a new star in the evening
sky!
Our rivals on the other side of the
ocean have done we'll in striking from
their literary creed the sentiment,
"Who reads an American book -
AS in the Revolution and in 1872, so
in the contest for intellectual superior
itv they were too hastv in their est.
mate The results at Lexington and
New Orleans; upon the ocean when
our noble Constitution commended as an
enemy, and when our Collins line of
steamers and our Niagara engaged in
nobler, because friendly strife, re-
Elected honor on our physical prowess.
But shall the dav arrive when the lit
erature of the New World shall tri-
umph over that of the Old an honor
will have been gained to which all
these others will be small. AS the
great contest for intellectual superior
ity advances, their remembrance of
the days of Shakespeare, and Milton,
and Bacon will be revived, and ener-
gies of mind will be aroused, at which
mankind will WONDER Let not my
countrymen think the task before them
easy. England has a large and eIeva-
ted literature, as yet unequaled--rival-
ed only bv Germany. France and
America. May | not be pardonel the
remark, however, that under the slim
ulating and immense influence of
American institutions there is a pros
pect that the literary renown of these
other noble and generous nations. will
he eclipsed by he increaoing Inster of
our own. Indications Of such result
are easily found by those at all Inqnl-
,;,r, IA coc,c;ouc To ,.a thn ain-