National Republican., 1874-05-12

TEE report Of tho recent i1tsrview between
Mr.. stedmsn. the poet, and representative of
THH NATtoSAk REPuBLIoASon literary topics
has eallsd ferth IN Minute diversity Of Thought
and opiuion. Es<y Sasmdays mskes n the
bssis Of an stticle entitled "tifsrary Latitude
and Longitude,p and diIsrs nom Mr.. Stsdman
as 70 The litsrary,centrs Of the United States.
NJ. Stednhn, It viii be recoIiected, maintained
that IL was New York. Every Saturday re-
spends "The truth Is that literature is both
independent Of centres and -msFkets sad- shops
Of every kind for Its best endsaEor, and is very
dependent on many Influences which -radiatA
from cities as regards Its ordinary presentation.
In its highest manifestation literature Is heart
| lily indebted 10 al the varied influences which
go to determine national life and character. It
is an expression OF Life, and not something
which holds itself As an object OF merchandise.
1t may be sold for e5, TO the everlasting aston
ishment Of the world, when books are over
hauled, and 1t may bring Q great sum, to the
inevitable envy Of those greedy Of gain; but no
| one can gainssy the fact that all the prizes
offered by bookseller or committee cannot draw
from her hiding-piace the-secret muse. One Of
the greatest books written or published in
| America, instinct with American life and
thought, was written In the woods of an OBJ
| scure Pennsylvania county, and it.is the cause
of profound satisfaction to every one who has
| hopes of literature in America, that the stars
which hang over the great writersdo not neces-
sarily shine upon the great cities and so-called
literary centres" S--lz-
l Trru pbnala1rl,to i,Sir Of
the defeat of the Centennial appropriation, and
urge the Pennsylvania delegation in Congress
to declare war to the knife. The Bsiiletin, in
an article on the subject, says: "The PeunsyL
vanians will please their constituents If they
will refuse hereafter to turn the grindstone for
any Of the numerous grinders of private axes
in Congress. And they can accomplish much
II they VIII act with unsnimity In this matter.
They muster twenty seven votes, enough to
defeat about four out of Eve Of the schemes to
which we have alluded and If those votes
shall be cast invariably against all such meas
ures that are presented, the people Of Penn
sylvania will regard the action with serenity,
and will experience a comfort which will do
much to compensate them for the irritation
caused by the action Of Congress-" This pro-
gramme is all very well, but we strongly sus-
pect that in the end II would hurt Pennsyl-
yania more than any other State in the Union.
| We sympathize with the Bsuetin; but there is
! no use in being foolish on the subject.
TIE Philadelphia Eusning Star, which con-
tains more practicali ideas and Suggestions than
Journals ten times It's size, advocates outdoor
exercise for women. II says: zone Of the
greatest faults in the training Of American
young women Is the lack Of exercise calcu-
lated to develop physical strength. We need
not state that increased physical power implies
to certain extent increased mental power, or
at least the capacity for greater mental de-
velopment. Lady visitors to the seashore and
! to the rural resorts during the summer season
have abundant opportunities for the indulgence
| Of taste Of outdoor exercises, and yet not
one in a hundred ayaiIs herself Of them. As
result they return to the city bringing with
them not more than a moiety of the vigor that
Would have been theirs had they sported more
in the sunshine and pure air, and laid aside the
last novel and the flirting fan, and given them
selves up to such reereations as would impart
strength to their limbs and plant real roses in
their checks"