The republic. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1849-1853, 1850-12-19

LoNz POWERS, OR THE REGULATORS: Il RO-
nance Of Kentucky, founded on facts. By
JAMES WEIR, ESQ, an ft1o roluDles PhiLa-
delphid, LIPPINcOTT, GRAMBo & Co, 1850.
Washington, FRANcK TAYLOR.
Here is romance from the backwoods, and
by backwoodsman. Ii is throughout an argu-
ment against Faialism, that fatal doctrine too Of
ten imbibed by young men during their college
lives, from reading Noltare, Rousseau, Hume.
and Tom Paine, and other such moral and reli-
gious corruptionists The plot Of Lonz Powers,
however, contains other deep and philoso-
phical moralizings on social, conventional
evidently been frequent and acute observer
and reader Of human actions and character; and,
though he may not paint his portraits with all
the gloss and varnish Of modern artist, vet
with few rough dashes Of his pen. he gives us
a sort of " charcoal SKETCH" like some of Ho-
garth's, or Cruickshank's, and occasionally the
vivid presentations Of Rembrandt. The
sketches Of life in the frontier wilderness the
characters, whose crimes have driven them, out
laws, from the nearer settlements Of civilization
TO its outer limits, contrasted with the high
minded honorable men, who from feelings of
affection, or TO gain in new and growing coun-
try a competency for their beloved families-the
habits and opinions engendered by backwoods
life-the law and the lawlessness-the caution
and the recklessness-the refinement and the
bruiality-the hospitality and the nigaardness,
(and a hundred other contrssts,) are themes
that cannot but be interesting, even to the
least rejecting and most careless reader. All
these matters, interspersed with divers and
sundry reflections, upon divers and sundry
other matters, both Of grave and gay import
are contained in the romance Of "Lonz Pow
ers." Mr.. WEIR has admirably displayed
the effects Of entering on the first vice.
Two young and naturally noble-hearted and
hgh-minded brothers, sons Of brave, high
souled, afiectionate, and generous father, while
at college meet with an adept gambler,
and become losers to him for an amount far
beyond their abilities TO pay He demands
the A" debt Of honor ~ and threatens exposure
if they do not settle it. Afraid Of closing cast"
in society by being branded as dishonorable
men, and dreading, too. the anger and
sorrow Of their father. should he hear 81
their folly, they listen to the specious so
phisms Of the adept. and at length consent
10 borro,c, or receire in advance, from their
father that which would ultimately be theirs;
but this borrocing is done without the fathers
knowledge; and while he mourns over the loss Of
his property. he little dreams that his own sons
are the thieves Sucb instances we fear are
too common in every day life There is a
witness of the crime Of the brothers; an limo
cent man is arraigned for their guilt, and that
witness is summoned for the trial. Here, then,
the very publication Of their dishonor, which
they so dreaded is about 20 be made, and under
aggravated circumstances Lonz, the elder
brother determines that the witness shall
never appear, and basely murders him, and
the innocent man is condemned and suf-
fers for long years for their crime; and, when
released he comes out 10 the world with
but one thought and one feeling-ven-
geance Of his fellow men; and thus crime
begets crime, 10 the consunmation Of most
fatal and horrible catastrophe. Such is the
main feature Of the plot Of "Lonz Powers"
but there are interviewer with it underplots,
digressions, episodes, and incidents, which,
taken altogether, make il the most thrillingly
interesting story we have read, since we
smiled, sighed, CT shuddered over tho "Mysie-
ries Of Paris" Mr. WrrR is bold writer;
but his style is sometimes too prolx, sometimes