New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1883-02-09
AN ENGLISH CRITIC on AMERICAN
LITERATURE.
WHAT THE LITERARY EGoIsT" HAS DONE.


From, The Anene,ra.
uWhat we ask of a literature is that it should
give us something Of its own we sad the other week
more Tn1 representative of the Persian muse
and ii this true test must be applied TO every tea
her Of hooks written in the English language would
merely because they were produced Oh American SOIL
make an American literature
While, however, American photographers cherish the
names Of many worthless writers simply because they
selves who dnferenaly) started the theory that
there is properly speaking no sGch t9ng a. an an Az II
icaD literature at all There Is an uIustiau0h vi thS IN
the anecdote with which Professor NlchOl opens hs
toTch Of scorn an English critic Of American lady
Among Others" she replied " we nave Cha9ceri
no Wei bred EngishmaD will gainsay herr American lit
erature ia only provincial section OF the literature
consequently Professor Tylers book, when complete
Will be purely local as |S r DC b sr
American writers who taking the opposite view; have
couse there Is an American literature and also an Amer
can Language OF which English Is provincial patois
that IN the deep, true and mystic sense Chauce Shakt
spcare and Milton much sons or American SOIL as
Hawthorne and Mr. Lowell, though undoubtedly In the
earthly gross and carna sense thc lu 10 De Dorm nor
America in the poor old country" II thls Is really so
IL would not only be more courteous but more phll0
sophically correct when speaking OF Ighh literature
10 call IL American literature IN England Now, how
ever that popular and admirable lAmercan novelist
earle than himself and Mr.. James entire question
seems he o. snfl Importance though Professor Nlch0l
has a somewhat angry note upon it. There Is certainly
no reason why Thaekeray and Dickens ale now found
flames should not receive all the honors To which their
,nore refined and delicate genius entities them. Inc
lch talents OF many American writers rank them WIN
great European names but forces qlte otne[ tha nc
ta nts OF the writers required 10 tansmute ea
lure whose have been imported into new growth
possessng really indigenous qualities There needs
long period absolute isolation from the parent country
"a period long indeed, that temper, born OF
new FOLKLORE modification OF the old folk lore,
has time TO spring up and flourish In America the
the vigorous growth OF Puritan traditions which
nOurshe1 the genius OF Nathaniel Hawthorne. But
since Hawthorne wrote there has entire change
over American thought and sentiment The hard Iebra-
ism OF the Pilgrim Fathers which took captive the
fancy OF Hawthorne has succunbed amOng The literary
forces, unlike IL aud unlike
each other These scientific materalism and spirit
uastlc mysticism Perhaps. indeed, the true American
note is spirituastlc mysticism, for II must be rcmem
bered that while IN England the mystic temper rarely
6nds expression in what properly De called liter
AZURE l. quite otherwise IN America IhOreaus angry
observation-disclosures OF American my sticsm and Artemus
wards quaint carcature Of IL would scarcely be under
stood by the general public OF TINS country. But II
mysticism is not what Is the true American noet is 10
hnmOr Professor NchOl Is severe upon the cohVe1-
fional Yankee Joker And certainly the Yankee Joker IS
nat IL Inusf be confessed eXhilaratlnR creature
Sim II ne is really national and typical we VIII accept
the Yankee Joker from so interesting ant .
Dickens introduced into bellies teTeS tlat cOVeutohti
humor which depends upon coarse contrasts OF manners
IN America but here the delicate and chastened hunor
which. originally introduced by the Spanish humorlsts,
has been worked with such by all English speak
lng humorous writers down To Scott and Irving ThHck-
GRAY and Hawthorne. Therefore fear that the
Yankee Joker must be given up IL Is pity that Pro
lessor Nioho has waxed angry upon this point and
still more nscrutabe phenomenon the cockney joker
or bnrlesque-Ionger" Professor Nicho however Is a
ecochman and Of fervd soul Speaking ior instance
This gross the authors on both sides OF the
Atlantic for the benefit of the publishers on one, leads TO
the Intellectual market being sutted WIN stolen gooas