The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1904-03-20

and make the law so stringent that cruel
people will not dare to violate it. The
highest average daily wage paid to men
is $2.05; women, 81 cents. The lowest
average paid to men is 60 cents; to wo-
men, AZ, and the average wage of children
is So cents
While no >admirer Of Professor William
P. Trent, l would not do him knowingly
an injustice. With other journalists I
took hand in his criticism several years
ago. He was a Professor at Sewanee
| University, the Episcopal leading school
in the South. The fire got too warm, and
after showing his leanings Northward, he
| folded his tent and went to the section
where he would be higher appreciated and
noticed as no friend of his people. He
is, think, Virginian by nativity, is an
accomplished man of letters, writes ex-
cellently, and has been much advanced
and applauded in his new and more con-
genial home. George Gable was the first
man of Southern birth (but his parents
we're Yankees) to make his filings at the
white people in the South. He long ago
went TO New England and got his reward.
Prof. Trent Is an Ii. D., and is Professor
Of English Literature in Columbia Univer-
sity, New York City. He has published
several volumes that werewolf received
by the Northern newspapers and maya
zines. His latest publication is "A His
tory of American Literature. / have
seen favorable notices of it, "Gunton's
Magazine has lauded it highly. saying
that he had produced the best book ION
the History of American Literature 1t
says that it lis undoubtedly the most au
tEoritative and in all respects the best
history OF American writer's that has been
published / have not seen 1t, and do
not know how he handles the South. From
his early beginnings l would look for neg
| lect, censure. derision and even contempt
/, from him for literati of our Southland
| Prof. Woodberry, lately Of the same great
| institution of learning. was very caustlc
and contemDtuous of Southern writers in
| a paper he published not long since. I
| believe he even dared to spit upon Poe.
/ learn that DR.. Trent is particularly en-
amoured of the great Jonathan Edwards,
Benjamin Franklin, Walt Whitman. j.
r, Lowell, w. c. Bryant and John. G..
Whitter-the men of New England-but
what about Holmes, Emerson, Longfel
| low, and some others? "Gunton" says
| this, and | am glad to see so able and
| thoughtful a monthly speaking out so
| bravely for the supremacy of Poe I
quote as follows:
eve do not think that Professor Trent
I, has done Justice either to Emerson or to
| Pee. He does not seem to get at the
freal Emerson, who, while he was not a
great master OF prose or poetic style, was
| yct the master OF the best thinking that
has been done on the American confident.
OF Poe he seems to appreciate the NOR
bidity' and gloom OF his verse, but ad-
mits that he has produced the sweetes.
melody and possibly the most haunting
music that has been created in America.
Poe is not only the greatest poet of
America, but is, perhaps, our only writer
| that ranks with the really great of the
earth"
That the man who wrote the best of all
| American Verse, the most original of all
| American tales, and much of the hest
| American criticism, was great genius,
| nay not be derided by any well informed,
appreciative and candid reader. Prof
Trent found no special merit in Sidney
| Lanier, and, | suppose, IN Timrod, Hayne
and other Southern poets. 'Gunton" is
fair and discriminating. 1t says:
I'm this connection, it should be noted
that Professor Trent, with singular over
sight, omits all mention of Sidney Lanier,
except in two brief phrases where he men,
lions Corn and speaks of him with
equal brevity in reference to Bayard Tay-
lord. This omission can not be >ascribed
to the limitations of the book. Iauier
did enduring work in the criticism and
poetry He was a larger figure in lltera-
ture than Bayard Taylor and many others
to whom Professor Trent devotes pages.
: Very scant indeed, One must wonder
if he will ever be able to produce prose
essays and books of the value of Lanier,
or ever weave his fancies into rhymes of
such genuine poetic flavor and merit as
the gifted Georgians best. He under
rates Poe as a writer of prose, He holds
that che is not to be ranked in prose
with Scott, or Cooper, or Hawthorne.
That will amuse latter-day critical
reader. Scott was beyond doubt the most
creative British mind since Shakespeare,
but he was careless writer at times, and
has been often punctured for his style.
Cooper has never been held up as model
in prose. Hawthorne is the best master
of prose style in American literature. Poe
may not equal him, but he surpasses in
'|NVN~AA
Magician or the American writer of In
dian and sea novels. "Gunton" laughs
at Trent for his comparisons and asks:
WAS there ever before such group
| ing to indicate style or power? Such ex-
amples only serve to betray the iimlta-
tions Of the writer, and when the reader
expects vista he encounters jungle.
However, as the author frankly admits,
we are at too close range to our own
writer's 'to judge them eoolly.
From these samples in critical insight
taste, Judgment, would question the
claim of ''Gunton's Magazine at the be-
ginning of the article when it assigns
Trentg book as 1.-The best book of it's
kind. The others must be very defective
| if this be correct opinion. But the North
will wonder, admire, exalt, for is not
Trent an enemy Of his own people?
The signs seem to be propitious for the