The New York herald., 1845-02-08

PICT TORIAL HERALD.
SPLENDID NUMBER.
The Empire Club Discussing the
Texas Question.
NATIVE NIREET-SWEEPING MACHINES.
Mayor Harpefs SOrlie on the Apple Women.

The Illustrated Weekly Herald, TO be issued this
morning, will be particularly rich Ii will contain
beautiful engraving OF the Empire Club" the
members disposed in picturesque attitudes around
the stove OF their Club.room, and engaged in dis.
cusslng the Congressional proceedings-also,
spirited view OF Mayor Harper's successful attack
on the apple women-together with view of the
native" scavengers in the mud. Price 63 cents.
Periodical Literature-The North American
Review.
We took occasion the other day to review that
portion OF the magazines OF the country which is
devoted TO the bellies ettres, love stories and the
fashions We now pass to somewhat more pre-
tending class of periodical works, which are sup
posed to occupy the highest department of review
and criticism. Amongst the oldest and most res
pectable of this class, we find the North american
RepieU, which has maintained an existence of va
RED Importance and vigor for number of years
1t affects very exalted and dgniied tone, and
considers itself in relation to the worthless and
other periodicals of the day, as quite "Trton
among the mnnows." 1t may be, therefore, worth
while to examine its claims 10 such position,
and the amount of its services in advancing the
literature of the country
The North american Rspietc, under the manage
ment of Mr.. Tudor, one of its earliest guardians,
acquired considerable notoriety, on account of the
strength and originality of some OF the papers which
appeared in its pages; and subsequently under the
management of Mr. Everett, now American MIN
lister in London, il was distinguished by many
articles in which educated taste and scholarship
were displayed in no mean degree. 1t afterward
fell into the hands of the Rev. Mr.. Sparks, and
was then devoted so much to historical subjects
that it lost good deal Of its former character as
general review. For some time past, it has been
subjected to the control of the young literati OF
Boston and New England, and at the present mo-
ment furnishes verdant evidence of its being still
under the same Intellectual cultivation.
We have the last number of this Review before
us, and with the exception of two short articles de-
voted to mere local subjects-one on the "Cond-
tion and Wants of Harvard College," and the other
on the . Teachers of the Boston Schools" we do
not find one possessing the least claim to original-
~ or importance. One long and prosy article is
given to "Mrs. Grant of Laggan"-another is a
schoolboy's essay on the Characteristics of Lord
Byron"-a thlrd is a review OF reprint of "Neal's
History OF the Puritans'-and another is an unsa-
tisfactory abridgement Of two cheap books in eve
ry body's hands descriptive of expeditions to San
ia Fe. Such, with the exception OF another art.
Gle which we about to notice more particular
ly, is synopsis of the principal contents of the
last number of this Repie,o, which pretends to be
one of the great oracles Of opinion and criticism in
this country! And such is fair sample of its
character and value for some time past Second
hand reviews of secondhand books-hor and la
bored essays which might possibly pass muster as
college exercises-puerile articles on subjects OF
possible public interest-these make up the con-
tents OF this periodical which arrogates to itself
the right of sitting In judgment the literature
and movements of the age. 1t need not, then be
wondered at, that conducted in such manner,
this Rep,ew commands so little regard either at
home or abroad, and is entirely useless as a means
of elevating our national literature, enlargng the
boundaries of knowledge, or communicating a
vigorous and healthy tone to public opinion.
But the present number OF this North american
Repie,c contains one article, besides those we have
mentioned, which is worthy Of particular remark,
inasmuch as it discovers that not only is the peri
odica deficient in the necessary attributes of talent
originality, and intellectual strength, but that il
equally lacks that honesty and strict impartiality
which are indispensable in respectable and influ-
entlal literary tribunal. The article to which we
refer purpors to be review Of an exceedingly in
teresting and able article on the "Chemistry of
Plants,' which has been recently published by
Professor Draper, of this city This work is one
the creditable contributions to the scientific
literature of this country, which has been made for
many years. 1t consists of collection of memoirs
which have been separately published during the
last nine or ten years in our own and European
scientific journals. They have commanded marked
attention, and the original views of Dr. Draper
have formed the basis of some of the most modern
physical theories, Professor Moser founding his
doctrine of vision experiments detailed in these
memoirs, and other portions of the work havingbeen
used by Professor Poggendorf as of final authority
in the decision of the controversy relative to
Faraday's theory of the Voltac battery -
Such is the work which the North american Re.
U'ew treats with the greatest contempt deriding ts
claims to originality, and characterizng it as q
mere compilation Of what is to be found in oul
schoo-books! The whole article in the Reyieu
appears, indeed, to be the production of some
jealous and malignant teacher of chemistry, who
envies the rapidly augmenting fame of DR.. Draper
and who fully discovers the hopelessness of hii
rivalry, by committing such blunders as discover
his utter ignorance even Of the elements Of the
science on which he pretends to enlighten, as hs
says, latter his own fashion," the readers of the
ReuieW. The reviewer finds especial fault with DR.
Diapers style, which he represents as "frothy >
and "ropically luxuriant," whilst he himself, il
this very article, affects to be quite poetical in hi
description OF the interesting process of vegetation
and, in the midst of what is intended for scien
tific definition, introduces basphemous allusior
to Scripture metaphor, and actually perpetrates
vile pun upon the words OF the inspired record =
II, IN its treatment of matters of science, thi,
Revie'o discovers such ignorance, bad taste, anc
malignity, what can we expect in its discussion Of
any other departments OF literature or philesophv
or what opinion are we left to pronounce on i,s
pretensions to the character and position of can.
did, just and enlightened censor of books md
opinion
The truth is. this Repiew, and the whole class OF
periodicals in this country to which it belongs. be.
little and degrade the character of our national