The primitive Republican. (Columbus, Miss.) 18??-1852, 1852-05-13
From the Westminster Review
American Literature.


opinions, as will guide the intelligent reader
to just estimate of the general Intellectual
activity IN the United States; reserving for
a separate article an account of the books
that have recently issued from the American
press. We have been over the field with
some care, having in the last few months ex-
amined with more or less attention larger
number of American books in the various
departments of literature than a majority of
our readers would be apt to believe were ever
written. The library of the British Museum
contains an immense number of American
Histories, Biographies, Reviews, &c, and is
by no means deficient in what with more
IprOpriety may be called American Litera-
ture, though the privilege that we enjoy,
while occupied with these pages, of consult
ing a library in which there are thirteen
thousand works composed in the U. States
leaves on our mind an impression that Mr..
Panizzi might, with some advantage to Brit
ish students, suggest the bestowal of few
hundred gulneas more on the speculation,
the poetry, romance, and esthetical disser-
tatiOn of the cultivators of their language
across the Atlantic
We cannot but think, despite the contrary
Judgment of some wise persons who have
debated this point, that the distinct history
of the American mind should be commenc-
ed, far back, in the times of the first Puri-
tans in New England There is national
character in America; it is seen, very decid-
cd and strongly marked, in the free northern
States; and making every proper allowance
for the Dutch element and It's influence in
New York, that national character was born
in England, cast out from thence because it
was not agreeable to majority of the peo-
pie, and has remained until now, unchanged
in its essentials, where it first found a home,
in the area of civilization ever widening from
the British settlements on this continent
The history of American literature begins in
the good old days of the Dudleys, the Cot
tons, NOrtons, and Mathers, or earlier still
in those of John Milton, who has been
claimed as the "most American author that
ever lived" And with justice. For what
had that stern and sublime intelligence il
= common with kingly domination, or hierar
chical despotism, against both of which he
made call Europe ring from side to side p
: And are not his immortal books on State
and Church politics the very fixed and un
decaying expression of the American idea.
on these subjects?
Before the commencement Of this century
America had but one great man in philoso
! ply; but that one was illustrious. From
the days of Plato there has been 10 life O
more simple and imposing grandeur thar
that of Jonathan Edwards, who, while liv
: ing as a missionary at Northampton, ther
: on the confines Of civilization, set up hi
propositions which have remained as if the,
were mountains of solid crystal in the cen
ire of the world We need not repeat tn
: praises of Edwards, by Robert Hall, Mack
e intosh, Stewart, Chalmers, and the othe
: great thinkers Of Britain and of the Cont
nent, who have admitted the amazing sub
tlety and force of his understanding. Il
America, his doctrines were constantly dis
: cussed among theologians, but until the pres
ent generation, he had scarcely a disciple O
an antagonist deserving of much considera
ton. Of writer's now living who have treat
ed with most ability and earnestness hi
Doctrine of the viii, we may mention d.
I. Day, late President of Yale College, Profes
T, sor Tappan of New York, Professor Uphar
of Maine, and Professor Bledsoe of Lous
Of ana; but there are many others who hay
= written with acuteness against the great n,
re- cessitarian or in his defence.
ly The textbooks of the old country-tl
he works of the Scotch metaphysicians, {
$ those of LOcke-were used commonly in IL
r. schools, and for fifty years there was scare
ly pretence of originality or independents
but in 1929 the late Jas. Marsh, then Pres
;, dent of the University of Vermont, repu
lished, with a mastery Preliminary Essa
the Aids to Reflection, by Coleridge, whi(
To- was destined in the United States to ha,
an influence altogether more powerful thu
it has had in England and soon after W
al, commenced the propagation Of the Franc
TTy German philosophy, in translatiOns of
M M leading expostiOns, and the composition
original works, which, in number and cha
acter, now constitute philosophical liter
VS. ture, many-sided indeed, but Astounding
h able and ingenious dissertations on the chi
es, points which have interest in the mode
k schools.
We have space only for a sort of cotalog
raiS0nne of few of the most conspicuo
: living writer's in this department. Proft
~ sor Upham, of Bowdoin College, is kno7
~ to the religious world by "Memoirs of N
dame Guyon," and other works illustratil
belief in Christian perfection, and as t
translator of sJahn's biblical Antiquities
m His metaphysical productions consist of
philosophical and Practical Treaties on t
= Will" 'tElements of Mental Philosoph
embracing the two Departments of the ]
tellect and the Sensibilities;" the sar
work abridged; and "Outlines Of Imperfe
a. and Disordered Mental Action" The
works have passed through many edition
and are very largely used as textbooks
f They are, in the main, eclectic and Ang
a., Scottish, but have some original and striki
views, particularly in regard to the sensibi
ties, IN his chapters concerning which
discusses very amply and clearly the distil
tions between the intellectual and sesiti
ote parts of our nature. Professor G. IS. Hem
rds d. d., Of the University of New York.
accomplished scholar, whose first conside
OF bic work was @Compendium Of Christi
Antiquities, is best known BY an 0E
tome of the History of Philosophy" Fl,
), the French, with additions, and trans
, .' ton, with commentaries, Of tsCousin's
ments of Psychology" In all his Writil
and he agrees with Cousin. Henry F. Tapp
ry' d. d., is the author Of an admirable rs
tenn Of Logic" to which is pre6xed an /"
/ troductory View Of Philosophy in Genel