Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1842-11-15

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ton is beneath the notice of ono, to whose "s,ic"
and kind erg, and wise discretion, at time We
would have peused all that held dear
We will not shy with an indignant Virginian, who
| IS now at New York. "The Southern press should call
the attention of the public this work. and let the peo
pie call public meetings, and burn every copy in the
State. The vles Abolition print is deserving to be
read by the Southern people, as is this - produc-
ton But do say the work ought not 10 be circu
lated Ii i. not worthy of Charles Dickens, nor of the
public patrcnage.-Wl,h what sincere regret make
these remarks, We will not shy But as he considered
it his duty TO print, consider If duty TO criticse
With what pleasure If we could, would have strewn
| lanrels his head
But, evidence of what some Of his country
men think Of his work. lay before our readers the
following portrait from "he Lond0n .yc,cy iiastra-
ted
"AMxeicAS NOTES FOR GENERAL CIRcuLArIox-By
| Charles Dickens. ros. post o0o-LondOn, 1912
| Chapman T. Hall.
| "a new work by Boz and probably the most dan
gerous and gacsless book which could we'll have been
produced in England at the present time. 1t is the
most innpportune publication We ever encountered
When poor Doctor Maginn "a gifted with the
shrewdest perceptions of mental ca6re, and one of The
finest scholars Of the age) perused the productions Of
Boz in the days of the Pickwck Juror, he predicted
that their author would go up like rocket and come
down like the stck'-a sort of prophecy Of the even
| tual
ProcumLi, humi Boz,
which the two VIC tunes before will take the first step
10 fulfil We have great respect Tor much OF the pre-
yious beautiful writing of Mr. Dickens; but this
book inspires 10 US The sort Of painful feeling which
actuates a warm.hearted man when he cared for
friend going obstinately and wllfuy wrong. We do
not like TO blame iavorite any than the old Ro
man liked TO sentence to death, but we do it
vertheless We cannot afford 10 mince the truth in
act Of public duty like that which fairly thrust upon
US in the publication now under our review.
"1here seems something omnously unpropltlons in
this production 1t is conceived, nomenclated dedi
Id pf had aofn
The title Of american Notes for General Circulation
implies sneer, which if just, not generous, upon the
| financial condition of the country. The dedication
conveys idea, that the volumes full OF 'unplea
SAM truths if truths they really be-and the concu.
sion announces the fact that he author has had
ing that his book will not be tenderly or avoraby
ceived by the American people. All this is uniortu
nate. Lord Ashburton has just arrived with Treaty
concluded, old gap of quarrel closed the Americans
banshng old hostility, and breaking out into new and
generous aspirations for friendship, oil discordani
Jars sienced and carpet Of good feeling spread for the
feet of both nations-nnd in the teeth of those new
and good impulses English writer who for his emf.
in literature, has been crowned with all the hos
ptalites OF the land he has left, back To his
native soil laden with sneers vItuperations, causlic
snrcasms, and every other element OF Gissatlsiac-
ton and contempt, and pours them in end
less stream through two volumes Of fppancy, compared
to which, the black feathers in Mrs Trollopes wing
are as the snow upon tIe bosom of Alp, Moreover
are sorry be obliged to regard the volumes in the
light of a literary imposition They the
rough offslIoots of rambling diary There is all
throug 9Th them effort TO be smlrt-a sraining :Rer
humorous effect which reminds Of Boz but does no,
enghten upon America. A sort of vein OF ingrati
tude pervade the hook, and il is not honest in
iis quantities. it is sweled, bladder blown, eked out by
all sorts of adventurous and exraneous matter. 1t is
set large type, in n small FORM with some twenty
two lines q page, and of margin around it, The
matter itself of the most imsy gossip, except When
pretty episodes of writing creep gracefully III to
relieve the incessant hlPpancy.
ain the first volume, the pages from % to %
cupied with quoted description of deal, dumb and
blind GIRL in Boston asylum; and the pages from $50
265 with account of the solitary prison Of Phila
delpha, which is something in the nature of official
report-as if MIR. Charles Dickens had been employed
upon commission Of inquiry. In the second volume
many pages are occupied with reprints OF American adj
versements And although all these plagiarisrns bear
upon point Of political philosophical conorma
ton yet The point itself is always too important and
elaborate to hold any consistency with the frivolous
character Of the general work These american Notes
are blu, day published, and we have perused them
with infinite regret; but proceed as briefly as we
can to vindcaie the impressions which they have ere.
ated in mind.
THE is, cha pter Of the lst volume is entitled Going
away;' and Mr.. Dickens at the civity which
has CONSIDERABLY provided for Charles Dickens, Esq
and Lady, persons of distinction for the voyage We
ne I'd not say that the olso touched with osen
,a,ion Take the author upon the third day of his
voyage:
al am awakened ont ofmy sleep by dismal shrek
from my wife, who demands TO know whether there
any danger. rouse myself, and look out OF bed,
The wafer Jug is pungng and leoping like lively
dolphin: all the smaller articles ailoat, except my
shoes, which stranded on carpet bag, high and
drv like couple Of coal barges Suddenly see them
spring into The air and behold the looking glass, which
is nailed to tie WALL sticking fast upon the ceiling. AT
the same time the door entirely disappears and new
one is opened in the floor. Then begin 10 compre.
bend that the state room is standing on its head
"Of course this is the nonsense OF book making
exopperalion written kill time and tickle the reader
The American houses of Legislature are small com
pared to the English that 10 view them is Ike looking
at Westminster through the wrong end OF the telescope
The American people are so lnqulstve That rudeness
nd curiosity meet you at every turn So says Boz,
vol l. p d. Atp. 40 the rr0aking Of American frogs
is compared to "a million of fairy teams with bells ira
yeIling through the air The inside OF canal boat is
converted into library Of which the passengers are the
books Let what sort OF an odd volume boz
made in the collection:
"But the shell being The bottom one, finally de-
termined on living upon the floor, rolling gently IN,
| STOPPING Immediately touched the mattress, and re-
manng for the night with that side uppern'os!, what
ever il might be. Luckily, came upon my back oil
exactly the right moment. ! much alarmed on
looking upward, 10 see, by the shape Of his hafyard
of sacking (Which his weight had bent into an exceed
ingly tight bag) that there was very heavy gentle
man above me- whom the slender cords seemed qni'e
incnpable of holding; and could not help rejecting
upon the grief of my wife and family in the event oil
bs coming down in the night But as could not
have got up again without severe bodily struggle,
which nigh, have alarmed the ladies-and as had no
where to 90 to, event had shut my eyes upon the
danger and remained there. .
..fInon The question of brutal and stupid curiosity
which Boz implies 10 be American characteristic, we
have ON example in reference to Mr. Dickens fur coat,
and the person who took an admiration for it.
".FinGing that nothing would satisfy HIM, evaded
his questions after the first wo and particularly
| neadpd ignorance respecting The name Of the iur
whereof The coat was made am unable 10 say whether
this was the renson but that fascinated him ever
aerward he usually kept close behind ne as walked
heller and he frequently OWED places after
me- nj the risk Of his life, that he might have the
satisfaction of passing his hand upo" the back and
rubbing it the wrong way :,
"Is not this sort of writing contemplate enough
| 80 IL ed tnnclnS