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Literary Intelligence Extraordinary

About This Item

  • Title: Literary Intelligence Extraordinary
  • Date: 8 November 1858
  • Creator(s): Walt Whitman
  • Whitman Archive ID: per.01114
  • Source: Brooklyn Daily Times, 8 November 1858: 2. Our transcription is based on a digital image of a microfilm scan of the original issue. Microfilm of original issue held at Pennsylvania State University Libraries. For a description of the editorial rationale behind our treatment of the journalism, see our statement of editorial policy.
  • Editorial note: This piece is unsigned, as was the case for most of Whitman's journalism. However, this editorial is part of a series of texts that deal with a coherent theme that has been identified by the Whitman Archive journalism team as likely authored by Whitman. This decision is based on a combination of historical and (auto)biographical accounts, similarity to contemporary Whitman writings, a history of scholarly attribution, extant clippings retained by Whitman, computational stylometric analysis, and, in some cases, manuscript evidence in Whitman’s hand.
  • Contributors to digital file: Kaylen Michaelis Samantha Gilmore Brandi Faulkner Stefan Schöberlein Karie Cobb
  • Cite this page: Whitman, Walt. "Literary Intelligence Extraordinary." The Walt Whitman Archive. Gen. ed. Matt Cohen, Ed Folsom, & Kenneth M. Price. Accessed 17 July 2024. <http://www.whitmanarchive.org>.
  • Source File: per.01114.xml (TEI)
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LITERARY INTELLIGENCE EXTRAORDINARY.—

The Eagle1 of Saturday contained a long notice, accompanied by extracts of a work which it denominates "Carlyle's Peter the Great." Now we pretend to some little knowledge of books in a modest way, and not long ago ourselves briefly reviewed what we supposed to be that celebrated writer's latest production, viz: his "Life of Frederick II of Prussia," but of the particular work referred to by the Eagle we confess never to have heard a single syllable. Neither, after diligent research, have we been able to find any mention of it in any list of Carlyle's2 works. Queer—isnt' it? Could we suspect the existence of any Irishman about the Eagle office, we should set the matter down as a "bull," but as it is, we must conclude that the journal has superior sources of information—perhaps by some secret understanding with 'De Santy'3 has procured advance intelligence of the aforesaid "Life of Peter the Great" over that Atlantic Telegraph!4 Meantime let Carlyleists rejoice in the double treat that is in store for them.

Notes:

1. The Brooklyn Daily Eagle was the leading daily newspaper of the independent city of Brooklyn for much of Whitman's adult life. Founded in 1841, it became the main organ of the Democratic party in town. Whitman had been the Eagle's editor between 1846 and 1848 and still occasionally contributed to the paper into the late 1850s (see Amy Kapp, "A Long-Lost Eagle Article Puts Walt and Jeff on the Map," Walt Whitman Quarterly Review, vol. 40 [Winter/Spring 2023]: 140–49). For more information on Whitman and the Eagle, see Dennis K. Renner, "Brooklyn Daily Eagle," Walt Whitman: An Encyclopedia, ed. J.R. LeMaster and Donald D. Kummings (New York: Garland Publishing, 1998). [back]

2. Thomas Carlyle (1795–1881) was a Scottish historian and writer who is known for his books The French Revolution, On Heroes, Hero-Worship, and the Heroic in History, and The History of Friedrich II. of Prussia, Called Frederick the Great. For more information, see Matthew C. Altman, "Carlyle, Thomas (1795–1881)," Walt Whitman: An Encyclopedia, ed. J.R. LeMaster and Donald D. Kummings (New York: Garland Publishing, 1998). [back]

3. Charles Victor De Sauty (1830–1893) was the Superintendent of the transatlantic telegraph cable in Newfoundland. [back]

4. The Transatlantic Telegraph was the first cable connection between the United States and Europe, built by Cyrus West Field and the Atlantic Telegraph Company. It sent its initial message—a note from the British Queen—in 1858 and, although the cable spanning from Canada's Trinity Bay to Ireland was only in operation for three weeks, had a major impact on transatlantic relations of the antebellum period. [back]

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