New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1876-02-18

fury. Another departed South ChrOnnlaI
author is Thomas S Grimke; ard other
are William Elliott, Henry L. Pinckne,
! and Henry Tmrod Paul II. Hayne, VIII
is one Of the principal men of letters of tn
| time, and member of An historical race
| is a South CarOliuian. Mr.. Calhoun can b.
placed in the list of CarOlinian authors. l
is true that almost all his works relate t.
politics, but thar can be no reason for say
ing that they are not part OF American lii
erature, for the effect of the exclusion of HI
writings would be to exclude from that lit
erature most of the works Of H Amilton, tn
Adamses and Webster, and Others-whicl
would be . sacrifice that we could not at
ford to make. In freq country, larg
proportion of literature must consist OF Pc
litical speeches, essays, etc. Who woult
| not laugh at proposition to exclude
Cicero's OratiOns from Roman literature
And if it is right to include in the literature
of Rome speeches that were parts Of the
overture to Pharsalia and Philippi, why
should not the literature of America con
tain speechee, made by ADLER men thar
| Cicero and Cato, that helped form the over
| ture to Charlottesville and Gettysburg
The South is deeply interested in having
| political speeches OF the first class regarded
a. literature, for that section has ever beer
ahead of the rest OF the country in pOlitica
discussion, which was one of the reasOnf
WHY it was able to gOven the nation under
the old regime. Ro0ert Y. Hsyne was not
only one Ut the most brilliant of the Caro-
linian political orators, but he held good
position in general literature: Virgins
has . striking literary history. In
the revolution, Richard Henry Lee and
Thomas Jefferson, Patrick Henry and
George Mason, were most conspicuous in
the production of writings and speeches
adapted to the time. Jetfers0n's works i'll
after days were vast in volume and vivid
in character; and such OF them as have
been published are to Virginia what the
writings of John Adams are to Massachu-
setts-the best of the contributions of a
State to the literature Of a natiOl. There
are two volumes Of Richard Henry Lees
writings. and they are useful, and show how
able man he was, and the man who. on
the seventh If June, 1776, proposed the reso-
lutions of dep-ndence-speaklng in the
name of Virginia, and with her authorize
tion-ought not to be forgotten and over
looked in 1876. In political literature Viz
ginia has been very rich for q century, and
from the most distinguished of her political
writers We may name Arthur Lee. W,llieM c.
Rives, Henry A. Wise, Littleton w. Taz well,
James Monroe, James Madison, John Taylor
of Caroline. We owe to Virginia the best
life of Washington that has yet appeared
are indebted to her for the writings of
George Washington, which form q most
valuable portion of Americas historical
literature William Wirf, who was one of
the earliest of those Americans who can be
classed az authOrs-he began to write at
the beginning of the present century,
passed most Of his life in Virginia, or in the
District of Columbia, though by birth he
was Marylander. General Henry Lee, of
revolutionary memory, and Governor of
Virginia and member of Congress, wrote
memoirs of the War in the Southern De-
partment Of the United Statee," one of the
most readable works that ever has appeared;
and an edition of that work was edited,
some ten years since, by General K + Lee,
the great Confederate comm ANGER, who, it
is known. was very accomplished 90 der,
and Ut strong literary tastes, and q severe
critic. The Life of James Madison, BY
William c. Rises. is Q model work, and we'll
might be initiated by writers of lives of
others Of our Presidents. OF Vlrginian au-
thors Of the present century whose names
we'll would bear extended notice, are
Philip p. Cooke, D H Strother, John r.
Thompson. E. A. Pollard. r. l.. Dabney,
Esten Cooke, General SEQ and John D
McCsbe, Jr. Maryland has contributed
some admirable works to American litera-
ture. Her most eminent writer ia the late
j Inn p. Kennedy, two Of whose novels,
Horse Shoe Robinson" ana Swallow
Barn" rank wi b the best works OF fiction
in the Language. The trst-named fairly is
ehtitled to be considered the best of all
those novels that are written for the pur-
pose of showing tho life and event, of the
Revolutionary time; and the other is most
animated picture OF the social sta of Vlr-
glnia about half century since, before the
Ancient DouiniOn had been affected by
the spirit OF our age, though it bad expe-
rit need the Results of what we NAV call the
J-fiersonian legislation. Mr.. K-nnedy's
Memoirs of William Writ" is a capital
specimen of biographical literature. He
was vOlumiDOus writer. and his writings
are of very various q aracter, but he was
never dull. Edgar A. Poe was q Mary
lander, aud much of his life was epent in
his native State, which has given him u
grave and monument. He Was true
SOuthron in the order OF his mind. precisely
as Hawthorne wa, true man Ut the North,
and to the South belongs the credit OF his
writings, which is very high, aud which
steadily increases. OF Southern authors
who have produced works lik ly to live not
before mentioned. are Thomas H B n
ton, Stephen E li"tt, r oert Good
loe Harper, Richard Daon-y, X bert
B. McAfee, Richard Henry Wide,
William Lee, Willls,n Munsord, Amelia B.
Welby, Philip St George Cook, X bert NJ.
Charlton. A H. Stephens, j u Cobb,
George Tucker, E C. Pinkney. Henry St.
George Tucker, Charles Fraser. William A.
C~rrnthers. Charles Campbell, Jer- Clem-
ems. N. N. Crawl I'D. St. George Tucker.
William Meade, CHARLES G,yarre, Alexan-
der Walker and Maria T. M.IutCsh. This
list might b- largely exfenoed. In the
literature OF the law thu South il as rich as
almost any part Of the Union. To say that
New York and New England furui-b all
our literature is to pass over the cunrribu-
tons made 70 that literature by Peuusyl-
vania. which are great, tor among American
authors who we're born IN that SIT. are
Charles Brockden Brown, author Of 'Wie-
land" and OF "Ormond." and Of other
works, q man Of remark able powers aud
he first Of our great nOvelIsts ia point If
time, and in the FIRST line always-who Was
born in Philsd. lphia and there passed most
Dt his brief life; and T. bert Mn gomery
Bird, who, though he W a. born in Delaware,
lived in Pbiladelphia most vi his years, and
most OF Whose novels and dramas (''Cvla-
var" and the ln6del." and "Tne Hawks Of
Hawk Hollow. ""rhe Gladiator and Other-)
always have been popular, and des-rvedy
Vs.; and Robert I. Conrad, poet, dramatl-t
md journalist; and Charles IngersOll,
historian and miscellaneous writer; and
Ser amin Rush, whose medical works have
llways be-n considered valuable, not to
n-ntlOn his other writ ng-; and his sop,
ticbard Rush, whose works on his dip!O-
uatic career and on other I'll jets have
zen much read; and the R.~ies, father
nd con, whose production. are authorities
D the law in some Of the higher depart
aenrs of that science; and many Others
rankin must be considered PFnnsylva-
ian, for, though born in Massachusetts,,
9 became resident of Philadelphia when !