Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1883-11-02
lancaster .anirIIigcnrrt.
FRIDAY FvsNINo, NOV. >, 1889,
nmsr,oan,.m 10 Literatuts.

hmerioanl-m IA Literature
Tbc Continent.
An immense amount Of twaddlc has
beer written Of late on both sides Oh the
wattr upon what is termed the Amefl'
can element IN literature This " Amerl-
can element" has been assumed 20 be the
use of an American setting for fictitious
characters, che employment OF dHlCctic
peculiarities u be met with only IN The
United States, or tho delinCaton OF phases
OF life peculiar 20 our civilization ani
development More than one profound
critic has analy zed this "cloment' with
sort Of pityiug regret for its immaturity
and incompleteuess. Ono in particular has
lately undertaken the novel task OF deter
mining tho exact amount OF American
ism iu each of our prominent native
writer's. This author, we are grayely told
has developed one, auu that ahoIner
peculiar phase OF our life, but no one mas
yet been found who has been ehVleIy
American and yet altogether worthy oi
communication. The whole idea Ia absurd.
The American element" in literature Is
entirely independent of the subject matter
of An authors work and of the nationality
of his characters. There is no work OF
fiction In which the American element Is
moro distinct and apprccuble than III
Uavtborps's Marble Fauu Yet the
scene is laid iD o foreign land, and Tn
characters have hardly a hin. Of The New
World about them AmarlclntSm IN
literature, properly 80 sly led, Is not g II
tiued TO supplying fresh subjects, inlnlSu
ing new dialects, developing new inydcn'a'
or the prUftuing uuhlckueycd seen IS T..
the novelist aud poet. LsaJhorS-ooNug
has iu it really loss Ui the Am"ua1n
element that one ot James lntaruAJl1""i
series The American element 10 NteIA-
ture is simply the American element Ia
our thought II matters not whether #
be in q. fiction, philosophy or history, that
IL the true AmCuCautSm which Is D result
of American training AMI "apauenuh'
Motley's historical works have lnh Weiy
more of the element IN them than tIys
colts though the former are al C)AraIueu
with European subjects aud the Iattg' onS
with American, MIR. MOtlry.s American.
ism inspired aud Illuminated every page oi
that most vivid OF all historical munN-
graphs, "John of Barueveldt.' None oU,
an American could have written 1t because
none other has realized the latest rcsu,Jaut
Influence OF the spirit and movement ol
which the Dutch Rcpubhc was one at
tho myriad sources. Ga the contrary, any
Eughsh author OF like learning aud ability
might have written OI8 ut Plts''tl '
works, simply because they have no dis
tiuCtly American tone or quaI'N. l. ls
not, for instance, the American Cua'actors
OF MIR. James that constitute even tho
major part of thaa element In ms works,
but his power Of looking At things '"reisu,
rs well as domestic, with American eyes.
u is power 20 doubt, biun,cd d. bus
long rasidUuce abroad, aud evlsg..s grow
ing weaker as his sympathy with the best
and purest phrases o. our western Ike
lOOses its hold upon him. 90 So iar as
its superhCialitICs, its mlu'Ic,tuJrs ~
Httleness and gree land the melnvr pAasr-
of its aspirations are concerned, Nd m .-
has kegucr insight; and, seek % dis
guise it ~ we may, the American eIemeu,
is always the most prominent on" .u every
thing he writes This Misrepresentation Of
what constitutes Ameucaulsm 90 !tcrA-
ture lies at the root Of tie error which 80
many English critics have maj. - regard
to our poets and novelists. They seem t.
think, aud do not hesitate - declare 10
effect, that American literature can only
claim credit Iog distnctiveu"ss .0 -o far q
it d,liurates new and uuhesrd tuDa-,s "
characrnr Developed in SON. q, .ue "'l.
Of the New World \ rec. r vr.nr tic
claJes that Lowell sAhjh.s E..g .'la
AmeriCauism.' except ln ''n n.,".''
Papers" The truth is t@f his" .Rs nn
reviews are Just ~ Il .s.'nr'rya. NH.i}t'
beclus' they abound la VI "- " WHIT o
aud subjects which are l.' .N.. a"a wu
meiialr result of his own 49, H.u U
Shakespeare was as disdnalNv.r GI-is
when be reviyihnd rhn 'rmn. %. .H.,aT .
when b" rort.ay,d the i.ly kn.ah.
CAD s Dad. and Lowell is uy Jess hmpI.c