The Arkansaw traveler., 1886-01-30

is their country's pride. Aud more par
 ticulaxty In the laaer yeaFs havo our ht.
 erary men put on the royal robes ot
 manly moral excellence, and challenged
 the world io a noble competition Tor
 what Is best in this highest Geld of Au.
 man cndeavoF. Not only Is American
 literature strong and pure, but 1t Is a re.
 Hex of the characters of those who have
 produced t. They are its apostles,
 They have written out ot themselves.
 coucealing and extenuating nothing They have put the gold of their sub
 stance into history, romance aud poetry and we have no occasiou to blush for any
 tone or color they have given their work
 The histories of Prescott, Motley and
 Bancroft are monuments of manly abil- ity and learning and paiustAkinG fidelity, and we may think ot their authors as con. feTring more honor upon ;he:s country
 and their race in their characters than in their works Their biographies out
 weigh their histories. Their characters
 outshine their genius. Their best work
 vas in themselves.
 Bryant, Long gfellow. Whittier, Holmes,
 Lowell, have no lines which a refined and
 cultured posterity will want to blot out O A,
 no apologies to make tor their lives Their characters arc of crystalline purity ard their lives as beautiful and noble as the literature they have created. And they arc only the taller trees of forest
 tha, has grown up around them in the field of American literature. Not simply to please and Amuso have they written, not only for honor and fame, but to in- s,rues, to bene6t. to mako literature use ful 10 humanity in the development oi
 character and manhood. They are teachers ofthc people, not only in letters,
 but in science, patriotism, morality, and practical religion. As men in all the walks and ways of lite, they honor their 5 country and their kiad. And those A lii. ' tie less noted, associated with them, arc ; men in the main, ot like nobility and life. They are men in the various pro ,, iessions who have yet found time and . ability 10 put their names on the roll oi those who wvtte for the honor and bcne it ot hum manity.
 This higA ground taken for literaturS
 by the leading literary men of this coun $ try IS well supported by such men a' '' Hego and Tennysoa abroad, and make' : thcm 10 large sense teachers ol th, people and formers of the private snC O public character. 1t makes literatur, and itx authors of immense importance T. Literature is indeed a gospel ot cnligh, ], ennsent and moral progress a sptr,tua . renewef -a mslder of tAe hearts and hve ' of the people.
 n Wha, men read ,houg ghuuliY enters Int x ttseir spiritual m ake-up. It's the alsmen 'S that feeds and Ruganents tbeir souls. ~ not only entcrtalRs them but enlarge 'e and exAlts them And II their reading | '' of the manly aad v,rtv rus so |, |, fur '- nishes them witA the very Aiimcnt c D moral character. IL Rives them opinion v aud principles, seAsoas and iwcentives .e In tree, intelligent country tske ouri D litersture Is the expression ot thaTactes . and becomes character makiwE in turs Politics, philosophy, social seBeis,ent, ~ ; ligion. will all fnd expressioA in IL, an o' in susa produce their like. k Is not sn IT Sipid and scvtimcntal. but serious, sal s- wart And regs ant. The streagest mnd ,. will become its aushors and use fo 70 tho,r most earnest purposes. It is bv T. nataral that the le@iing ntsds oi Q couu try like this shoulA make 1iteratasc tn 70 imserwmept .of thck stToHgest purpose, o It mwst be the sceptre od tTee intelli gen oi Peop&e. Began as an Asnascrne ept. it wi o' csms ts be the right arm of ,heir powe This view of literature takes t out = the ca,egwy of everything trivial and io
 cose. and makes it the Highest expsessio i. Of . peoples lie and the best inssrumes s, 0t tAoss improvement. And 1t pxis upo, !. literary men the weigttseu responsibili :, ties that men have to bear They aT :. miRd le sxiers, soul -q uiokcners, charactei :, formers. pation-builders. They live an, n wo~k in the very heart of hamanity = They handle the wcsg ghtiest and mos : sarred tbiags. They gre not necrom an ,v oess or iugglcss, bat dealers in che mo. 7. positive and powerful realities of ou - ssssoss asd scns,i*e fife and !, IS lo = them se sealwc this not only in their us oo oi ictsevs. bu, m their conduct snd inne lives, out of which comes thcaS liierar, power.
 T. Our Amersc an government haa laiteri recogsss cd the value of the literary mint :, in sosse of sts most coa spicuous appoin, .. ses;s- At Motley and Mr Lowei = served their oountry with singaias credi {, at the cour o< St James, wherc genuIn, :, worth is as carefully weighed, pcshapa {, as in any PlAne in the world Others be = fore them hs~e proved their 6sness lo i, shis high service. This is a gress ad !. vance upsn the ancient position and char 4 after of the literary maa. and intin ate, the position broadly open for the highel i. literAti of the future. Cepuins worth |, persistent work and broad culture ant . sym mpathies, will fl nd rccogsition and ser {, vice in 'he higher fields of statesm an. ship. Upward is the ostiook for iitsra. r sSss ss1 :;s ss;ksrs The knights of the . pen may govern themselves accordingly