Year: 1859

The science of politics and the art ofpoetry
would seem to be incompatible. Certainly
they are very different in many respects, but
not necessarily so incongruous as to forbid a
union of tAe qualities Characteristic of each
in one and the same person. For that mat
ter, there is more or less poetry in every
thing. Wherever there is great eXaltation
Of feeling, from any cause whatever, strong
infusion of sentiment, a lively effort of the
Imagination, a more than ordinary eloquence
of expression, the poescal spirit is present.
Therefore, even political article may con
tain the essential elements of poetry, and no
political speech that was ever delivered has
ever become truly eloquent, without rich
endowment Of the genius of poetry. No great


orator ever lived, and no truly great writer


ever lived. who was not largely gifted with
the poetic temperament. His imagination


step of yersifcation, and he may have been


unable to command the wonderous power of


rhyme and melody; but therich and abound.
ing Imagination was his, and lie flung its IT.


diant glory over the dry facts of every day
life and gave to the common places of thought
n new and unaccustomed interest


The world renowned American poet Bry
ant, has been for years political editor So
has the poet Prentice. So has the poet Tay-
lor,-Ben Taylor, of the Chicago journal a
man who has largely enriched the literature
Of his country, without, until of late years,
being as extensively known as he ought, but
who is now in his more than fortieth year
ascending to that seat among the demigods of
fame to which he is justly entitled. james
Russell Lowell has welded in the field of
politics powerful and influential pen. Al
bert Pike, of Arkansas, is poet of no mean
pretentions and he is politician, too, of
equal distinction. Numerous others might
be mentioned, of whom the same thing may
be said. Indeed in these United States, every
man is more or less politician, and the tran
sition or alienation from law to politics,
from poetry to politics, or from anything
else to politics, is the most natural thing in
the world


The above remarks have no particular ap-
Plicability to any matter of present interest
to the public, but they have suggested them
selves to us, on our seeing an assertion in
some of our exchanges to the effect that the
calling of a politician was most disgusting
calling, and political editing in particular
either mere tread-mill drudgery or an oc
cupation most obnoxious to any refined or
exalted nature Nothing is more untrue. The
purest and loftiest intellects of our country
are engaged in political journalism, and,
while this is the case, it cannot be charged
with any show of reason, that political edit
ing is in any sense drudgery or low and
disgraceful. Certain kinds of political edit
ing are indeed disgraceful enough but we
are speaking now of that species of writing
which rises above the level of mere partisan
seurrilty and abuse.


We have chosen to meet the assertion allu- |
led to by citing the fact that some of our
most distinguished poets have been political
ditors, for the reason that poets are consid,
red as far removed from the mere common
lace drudgery of thought or from things of


coarse and unrefned character as any other
lass Of men. Certain independent" papers
n the State make it point to reflect in the
manner We have noticed upon journals Of a
political character, as though all the refine
nent, all the taste and all the deeency of
journalism were with them It's in bad taste
md is untrue.