The southern press., 1850-09-10
Literary Notices.

A numoer of new publications, and pc
riodicas, have recently accumulated on our table,
to whic! our other engagements have not per-
mittcd us to pay that attention due their own
merits, and the politeness of the publishers to
whom we are indebted for them. AS the most
exciting debates in Congress have ceased, and
the most important measures before it been dis.
posed Of as far us its present action is concerned
we shall give our readers a respite to-day from
much political lucubration and turn their att IL
ton towards those lighter matters to which we
ha. already referred.
70 Mr.. FARNHAM we are indebted for post
interesting series Of historical sketches, enti-
tied The Lily and the Totem" from the pen
Of our accomplished countryman, VIM GILMORE
SlMMs, giving the romance Of the history OF
the early settlement of Florida and Georgia.
Indeed it may be said with perfect truth, that
the simple chronicles of that history in them
selves not only constitute the richest materials
for romance, but are redolent with its spirit; the
lives of the early adventures being constant
succession of hair-breadth escapes and thrilling
incidents, in the struggle between early training
and the wild freedom of forest habits and savage
impatience of all restraints. Dangers, too, in
varied shapes had to be encountered at every
step, and many of those fearesss spirits who,
like Ponce De Leon, sought in Florida, the
tabled Fountain of Youth" tasted there the
waters of death from the hands of the progeni-
tors of the Seminocs, even in our own day no
contemplate foe, but for the paucity of their
numbers. The title of the book is significant
of the subjects treated, the "Liy" being the en-
blem of France, and the Totem" the Indian
symbol. How Mr. SIMMs has treated his attrac-
tive theme we cannot yet say from personal Pc
rusal, but the subject is so we'll suited to his
peculiar vein of fancy and flowing style, that it
could not be otherN Use than attractive in his
hands. There are few more vigorous writer's
and stronger thinkers among our American liter
ali than Mr.. SIMMs, and we anticipate much plea
sure in the early perusal of this his latest con-
tribution to the stock of "books that are books,
and will give our readers also extracts hereafter.
We are aware that our critical acumen will be
underratcd by the confession of incapacity to
iudre of the merits of book by the title page
as is usual with editors, who deem "puff" the
legitimate payment of the publishers civility-
! and all English Reviewer has also declared that
reading book was apt "to prejudice one so, u
Yet we can conscientiousy recommend most OF
Mr.. SlMMs works, as they always have some.
thing in then-and are not like Peter Pind lrs
razors "made to sell"
The next work on which our outstretched
hand rests, is another donation from Mr.. FARM
AM-"Reminiscence Of Congress-" by c. w
MARCH, well written and interesting work, the
author of which is Gf we mistake noD con
nected with the Press as reporter or letter
writer From the internal evidence of the book
VIC should Judge that he was a Massachusetts
man, for all his Congressional reminiscence:
group themselves around DANIEL WEBSTER, as
the colossal central figure, for which he enter
tains most revcrential admiration. In fact, th'
title of the book does not Indicate the real char
acter of It's contents, for the biography of Mr.
WEBSTER occupies almost the whole volume
and his compecrs arc only introduced inciden
tally, as it were. In the course of his Congress
sional "reminiscences, however, some very inter
esting incidents are detailed and some judiciou
/ determinations drawn as to the peculiar charac
tcristics of leading statesmen - although th
, politics of the writer appear to be intcnsel
, Northern Still the writer is man of fairness
and where prejudice does not warp his judy
: mcnt, inclined to do justice to opponents a
well as allies. Take for instance the following
, parallel between the characteristic difference
of CLAY and CALHOUN. Every impartial oh
) server must admit its entire truthfulness an
justice
3 "But, after all, Mr. CLAY's style, whether
l.. thought or manner, is not senatorial, IL lack
n dignity, elevation, gravity. His speech Is olte
too colloquia, and even in some OF Its mos
t effective passages, disfgured by provinc'"l'sm'