Weekly national intelligencer., 1851-11-01
SWALLOW BARN
PROM THE "r1rrnAnr WORLD"

"LIrERARr WORLD.
SWALLOW BAns such another reproduction of the life OF
Old Virginia Brscebrdge Hall is Of the cheerful Old Eng
land Both we fear are pictures Of fading and forgotten
eIsence but they will remain happy types OF the minds
their respective authors genial graceful views Of human ma
,ue and social life ideals which, in the toubous
times will be always more less realized for the heart will
ALWAYS answer to scenes quiet and friendship, traits Of do
mestc happiness and carefully nuured home humors Mr.
KENNEDY drew such picture Of life some twenty years ago
in his Swallow Barn He ntmaes to us now IN the preface
to the new edition Of the work that all this romance OF the
Old Dominion is becoming traditional. II Is doubtless so,
and much to regretted the fact of the changes coming
over our old national Of the OF the Revolution
but we have the guarantee in the favorable reception OF works
of this class that the spirit not extinct Sure we are that
what was amable and happy in those old times will be re-
produced again and stranger FORMS perhaps, but in
the ancient vitality
The early manners of the American people, the exhibition
Of the sudden effects Of the liberty the world upon the
culture Of tie DID, the mixture Of refinement and simplicity
the planted the forest the courtier turned
planter the pampesd Puritan woshipping in his way,
with the consequent train of family and the thousand
inermingipgs of Europe with the virgin soil Of the new
countrythese in their better development afford Of the
finest topics for writers, where his privileges
blend with the sober duties Of the historian We have ono
such picture primitive mannerspeoPle call them primitive
but there was world Of anecedeI culture for their growth
in Mrs. Grants !" Memoirs of an American Lady OF the
Dutch coonss Of the Hudson Nh Judd has given US some
strong vigorous touches Of New England life in his Margaret
Hawthorne has presented many traits less by
his sombre fancyof later with far different crcum-
stances Mrs. Kkands New Home is faithful version.
Mr.. Kennedys book is and will remain favorte picture
of the South It's very anguor characteristic OF the topic
You have no keen sentences closely packed energetic
n
There is time enough before all old Virginia
tires !; and OF long summer afternoon winters resde,
Swallow Barn may be safely entertained among the most
cheerful Of companions Its sketches commonly of the
Irvngesque type, amiabe in temper, but not without
casonal touch of humorous satire to relieve them from the
nspdy dull eulogy In pleasant proof Of this read the
following hit Virginia elcquence. Frank Meriweher
Of the draats PERSONA the pegs upon which the author
hangs his essays thus introduced the
sPLATTERTHwAITE DUBBs.
" observe, moreover, that he has constitutional fond
for paradoxes and does not scrupe adopt and epub
ish any spohegm that is calculated stare by It's
city, He has correspondence with several old friends, who
with him college, and who have risen into
extensive political noioriey in the State these gentlemen
furnish him with many currents Of thought along which
he gides with happy velocity He essentially mediave
in his character, and somewhat given to defamation and
these traits have communicated certain measured and deli
berate gesticuaton his DISCOURSE have frequently
him after dinner stride backwards and forwards the
for moments wrapped in thought and then fling
himself upon the sofa, and out with weghty
doubt, expressed with solemn emphasis In this form ne
lately began conversation, rather speech that fur mo-
ment quite disconnected me- After ALL said be, as he
had been talking to before, although these were the m
words he u,tered-then making parenthes 10 qualify
what he going say'I don't deny that the steamboat
is destined to produce valuable resuls-but after ALL much
question and here he bit and paused instantly
if we much better without il. declare, think it
strikes deeper the supremacy OF the States than st per-
willing allow. This annhiaon OF space, sir, IS
be desired Our protection against the evils OF conso
idaon consists in the very obstacles intercourse.
Splaterhwate Dobbs of Dinwdde (or such name
Frank famous for quoting the opinions of his contempara
res This Spaterthwaite, take il, old college
chum who had got into the Legislature and dare made
pungen speeches)Dubbs Of Dinwidde made good remark
That the home material Of Virginia good
when her roads at their worst And Frank
with quite harangue to which none OF the company replied
word for fear we might get into dspus Every body
understand the advantage silence when MeIwehe
is inclined to be e1patatory.
The ransmgaions and decadence of of this orators
expressions give the history of than
phor, which, Starting from great orator. gnomniousIy
banded about by vulgar declamers:
DECLINE AND FALL OF METAPHOR.
Meriwether had given several Indications Immediately
after breakfast Of design pour upon the gathered
umnatons of the last twenty hours but had evaded
the storm with cauon when the arrival Of two three
neIghbors-pain, homespun farmers-who had ridden to
Swallow Barn to execute some papers before Frank
gistrae furnished him with occasion that to be
lost After dspachng their business he detained them,
tensby to inquire about their crops and other Of
their vocation, but in reality to give them that very food Of
politics which we had escaped We of course listened with
out concern, since assured of auditory that would
not finch In the Of this disquison he made
figure OF speech which savored of previous sudy
at least highly in the oratorica vein Mark me- gen
emen, said be, contracting his brow his fine thought
full eye and pointing the ore6nger of his left hand directly
the face Of the person he addressed Mark me- gentlemen
you and may not live to see it, but children will it,
and wall over 1.-THE sovereignty of this Union will be the
Iod Of Aaron it will turn into SERPENT and swallow up all
that struggle with it, Mr.. Club present this solemn
denuncalon and very much affected by it, He rubbed
bis hands with some bskness and uttered his applause
short but vehement panegyrc in which heard only the
detached words-sMr Burke-Cicero.'
:" The next day Ned and myself walking by the |
school house, and were hailed by Rip, from of the win
dows, who in sly under toIe, he beckoned
close to him, told if wanted hear regular PREACH
to stand FAST We could look into the schooloom unob-
and there was patriotic pedagogue haangug
boys with violence of action that drove additional supply
of blood into his face 1t apparent that the old gentle
had got much beyond the depth his hearers and was
pouring out bis rhetoric from oraoca vanity than from
hope of enlghtening his audience At the most ami
mated part of his straD he brought himself by kind of
climax the identical sentiment uttered by Mewether the
day before. He warned bis young heaers-the oldest Of
them not above fourteen tokeep gaze upon
that serpentlke ambition which would convert the Govern
men Washington into Aarons rod, swallow up the in
dependence of their native State
This concet Immediately through all the lower circles
at Swallow Barn. Mr. Tongue, the overseer repeated
the backmiths shop in the presence of the blacksmith and
MIR. Absalom Bulrusb spare, evesh husband
man who occupies muddy slip Of marsh land Of the