The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1901-10-28

/ the blue dome above the clouds and the |
merNeluns beauty OF sunrise aud sunset
I SKIES form the enchanted ground for de-
Z scrptive writer's Sixth literature ani
I documents pertaining to conditions which
sututOhs peculiarly American; that Is, ar |
ticleS not only revealing the social civil, |
I domestic and spiritual life hut also polnt- |
/ ING OUT turther evolution in democratic |
/ principles changes In creed and the intro |
: duction OF new relations between church |
and state. These discussions added their
modicum OF Influenza toward the deyel. |
/ opment OF that political wisdom and SUI
I perb statesmanship which became the
motive force or the revolution and the
/ handspring OF American independence.
/ The groups OF writings which ] have
| Just enumerated did not arise out OF the
direct interest for the colonial reading
/ public, but were the outcome Of love and
Interest In England In the last and
I seventh group, note that the writings
are especially for the behoof of the colo
There are sermons and treatises on re.
| Lyon In which we md examples of ripe
scnoia,rshiP and prodIglous learning; there
are histories thow material Il is to leave
! records of ourselvesl and here aud there
/ we nhd bits OF poetry aud prose -heralds
announcing the approach of armies of
writer's whose works we cherish, whose
| examples we cndeavor to initiate.
! Not TIL the overthrow of monarchy and
in England does the cavalier make his
I advent into Virginia. Not then, TIN the
middle Of the seventeenth century do we
Z see the cavalier take root In American
soil. From then on by force of character
he rises to n position OF supremacy. Prior
/ to this time the inhabitants of Virginia
were chiefly Migrants bankrupts criminals
''aristocrats gone TO seed, and others
whose origin Is equivocsl The cavilier
calne-ahd by his presence dignity, periua
nencc and gradual growth were insured
to the colony. Rut that IN which we are
mot interested Is what progress was
tionS right FOR the rise of literary talent
and the growth Of literaiurel The climate
ana the soil of the adopted home of the
. muIp nnriGWlfurp IL UrQfif Hitln and
cougenial pursuit. Land was plentiful and
cheap. likewise labor for slaves and serfs
cultivated the crops and the Nirgnin land
owners controlled immense tracts OF land,
establishing on this side Of the Atlantic
a sort Of manoriai system an idea which
he inherited and cherished as dear to his
heart In Virginia there were no towns
and villages; as Mr., Bancroft says, there
was hardly such sight as a cluster Of
three dwellings. There was isolation With
it's attendant disadvantages. There was
no centralizing idea; public spirit was
Public improvement was everywhere neg
lected; bridges and roads We're not bult
because rivers and streams were thought
to be adequate highways. Court houses,
thearers Libraries. churches and schools
aud all manner of imp oyement whatever
that involved the notion OF public Enterprise
did not loosen the purse strings of Viz
gin!ans. With such dispersed cOmmuul-
ty, do you think 1t practical for them TO
malntNin schoOls2 The vice separation OF
these farms and the nsrrowness OF execu-
tive authority combined to deprive the
children Of the colonlsts OF even primary
| education. 81 thank God says the gov
eruOr. there are 70 free schools, nor print
inF and / hope we shall not have these
IN a hundred .yenrs. for learning has
, brought disobedlence and heresy, and sects
into the world, and printing has divuged
them and li6elS against the best govern
ment' During the latter part Of the Sew
enteenth century that period of compare
. | tive dearth Ia the literary life of Virginia,
! higher education, too, was neglected. Free
. dom Of speech and thought were denied
: ] Though II Is not generally understood
. | HgiouS intolerance was just AS rampant
IN Virginia among the cavaliers as in New
Intolerance In New England died Of shame,
| 10 sull cast a blight upon the lives ana
have received the testimony OF history.
/ What shall We expect ia the way OF hlcr-
ature? The cavalier, with his social or
ganization, could nor contribute much TO
needs be free from arthcallty and afecta-
ton Of learning. His literature is genuine,
lord Is an interesting character He is
naughty, indolent passionate, hospitabe,
fond Of gaming and politics, music and
cards and danciug hery In temper, quick
10 resent an injury, warm In friendship
brave and adrot In war, imperious in poll
! ties. vehement In orGtory and witnal, suS-
coptlbe Of high literary culture, for here
aud there we lind amateur literary men,
though there Is az this time no literary
r cluss, and almost no literature.
Between the Puritan and cavalier is q
/ well defined contrast, The Puritan, modest
, industrious, temperate hospitahe ou'y 10
those of his religious connections diSdau-
ing cards and held sports aud dancug,
discouragng tastes for music or tendencies
} for laughter, austere and plous, scholarly
70 ana public spirited, strong advocate Tor
e the Lord and the church, which is the
{ state personally, we'll qualihed 10 add
S luSue to American literature, but alas.
, 100 olgoted ana tntoerant The PuritaEs
j settled in groups Of families forming towns
a or villages or cities, where the benefits
. OF close fellowship were obtained. In this
G / WAY the various Industries and trQQpS.
erection and maintenance of schools,
Q churches and libraries, the Interchange Of
, facilitated, Compact communities meant
i common stimulation and common forOear,
= ance, These communities were composed
/ OF learned, thinking men, there was an
/ earnestness in the lives that may be
q called terrible. All the powers Of their
5 intellectually and the earnestncss of tneir
= chief thing in life, so they considered.
e Latorlous students of the classics as they
abandon their unloading orthodoxy and
| mercilesS intolerance. This is cloud
+ which throws shadow upon their literary
l. career which otherwise would have been
+ brilliant. Through a long period their
aStheuc sense was smothered, but, as
j. Mr.. Tyler says, the aesthetic sense was
stIl within them, aud in pure aud whole,
!, some natures such as theirs, the emer-
s geaee was only matter of normal growth
n ti1l upon the beauties Of holiness, are
=, not far from the sight OF all beauty Even
g IN lnelr lives some 'SpafklcS ana pfopu
n estes of the destined spendor could not
e help breaking forth"
= There is "A close kinship between the
l. Quaker and the Puritan, and Vet the
q Quaker Is the connecting link between tho
b Puritan and the cavalier. The Quaker was
IS Industrious and aggressive, sympathetic
and charitable; in this colony religious and
i political freedom were enjoyed. The
J. Quaker, though commonly supposed, dill
IS not walt for the spirit to move him, did
II not depend upon an Inward flash OF In
e spiration, but he really recognized the ad
r vantage of self Training. ana the psi
s bility OF high iiAeilscIual culture by as
" slduous study and literary intercourse Will
p his fellow countrymen. Clubs were organ
d ICED and literary spirit was fostered, ana
d II Is well 10 understand that these Quakeri
n contributed no small amount toward the
It merit OF colonial literature. We have haC
q glimpse OF the colors. There they AZ,
l. on the sereen-the scroll Of history. Bring
l. your thermometer near and read. In gen
IL eral," to use the words of worthy critic
n the characteristic note Of American liter
l. ature In the colonial line, Is, for New
a England, scholarly, logical, speculative, un
: worldly, rugged somhre, and as one passes
Il southwark along the coast, across othel
II spiritual zones, this literary note changes
A. rapidly toward lightness and brightness
- until Il reaches the sensuons mirth, thu
4. frank and ioyial worldllness. the satire, ;h'