WHY
A NATIONAL LITERATURE
CANNOT FLOURISH
IN THE
UNITED STATES OF NORTH AMERICA
BY
JOSEPH ROCCHIETTI
_Celui qui n’ a égard en écrivant qu’ au goùt de son siècle,
songe plus à sa personne qu’ à ses écrits. Il faut toujours
tendre à la perfection; et alors cette justice
qui nous est quelquefois refusée par nos contemporains,
la postérité sait nous la rendre._
La Bruyère.
NEW YORK
PRINTED BY J. W. KELLEY, 424 BROADWAY
1845.
AMERICAN GENIUSES.
For your welfare, may your country listen to my feeble voice, prosper
with your prosperity, and the eagle of liberty spread throughout the
world.
JOSEPH ROCCHIETTI.
NEW YORK, the first of 1845.
WHY
A NATIONAL LITERATURE
CANNOT FLOURISH
IN THE
UNITED STATES OF NORTH AMERICA.
CHAPTER I.
THE PEOPLE OF THE UNITED STATES IS NOT A NEW PEOPLE.
Many americans, and a few foreigners, think that America is yet too
young a country for possessing a National Literature. If they intend
to say, that the number of classical writers of America, cannot yet
compete with the number of classical writers of any old country, of
course, it cannot be otherwise. But, that the living present americans
cannot have an equal number of writers, as the living old nations, for
no other reason, but because this nation is a new one, is what I deny.
Were America a nation of indians beginning now their civilization,
independently of any other already civilized nation, to reproach
them because they have not a competent literature as well as the old
civilized nations, it would be the same as to reproach the times of
Abram, because they were not civilized as the present most civilized
nations. Such is not the case with the United States of America. The
american soil is new; but, the american people is not younger than
the european people. This country is composed of colonies from the
old continent, who came here with the very laws, religions, learning,
languages, prejudices, arts, and literature of the old continent. The
classical writers of their mother countries belong to the american
also: and to say that the present living american people cannot have
a classical literature as well as the present living writers of their
mother country, because it is too young a people, it would be the same
as to say, that the language of the United States is not an english
language.
Besides, if it is a soil fit to expel old prejudices, it is this new
soil, now in possession of an old people as we stand in this country.
Some writers, traveling through this country, supposed the americans
a people of facts only, from whom fine arts, poetry, or literature
cannot be expected; as if fine arts, poetry, and literature were not
things of fact, as laws, government, or mechanical works. Man is
an imitating being: honor an american Tasso, or an american Michæl
Angelo, and instead of having too many, who aspire the presidency of
the United States, you will have your Tassos, and your Michæl Angelos.
That America has her artists, poets, and literati as well as England,
France, Germany, or Italy, I have no doubt: but, if the genius does not
flourish here as it does among the old nations, my purpose is now to
demonstrate it.