The Portland daily press., 1876-02-09
American Literature.
The Celebrities of N Century.

are selected. Mr.. Whippe's paper is marked
ly the fine taste, critical discernment and in
cisive style which we have learned to associate
with one OF the foremost OF our essayists. If
the second paper, which appears in the March
number, is equal to the first. the series will be
very valuable:
JOEL BARLow's "coLUMBIAD."
All the poets of the United States were
threatened with extinction or subordination
when Joel Barlow Q755-1Sl2) appeared. He
was, according to all accounts, an estimabls
man, cursed with the idea not only that he was
poet, but the greatest of American poets: and
in 1903 he published, in superb auarto vol.
ume, "The Columbiad." 1t was also published
in Paris and London. The London MONTHLY
Magazine tried to prove not only that 1t was
an epic poem, but that it was surpassed only by
the Iliad, the Eneid, and Paradise Lost Joel
Barlow is fairly entitled to the praise of raising
medlocrity to dimensions almost colossal. Col
umbia is, thank Heaven, still alive; 'The
Columbiad" is, thank Heaven, hopelessly dead.
Ihere are some elderly gentlemen still living
who declare that they have read ''The Colum.
biad," and have derived much satisfaction from
the perusal OF the same; but their evidence
cannot stand the test of cross-examination
They cannot tell what the poem is, what it
teaches and what it means. No critic within
the last fifty years has read more than a hmm
dred lines of it, and even this effort of attep-
tion has been deadly fight with those merci-
ful tendencies IN the human organization which
sottly wraps the overworked mind in the bles-
sedness OF sleep. 1t is the impossbility of
reading THE Columbiad" which prevents any
critical estimate of its numberless dement's.
THE FIRST AMERICAN NOVELIST.
Charles Brockden Brown Q771-1S1O) was
our first novelist by profession. At the time
he wrote Arthur Mervyn," Edgar Huntley,"
"Clara Howard, and "Wieland," the remuner-
tion of the novelist was so small that he could
only make what is called "a living" by sacrific-
ing every grace and felicity of style to his inexo
rable need of writing rapidly, and therefore
inaccurately. Brown, in his depth Of insight
into the morbid phenomena of the human
mind, really anticipated Hawthorne; but hur-
ried as he was by that most malignant of liter
airy devils, the printers, he produced no such
masterpieces of literary art as ''The Scarlet
Letter" 'The Bllthedale Romance" and ''The
Marble Faun.' Brown is one of the most
melancholy instances of a genius arrested in
its orderly development by the pressure of
circumstances. In mere power his forgotten
novels rank very high among the products of
the American imagination. And it should be
added that though he is unread he is by no
means unreadable. "Wielsnd; or the Trans
formation" has much of the thrilling interest
which fastens our attention as we read God
win, Caleb Williams" or Hawthorne's Scar
let Letter" With all his faults. Browne does
not deserve to be the victim of the bitterest
irony of criticism, that, namely, of not being
worth the trouble of a critical examination.
His writings are contemptuously classed among
dead books, interesting to the antquary alone.
Still,they have that vitality which comes from
the ashes under which they are buried would
reveal sparks of genuine fire.
FISHER AMEs.
When an armed ship has her upper deck cut
down, and is thus reduced to an inferior class,
it is said that she is 'razeed." Fisher Ames
may be called, on this principle, a raced
Burke. OF all the Federal writers ard speak
ers of his time he bears away the palm of elo-
quence. He has something of Burke's aflu-
ence of imagination, something of Burke's
power of condensipg political wisdom into
epigrammatic apothegms, and more than
Burke's hatred of 'French principles" but he
lacks the immense moral force of Burke's in
dlVlduality, the large scope of his reason, the
overw lining intensity of his passion. Still
his merits as writer, when compared with
those of most of his contemporaries, are so
striking that his countTymen seem unjust in
allowing such an author to drop out of the
memory of the nation. He was the despair.
ing champion OF dying cause; be decorated
the grave of Federalism with some of the
choicest flowers of Thetoric but the flowers are
now withered, and the tomb itself hardly re-
ceives its due need Of honor.
JOHN TRUMBULL's 'McFNGAL.''
This poem, written in Hudibrastic verse, is
so full of original wit and humor that we
hardly think of it as an imitation of Buffers
immortal doggerel until we are reminded that
many of the pithy couplets of "McFingal"
are still quoted as felicitous bits of the inge.
nious mind of the author of "Hudibras." The
immense popularity of the poem is unprece-
dented in American history. The first canto
rapidly ran through thirty editions Longfel-
lows "EvaDgeline" attained about the same
circulation when the population of the country
was thirty millions. "McFingal" was published
when our population was only three millions
The poem, indeed, is to be considered as one of
the forces of the Revolution, because, as a
satire on the Tories, it penetrated into every
farm house, and sent the rustic volunteers
laughing into the ranks of Washington and
Greene. The vigor of mind and feeling dis
to its incidents which "Hudibras," with all its
wonderful flashes of wit comparatively lacks.
ALEXANDER HAMILTON.
Alexander Hamilton was, next to franklin
the most consummate statesman among the
band of eminent men who had been active in
Revolution, and who afterward labored to con-
vert a loose confederation lof States into ma
tional government His mind was as plastic
as it was vigorous and profound. 1t was the
appropriate intellectual expression of a poised
nature whose power was rarely obtrusive, be-
cause it was half concealed by the harmonious
adjustment of its various faculties. 1t was a
mind deep enough to grasp principles, and
broad enough to regard lrelations, and fertile
enough to devise measures Indeed, the most
practical of our early statesmen was also the
most inventive. He was as ready with new ex
pedients to meet unexpected emergencies as he
was wise in subordinatng all expedieuts to
clearly defined principles In intellect be was
probably the most creative OF our early states
men. as IN sentiment Jefferson was the most
widely il Influential And Hamilton was so bent
on practic al ends that be was Indifferent to the
reputation which might have resulted from
parade OF originality in the means be devised
for their accomplishment There never was a
statesman less egotistic, less desiring of label
ing policy as my" policy; and one of the
sources of bis influence was the subtle way 10
which they appeared to originate. His moder-
alton, his self-command, the exquisite courtesy
of his manners, the persuasiveness of his ordi-
nary speech, the fascination of his extraordi-
nary speeches, and the mingled dignity and
ease with which he met men Of all degrees of
intellect and character, resulted in making his
political partisans look up to him as almost an
object of political alteration. 1t is difficult to
say what this accomplished man might have
done as leader of the Federal opposition to
the Democratic administrations of Jefferson
and Madison, had be not in the maturity of
his years and in the full vigor of bis faculties,
been murdered by Aaron Burr Nothing can
better illustrate the folly of the practice of
dueling than the fact that, by weak compli-
ance with its maxims, the most eminent of
American statesmen died by the band of the
most Infamous of American demagogues.
JONATHAN EDWARDS.
Edwards large and subtle upderstan ding was
connected with an imagination of intense real.
izing power, and both were based on soul of
singular purity, open on many sides to com.
municatiOns from the Divine mind. He had
an almost preternatursl conception of the Sex
cesding sinfulness of sin." His imagination
was filled with CHASTITY images of the retribution
which awaits on innuitu and his raacopad sar