Weekly national intelligencer., 1851-04-19

misery to husband and wife, II either party chooses
break the connexon let the act they would say not be stg
mazed adultery, but hailed indicating mind superior
to prejudices 10 the with other institutions
Because they abused they would dispense with their
But robbery, adultery blasphemy, aSd the like dine
specabe being under the social ban they occasion other
vices make them respectable and you make them benehcen
The object of these French is to exhibit characters
who practise all that society calls SIM and yet better than
the society by whom they denounced This 10 the perec
tion Of sentimental rascaity.
Now, this literary compound of Engsh ruianisn and
French ethics has invaded the United States in large force
and comprises present considerable portion Of the liter
which the people read This literature would not be
read unless il were attractive; and what is attractive is nu
entail Its effect upon character hardly be estimated
Doubtless such matters cheap literary ascaies may be Of
small moment the smooth scholar but they should be Of
importance than any other form Of literature to the
patriot and statesman Good books the most precious Of
blessings people among the worstof curses
The of rascaty in the Imagination will be followed
by the reality of rascay in the conduct Il contains in
itself principles Of demoralzaon which will inevitably be felt
in action. This country is the only country where every
body reads II s Of much importance know what every
body is reading How much Of this reading ninePenny
immortality nnepenny irregion, nnepenny stupidity nine
penny devy 1t might be gratifying to the national
pride Of the most enlightened people earth to answer
this question:"
The article upon Mr.. WEBSTER is distinguished for his
clear perception Of the true basis Of Mr. WIS fame and just
appreciation Of his powers statesman and orator The
relations held by this gentleman to the political world pre-
cude the possibility Of that just estimate which posteriy will
make. We are among those who believe time is TO add
spendor to abo past and present. which history and tera-
will make lustrous As Mr. WhipPle justly remarks
"a man who has acquired fame as an orator and states
rarely considered even by his parsans, in the
light of an author He is responsible for book The
records Of what he has said and done, though perhaps con-
any studied BY contemporaries, are not generally regarded
rs
the Of action overshadows that Of the author We
accustomed to consider him speaker, that we are
somewhat blind to the great literary merit Of his speeches
The celebrated argument in reply to Hayne for instance was
intended by the statesman defence Of his political posi-
ton, exposition Of constitutional law, and vindicaon
Of what he deemed to be the policy Of the country The
acquisition Of merely literary reputation had part in the
motives from which sprung Yet the speech even to
those who take little interest in subjects like the tah, nul
Gcaon, and the public lands, will ever be interesting from
It's profound knowledge its clear arrangement the mastery 1t
exhibits Of all the weapons Of daeccs the broad stamp Of
nationality It bears, and the wit and splendid and
impassoned eloquence which pervade and vvify, without
nterupting, the close and rapid march Of the argument
"Consdered merely literary productions, therefore,
think the three volumes Of Speeches and Forensic Argu
men quoted at the head this article take the highest rank
among the best productions the American They
thoroughly national in their spirit and one and are full Of pn
cples arguments and appeals which come directly home to
the hearts and understandings Of the great body Of hepeope
They contain the results Of long life Of mental labor,
poyed in the service of the country They give evidence of
complete familiarity with the spirit and workings OF our
institutions and breathe the bracing air OF healthy and in
vigorang patriotism They repese with that wis
dom which is slowly gathered from the exercise OF strong
and comprehensive intellect the complicated concerns of
daily life and duty They display qualities Of mind and style
which would give them high place in any literature, even
the subjects discussed less interesting and mportant
and they show also strength Of personal character superior
resoluton and fear capable of bearing up against the
most determined opposition, and uniting to bodness In
thought inepdisy in action In all the characteristics Of
great literary performances they fully equal to many
works which have stood the test Of age and baed the skill
criticism Still, though read and quoted by every body
though continually appealed to authorities though
sdeed the products Of the most capacous understanding
in the country, few seem inclined to consider the high rank
they hold in literature their claim to be placed among
the greatest works which the human intellect has produced
during the last few years.
In caustic criticism Of Jamess Novels we have the
following jus. views of this department Of literary labor
ssTo write good novel, or series Of good novels is not
generally considered, by those whose whole reading
confined to romance require any great effort Of talent
genius man who repeats some axioms in physics or
wraps up plain facin metaphysical shoud is more likely
be considered great parsonage than writer of creative
mind, who thrills the heart the imagination with
prose epic The products the inventive powers rarely obtain
much of the popular under
standing. Works which have caused their authors vast labor
and patient meditation; which stimulated every faculty
only the highest imagination, but the deepest and
pehensve thought and which pervaded ii may be, by
results Of whole life Of feeling, action observation and
reflection, still generally classed light reading Il
be light reading but nothing 10 certain than that
is not commonly light critng The novel of sIvanhoe
be placed by in the department Of light literature
but If those who cooly classify in this manner but re-
fleet upon the vast and minute knowledge Of English history
displays the power Of intellect evinced in the conduct
the story and the greater power Of imagination exercised in
making the dead past living present and, especially il
they would bring to mind the author he appeared
while the scene between Rebecca and the KNIGHT Teplar
cng through his heart and fancy as he strobe hur.
edy up and down his study his face agated by
thought, and his lips quiveng with the intensity of his feel
ngs they might perhaps think that the matter was not
light after ALL and that any word suggestive of Incidence
was the most inapplicable that could be used"
We doubt that the above extracts will rive 10 or read
ers the motive to form more intimate acquaintance witt
the volumes Of Mr. Whipple. As that gentleman is, w
believe, yet on the sunny side forty the public have much
to hope from so gifted writer. In travelling homeward las
autumn, we CHANGED to be seated in the cars ia front of
gentleman whose flow Of arrested our attention
for its eoquence and grace Of expression Il recalled to ou
mind Johnsons remark Of Buke power and we uondere,
who this gentleman who could so rivet and enhan ON
attention Nproved to be Edwin p. Whipple, then on h
to Phadephis 10 deliver one Of his spirited and popua
lectures before the Mercantile Association of that cy an
hope may be pleasure to see him among MS as
lecturer at the Smithsonian Institution Of Washington.
! P.J,