The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1876-03-19

inside The omnibus. At that time or there
nbouts. he wrote milk and water scuti-
mental tales for the Democratic Ecritr
magazine. signing them WALTER WHIT
MAS. It was many years before he LEFT
on the fual syllable Of hi Christian name.
THESE stories in style, method, ana scntl-
mcut were on the usual level of the mild
fiction OF the albums and nnnunls 81 that
day. There was no flavor OF the soil what
ever about them. They might just az woll
have bceu written in Loudou as here for
alehat they expressed Of the genius of Cur
civilizntiD ~.
Thus We see that Mr.. WALTER WHITMAN
did not leap from the frcsh-turned furow
10 Olympnn heights, there TO woo tho
Muse 10 his brawny embrace. lie seems,
indeed, to have taken up his rude meas
urcs and cuarlcd and kuottcd lines ns an
aftcrthought; and it has proved success
full venture. Mr.. WALTER WInTMAN WAS
an unknown purVcyor Of harmless literary
wares. WALT WHITMAN il the American
HOVER In the eyes OF the BUcHANANs,
RosErrIs, and SwlNnvRsrs in England;
and ut home, Mr.. w. ID. O'CoSNuR Of
Washington, who thinks BACON wrote
SHAKEspE iRE's plays aud RALEIGH his SOM
nets, and proves both positions to his own
entire satisfaction, aud the further one
that rs for SHAKESPEARE, he was a low
theatrical fellow, hanging about pot
houses-Mr. O'CoNNoR has celebrated
WnIrMAN as the GOOD Gray Poet ~ in
HdIpcr'S maya inc, and, with a degree OF
blasphcmy quite shocking to most minds,
az another Carpenters Son of Nazareth in
PNiudins Nugd.inc. But this has nothing
To do with the duty OF bcfricudiug MI
WALTER WufrMAN in his old age and in
his impovcrishmont, il he is indeed in sor-
rowful straits.
Mr.. BrcuANAN. however, uttors true
thing, aud we are glad he says II, when he
speaks Of the LITERARY lotteries which
cmasculat1 America SO far us Mr..
WurMAN represents revolt against thc
nlmhy-pimbyism of tho feeble quill dr.v-
crs who dab themselves men Of Letters, iu
this country, aud spent their time IN tick
ling each other, he does good service. Even
the Boston school OF WRITER'S which once
was so sttong and healthy, aggressive and
stimulating, is fast dwindlng away, cmas-
culatcd by nnosm aud cnfechlcl by II
spurious culture. Here in New York our
literary state is far worse. liumbug is
the ruling force and the tittlc-tattlc Of
literature the food on which our literary
society feeds. TUPPER HOLLAND is "a sort
OF head ccntre of this trivial clique. aud
the young editor is their mouthpiccc. Their
goiugs and comiugs, their little efforts at
writing, their pretty verses, and their
smart say ings are all duly recorded and
applnudcd in JAY GOUi.D's organ of stock
jobb.ng and literary swush. SO industri-
ously have these nice little mcu been eX-
plotted AMI hepraisCG, that III the new re-
gions Of Tho country, ana wherever among
US there j. I prevalence OF callowness and
| small critical capacity, they are regarded
as American MiLrOSs and SHAKEsPENBES,
IIAzrITTs, LAvDs, ByEoNs, and Kr,rsss.
! As mattel Of tact. drop them all out of
| American literature, and the void would
not be apparent.
What we accd is q more virile literature.
more stamina in thouglt, more iudcpond-
ence Of Judgment, and more thorough
| training. Yhere is need of Il healthy de-
testation OF fraud, and the refusal TO
avail OF the arts of the charlatau and the
newspaper pufer. Mon cannot feed on
intellectual pap, aud spend their time IN
strokIng each others tender bac&s and
combng each others hyacinthme locks,
the while bewliiing their lack OF appreca-
ton by sturdy critics, and stll produce
work deservius Of lasting reputation. We
rejoice that M BUCHANAN has sent a sho.
in among this little clique. They are very
annoying to anybody who has earnest
work TO do, aud Is not at leisure 10 90 out
and beat the tain-tam 70 attract attention.