Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1847-07-03
NATIONAL INTELLIGENCER
NOTES ON NEW BOOKS.

STATE Oh IcIllsylNaIlh, ny WILLIAM ID.
Rem" vols svo PIP 437 and 507. Philadelphia Lind
say * Blakson. lS47."
From the midst OF the Mexican war to look back
10 that of our own independence; from the merci-
less invasion OF an unhappy people whom that very
example animated to attempt freedom, to survey
our own noble struggle against far more powerful
nation ravagers Of others, TO consider our own
infant sufierings; to compare the principles and
objects for which we then commended with the fatal
aims to which our public strength is directed !;
10 be compelled 10 set in parallel the generous sp-
r the devotion to human rights, the patriotism the
capacity, the honor, the heroism, the magnanimty
of that day, with the disgraceiu deceits, the rank
perfidies towards foe and friend alike, of those who
now hold in their pernicious hands the public pow
ers and character; to turn eyes, word, from
the Republicanism of Mr.. Polk and his dependents
and minions of manifest Destiny" and the
'Spoils of "pubic plumber" within and ma
tonal havoc without-back to WASHINGTON, his
patriots, his statesmen, and the genuine glories of
their times, must be confessed to be the most hui
initiating and saddening thing that ever was
obliged to do. In sending US, therefore, book SO
inappropriate to the moment, SO fit to make us
iancholy, Mr.. REED has done us any thing but the
good office he intended The moment is inoppor-
tune for such publication, and the more inoppor-
tune for his having executed his task with great
Judgment and historical SKILL making of it not
Iy worthy monument of thevery able and yirtuous
citizen whom he chiefly commentaries, but va
liable contribution to the fame of the other Illus
trious men withtwhom. he acted, and to the entire
annals, civil and mililssy of the Revolution
As to the motives which have induced him to un-
dertake from papers requiring for their geographic
elucdation great deal of labor and research, Mr..
REED makes, in his preface, the following avowal,
a good deal more manly than democratic :
n would be great aectaton disguise the active motives
which have stimulated Inc in the publication Of this work
One altogether personal andmay canddy described the
pride of ancestry which every American has right CHERISH
and which, wholly distinct from irrational and offensive boast
funes may be INDUCED far at least to guide conduct
elevate the aims Of m and make ashamed to discTedt
the examples of the past 1t certainly does not weaken pa
otc impulses for feel that he and his children bear
patriots and pride becomes stronger and and
rational when the world the faithful record of
the past how that earned.
Another motive less PERSONAL has had great influence
desire do justice my native Pennsy vania-a
Commonwealth whose claims the gratitude of postery for
Revolutionary services have been fully acknowledged
While hope that this soctude for the good of Penn
syvana in these Extensively manifested wish
very distinctly its influence. State pride
which, like the personal motive already alluded to- every
element of strength, Who that looks at Massachusetts, and
Virginia and South Carolina will question this And why
should Pennsylvania cherish and be proud of her memo
ries of the past Why should Bunker Ill., Fort Mourie
Yorktown and Faneuil Hall monopoze the praise of history
and so little be said of Barren H of Brandywine of Ger
mantown-o the Philadelphia State House, where Indepen-
dence declared and Washington appointed and Carpen
ter's Hall, where the mother Congress of IVA met.
1.-The fault, may be conceded is ourselves. My hope
IS, that works such the offer the public may
nvigorate this healthy and inoensve local feeling
and realize the sentiment expressed by stranger who visit
ing shores the midst of the Revouon foresaw the av
when the battle fields OF Pennsylvania would be scenes Of
monumental PRIDE 1t my expectation enrich this
Memoir with biographical sketches Of the distinguished Penn
syvanians who Incidentally referred to- emitting of course
those already before the public In instances have
been enabled do So but it extreme regret that
my work is not in this respect complete"
He proceeds to remark that, except the Memoirs
OF Graydon,t his present one is the first attempt at
Pennsylvania Revolutionary biography, or even
history-a fact wofully bespeaking 1--WE must say
the supne carelessness with which Pennsylvania
regards what once made her admirable. Robert
Morris, Charles Thompson, Edward Bddle, General
Mlilin, and all her other worthless of that time, have
passed away and are forgotten for the demagogues
OF this degenerate day. In truth, however, this
disgrace of consignng all former greatness to obi
won is Searches less common TO a great part of
the other Revolutionary States than To Pennsylva-
MIA: every where needless and irreverent or sor-
did postcry has lei perish their own family titles to
respect and suffered memorials and diaries of great
value to rot in garrets, or
" Cohe spice, line trunks, or luering in a row.
- Reinnge the walls Of Bedam or Soho"
It for this reason that las our author very Just
iy remarks) the history of our Revolution is not
written, and cannot be, till the biographies of the
men who made it are completed For it is from
the memoirs alone left by the chief actors in such
events that we derive a complete and an
thentic knowledge Of each transaction. These are
the witnesses, and History must have them all be-
fore her, must listen, cross-queson, siit their tes
mony, before she can sit, as she should in piercing
and sure judgment upon the actions of any great
period.
The birthplace Of Mr.. REED was Trenton, n. j.,
then little more than village. He there first saw
the Light in l74l His father, Andrew Reed had
then for some time pursued, in that lille town, the
occupation which We Americans caIl"keeping store"
merchandising In Europe <hey callit. shop
keeping"--an idea distaselul and plebeian to our
democratic fancies: so, being prohibited from emo
bling persons we aggrandize things, and, ashamed
OF our honest pursuits, cannot think Of being called
shop.keepcrs. So again, that iondness for militia