Phenix gazette. [volume] (Alexandria [D.C.]) 1825-1833, 1825-12-19
Mtssrs. Sno,cden e Thornton:

ments.
Messrs. Sno,cden e Thornton:
GESrLExKx-with very many others,
have always been under the impression that
Ms. AnnRadcliffe-thec celebrated founder of
the English school of Romantic fiction -had
her reason dethroned. That misapprehen-
son-rather belief-has been completely con-
troverted in reading her life, in late publlca-
ton by Sir Waiter Scott, entitled
LIVES OF THE NovELIsTs,
A publication, in my mind, equal to any ofhls
varied and various productions, displaying the
most classic critical acumsn, not as rigid cri-
tic, but giving eritique on the works OF the
standard novelists, with that Iberality and i'm
agination, that was exemplifed by Addison,
in the Spectator. as regarded Millions "Para
disc Lost" and which FIRST brough. into no
tee that sublime epic.
The Lives of the Noveists found at my
friend sr. Martins Library, man whose
sterling worth merits patronage.
Sir Walter Scott thus writes:
"rThe tenor of Mrs. Radcliffe's private life
"seemsto have been peculiarly calm and Sc
"questered. She probably declined the sort
"of personal notoriety, which, in London So
''ciety, usually attaches to persons of literary
"merit; and perhaps no author, whose works
awere so universally read and admired. was
ESQ E,tle personally known. even. to the most
"active of that class Of people OF distinc-
elton, who rest their peculiar Pre'ensions
"to fashion, upon the selection Of literary
esociety. Her estate was certainly not
sthe less gracious; and it did not disturb Mrs.
.sRadcliffe's domestic comforts, although ma
sny of her admirers believed, and some are
ssyet undeceived, that, in consequence Of
.sbrooding over the terrors which she depict
"ed, her reason had at length been overturn-
"ed, and that the author of sIhe Mysteries Of
"Udoipho. only existed as the melancholy IN
~mate of private mad-house. This report
"was so generally spread, and so confidently
"repested in print, as well as in conversation,
,sthat the editor (Sir w. S.) believed it for
ssseveral years, until, greatly to his satisfac-
"tion, he learned from good authority, that
s'there neither was, nor ever had been, the
s.most distant foundation for this unpleasing
ssrum0ur."
The life of this ingenious and amiable lady
terminated on the 9TH of Feb. 1922, at her
own house in London, and it is but bare JUS
tee to her memory, if Gentlemen you think
with me on the subject, to spare column Of
your well edited paper, for the foregoing tes-
timony of the Northern Star Of NoveIsts, Sir
Walter Scott. H.
OREGON.
Tie following description OF this
portion of the country, is rendered
more interesting by the circumstances
that Gen. Floyd's Bill, providing for its
occupation, will be brought up a, the
present session Of Congress.
OREGON TERRITORY.
This territory bounds the vast do
minion Of the United States, on the
West, II extends from the 42d to the
49th degree Of latitude, and from the
ll5,h 10 the l25th parallel Of Longitude
west of London. 1t is bounded on the
north by a narrow belt Of land, which
separates our possessions from those
efRussia, on the east side by the Rocky
Mountains, on the west by the Pacific,
and on the south by the Republic OF
Mexico. 1t is about SOS miles in length
by 400 in breadth, and contains $751;
600 square miles, which, if all suffi-
GENTLY fertile, would supper: popu-
lation Of FIVE OF six millions. This
immense territory is almost unknown.
For the little knowledge We possess, we
are principally indebted to the disco
yeries Of Clark and Lewis, which did
not extend much further than the banks
of the Columbia river and its tributa-
ries. The name Of this river was chan
eed. at the last session Of Congress, in
10 Oregon, which signi6ed in the ma
tive Indian language, "the river that
flows to the west" 1t has four great
branches, by which it is supplied. The
north branch, which still bears the
name of Oregon, Lewis and Clark
branches, which are each large rivers,
600 mile. in length; and the Multno-
nah, or east branch, heads in the same
mountain, with the Colorado, and the
Rio del Norte, which empty into diff
ferent oceans: the latter into the Allan
tic by the Gulf Of Mexico, the former
into the Pacific by the Gulf OF Califor-
MIA. The Oregon after receiving the