New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1846-09-23


bloom or It's GARDEN VIII contain, presently, nothing
but potatoes and pot herbs. We shall have. IL the
course OF the next two three years. convention
oil authors TO inquire into the OF this state Of
Things and propose measures for its remedy Some
have already been though: Of that look promising
but we shall not announce them til the ticle be
ripe that date IS not distant for the difficulties
crease from day to day In consequence OF the sys
tenn Of cheap publication, on great scale.
The ranks that led the way in the first half cen
tury oil tins Repubiic we're far better situated than
re, IN tins respect. The country wes not so de.
luded with the dingy page, reprinted from Europe
and patriotic vanity the alert to answer the
question, WHO reads an American book ?" And
many were the books written worthy 10 be read
as any out Of the first class III England. They
we're most o! them except IN their subject matter
English books.
The list is large and, in making some cursory
comments, we do not wish to be understood as de
signaling all who worthy of notice, but only
those who present themselves TO our minds with
some special claims. In history there has been
nothing done 10 which the world at large has not
been eager to award the full need OF its deserts
Mr.. Prescott, for instance, has been greeted with
as much warmth abroad here. We are not dis
posed 10 undervalue his industry and power Of
clear and elegant arrangement The richness and
freshness OF his materials is such that n sense OK
cnchantment must he felt in their contemplation.
We must regret however, that they should have
been first presented 10 the public by one who pos
scsses nothing Of the higher powers OF the histo
rlan. great leading views or dlscernment as to the
motives of action and the spirit OF era Con
sidering the plcndor OF the materials the books
wonderfully tame, and every one must feel that
having once passed through them and got the
sketch i'll the mind, there is nothing else to which
it will recur The absence Of thought, to that
great picture of Mexican life, with its heroisms its
terrible but deeply significant supcrstitions It's nd
mirable civic refinement seems to be quite ui
broken.
Mir. Bancroft is a far more vivid writer; he has
great resources and great command Of them, and
leading thoughts by whose aid he groups his facts
But we cannot speak fully Of his historical works
there.
In the department Of ethics and philosophy, we
may inscribe two names as likely to live and be
blessed and honored in the latter time These are
the names OF Charming and OF Emerson
DR.. Charming had several leading thoughts which
correspondent with the wants OF his time, and have
made him in it father OF thought His leading
idea of the dignity OF human nature' IS one OF
vast results and the peculiar form IN which he adj
vocated it had n great work to do III this new
world. The spiritual beauty OF his writings is very
great; they are MI distinguished for sweetness Gle
vation candor and n severe devotion to truth On
great questions he took middle ground, and sought
a panoramic view lie wished also TO stand high.
vet never forgot what was above more than what
was around and beneath him. He not well
acquainted with man ON the lmpulsiye aud pas
sionatc side ot his nature that his view oil char
acter was sometimes narrow, but 1t WAS always
noble He exercised an expansive and purifying
power on the atmosphere, and stands godfather
at the baptism OF his country.
The Sage of Concord has very different mind,
in every thing except that he has the same disin
tcrestcdness and dignity of purpose. the same pu
rty of spirit. He is profound thinker. he Is 4
man OF ideas. and deals with causes rather than
effects. His ideas are illustrated from wide range
of literary culture and refined observation. and EN-
bodied in style whose melody and subtle fra
GRANGE cnchant those who stand Supplied before
the thoughts themselves, because their utmost
DEPTHS do not enable them to sound has shadows.
His influence does not yet extend over WIDE
space he is too far beyond his place and his time,
to be felt at once or in ull but it searches deep,
and yearly widens its cnces. Heis harbinger OF
the better day, His beautiful eocuion has been
great aid to him in opening the way for the recep
ton o! his written word.
In that large department OF literature winch IN
cludes descriptive sketches, whether OF character
or scenery. are already rich. Irving, GENIAL
and fair nature, Just what he ought to be. and would
have been mt any time OF the world, has drawn
the scenes amid which his youth was spent IN their
primitive lneaments, with all the charms OF his
graceful iocund humor He has his niche and need
never be deposed it is not that another could
occdpy.
The first enthusiasm about Cooper having sub
Sldeu we rClnemUeT Ills lduits tuLil HIS
its His ready resentment ard way OF showing 1t III
cases which it is the wont of gentlemen to pass by
in silence, meet with good hunored smile,
have caused unpleasant associations with his name
and his iellow-citizens, III danger OF beng tor
mented by suits for libel il they spoke freely OF
him. have ceased to speak OF him at all. But net
Their these causes nor the badness OF his plots
shallowness of thought, and poverty IN the presen
tation of character should make us forget the gran
deur and originality OF his sea-sketches, nor the re
demption from oblivion OF our ofesi-scenery, and
the noble romance of the hunter pioneers lie. al
ready, but for him. this fine page of h,es romance
would be almost forgotten He has done much TO
redeem these irrevocable beauties from the zorro
sive acid OF semi civilized invasion
Miss SedgwiclS and others have portrayed with
skill and feeling scenes and personages from the
revolutionary time. Such have permanent value
i'll proportion rs their subject is tieetnS The same
charm attends the spirited delinea,ons OF Mrs
Kirkland and that amusing book, "A New Home.
The features of Hoosier. Sucker, and Wolverine
life are worth fixing they arc peculiar TO the SOIL
and indicate its hidden treasures; they have also
that charm which simple life lived torlts own sake,
always has. even in rude and all but brutal forms
What shall we say OF the poets The list is
scontv. amazingly so Tor there is nothing IN the
causes that parayzc other kinds OF literature that
could affect lyrical and narrative poetry Men
hearts beat hope, and suffer always, and they mISt
crave, such means to vent them; yet OF the myriad
leaves sarr,ished with smooth stereotyped rhymes
that issue yearly from press, You Will not find
one time in million little piece written from
any such impulse or with the least sincerity or
sweetness OF zone They are written for the press,
in the spirit Of imitation vanity the paltrest of
spring OF the human brain for the heart dsclaims
as the ear is shut against them. This is the KIND
of verse which is cherished by the magazines as
correspondent to the tawdry pictures OF smiling
mlncrs' dolls in the trontispiece Like these they
are only fashion, fashion based on no reaiiiy '
-. The tnJuccnent write them
consists in n little money or more frequently the
charm of seeing an anonymous name printed at the
top in capitals.
We must here, in passing, advert also to the
.tvlc OF story current in the magazines hlnsy De
youd any texture that ever spun or even
dreamed Of by the mind Of man in any other age
and country They are SAID to be F" written Tor iEe
seamstresses" but we believe that every way IN
nred class could relish and digest better fare even
nj The end OF long days OF exhaustnc labor. There
are exceptions to this ccnsure; stories by Mrs;
Child have been published in the masazines and
,xoNN CraS lv Mrs Stauh1nS ana