National Republican., 1877-08-27
AMERICAN LITERATURE AND THE
NATIONAL CAPITAL.

Owing to the present vast extent Of our
territory and the certainty of its still
further expansion in the future, it will be
important to have q recognized central
authority for settling the grammar and pro-
nunciati0n of our language, so as to prevent
the growth of provincial dialects. The
establishment of the national university
and the assemblage of large literary pop
ulation in this capital would make the
learned society of Washington the supreme
tribunal in matters of this kind 1t would
be unnecessary to have here a special acad-
smy like the Della Crusca of Florence for
the national university and its concOmitant
literary society would form an authority
upon all questions relating to language
which would throughout all Saxondom
command the highest respect.
In order that the city ofWashinston may
properly perform this and oil its other
functions as the literary capital Of our
widely extended Republic, it will need, in
addition TO its university, all the incidental
advantages which can he desired from liter
ary clubs, learned societies, scientific asso-
Citations and every agency calculated to fill
the city with an atmosphere of learning.
Prominent among these aids would be
the rendering "f II SoSk publishing CEN
tire. Hitherto very few books, except those
published by tho Government, have been
V'intcd here. The same Is true of periOdi-
sal-. II appearing from o recent news deal
ers catalogue that OF one hundred and ten
quarterly, monthly and weekly American
PUBLICATIONS contained in il, only one is
published IN Washington. Our country
Mas hitherto been chiefly noted for its
material progress. Its growth in wealth
and population has satisfied the national
ambition, so that even our intellectual cul'
ture has been fastered for purposes Of utility
rather than from n disinterested love o.
learning aud the arts. We are, however
evidently entering upon new era in OH
history in which the wo,th OF intellectual
achievements will be mors highly esteemed
One Of tho m ost encouraging signs of ,hii
progress Is tho longing there IL among liter
ary men everywhere for greater unity in
the intellectual life Of the patton. Ip thi
respect our experience 10 somewhat lik'
that 0f Germany, for German nationalisi
owes fat more To The unity Of sentiment pro
duced BY rhe l'ro;herly feeling which hai
long prevailed among her scholars than Il
any p0litc5l causes.
The same iIhuences are at work among
the cultivated men OF this nation. The,
arc now earnestly demanding n centre 0
authority i0i the Intellectual empire .
America, which shall he for onr iitomr,
men ss Loudon h. for those Of England an'
Paris foi those Of Fsinoe This want o
American literature is well expressed ny
Mr.. Lowxri In the following extract from
his Intro !uctiou to y recent edition oil tn,
works OF EpoAH ALLxS Poe:
The stuaton o< AncriCsu literature Is anoma
lorIs II has 40 uenu5, Or If II have, II Is lik
thai VI tie sphere Of HcIineS. IT Is divided int
many systspai slcL revolving Arounl It's severn
sun and Ofsr pressnting ~ The next onl
q faint Yimmer " a milk aud water way. on
CIpltnl tity unlike lnndou or Paris, ID not grcR
centr heart from which life and yigor radiate ;
thc sxtremlties, hut resembles more an isolats'
ruihhic's stuck down us near AZ may be TO n