The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1912-02-06

| gain getting, so far from being af-
fected by what is proveroially known
| as Yankeeism. American literature
shows decidedly less of these Very
| traits than do the literatures of most
| other nations. In fact. the fundamen-
tai characteristic of American liter
allure is its idealism. All great writ
| ers in America-al writer's consid-
| cred great-haVe been without excep-
ton idealists, yet idealists raised to
the nth power; and it is 10 accident
that from an American poet. from
Longfellow, the world has received
that exquisite poem whose refrain.
Excelsior has become the watch
word of idealists in all lands
This is high praise to pay American
literature but it is abundantly mer-
tied. Engel might have mentioned. in
addition to Longfellow's familiar
poem Emerson's "~Forerunners," Haw-
thorne's Great Stone Face Poe's
~'Eldorado.' Lowells "L'Envoi to the
Muse" Holiness "Chambered Nau-
titus" Whittier'S "NanlSherS, or
I.anier's Song Of the Chattahoochee."
They are one and all instinct with an
/ idealism as pure and as high as any
literature can show. Indeed The
Great Stone Face" seems to me the
highest reach Of idealism to which an
American short story has ever attain
ed. It sets q standard by which any
nation may measure its progress in
moral and intellectual worth.
But let me remind you that many
of our critics concede idealism to
American literature but deny it tn
American life. This indeed is M OF
the backgrounds of conflicting
opinion. To my mind the man who
sees in the typical American only or
chiefly the greedy m~Oney-Setter or
the rabid officeseeker is suffering
sorely from spiritual myopia. There
are, it must be remembered. two
kinds of idealism: the idealiSm that
dreams and the idealisrn that does. In
the former the vision is ar end in
itself, in the latter it is only a means
to an end. The former we may call
subjective idealism. the latter con-
structive idealis1n. This kind Of ideal
ism, the constructive type, has char
acterized the American people from
the beginning. 1t explains why in the
Hall Of Fame men Of action take pre-
cedence over men of abstract thought.
1t explains the difference in attitude
on the part of Americans toward mill
HOnalreS who inherit or hoard their
wealth and those who expend it con-
structiVely: we have learned that
richesse oblige. It explains why Elmer
son and Jefferson are quoted more
often by men Of all shades of opinion
| than any other two writer's in our lit
erature. 1t explains why Poe is COM
ing into his own; We are beginning to
recognize that he was essentially
American because he was as truly q
constructive force in American lit
: e%rature as was Edwards in theology
!, or Jefferson in politics. 1t explains
our loyalty to the stars and bars as
f Well as to the stars and stripes. It
t explains the sweep Of our civilization
westward to the Pacific and across
the Pacific to the Philippine stands.
. II explains our capacity for expecting
f great things.
1t explains our dissatisfaction with
: the present condition OF our schools
: and colleges, Of our churches and
: charitable organizations, of our city
governments, u State governments.
and our National government. This
dissatisfaction is not weak or uueru-
< ious. 1t Is born OF an ingrained ideal
I ism 1t Is constructive in it's ends and
beneficent in its It is The
G song OF the Chattahoochce" set to
march time.
III.
e INC American Int1an, the American
G snort story, American humor. and
american ldealiSm-these are the
elements IN our literature that have
n made the deepest impression upon the.
. European mind. Why? There seems
70 me only one answer these are the
{ eleTnents IN which the European. con-
sciouSiy or uncQnsciousIy, sees or
ieeis something distinctively and essen
'4aiiS american. Other national liter
atures concern themselves with IN
Il ulahs Tor other savage people). with
me snort story, with huroor. with
: rueal'srn. indeed know Of no Euro
peah hatlon whose literature cannot
8 sno" notable achievements IN All ~
5 .hese reaches Of literary effort PM
: mere IS something about the Amer
> can achievement in these things tha+
e Stamps itself as nationally character.
~ astIe, "hat Is it: 1t is. l believe. the
action ana ~interaction Of two rniohtn
u forces, forces which have long go
. ~.Ieoghlzed IN our political life. hut
) when nave not been ~ecognize IN o,r
80 literature. These forces are individu-
- a a. ma ana coliectiyism. or. as I prefer
- ~ caii them. individualism and IN.
/" stitutionalism "Individualjsm F." az AZ
n fSnaG Nv, - - as Cc-