The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1853-05-05
LITERARY NOTICES.

| i'sEf' Nrusaue IN the Last by j. Ross Brow,
New York Harper Brothers For sale bv
Taylor, Pa. avenue Washington.
This, in every sense of the word, is an aca n
progress That road is the more popular which
makes the most astounding time between Uvsr
points; and, let it run along edges of fears0
precipices, through vast tunnels, or over barren
wastes, yet it will be thronged Better risk
thousand deaths than be bored. We won't h.
bored We are free people on principle and
take our stand against the bore AS in road.
80 IN books--we want to get over the ground
we take facts on the wing and grasp the art
of learning by the tail, The old style of tyav.
elled book men, who crept slowly along and
measured out facts to the fraction, has p,ssd
away; and in their stead we have merry chan
who amuse, and whose instruction depends much
on the quantity or quality of the brandy, Or the
accidental accuracy of a recollection never the
best The size of the pyramids or width of
desert are to be gained from the impresions
upon uncertain brains and, if YOU complair
are coolly told to "look for yourself they are
humbugs anyhow" Against such, in vain, old
Fogyism protests. Let him fret and fume ever
SO much, the rascals are popular, and their
books sell-that is the main point.
Among these, including Stevens, the author
of Eothen," and Thackeray, J. Ross Browne is
captain. Like Puck, he will put YOU "a
girdle round about the earth in forty minutesn
and be just as entertaining and reliable We
may not be much improved-we are certainly
greatly amused, and that is the gain, after all
No one can pick up this book, and lay it down
short of the last page, readily. Yet the views
are SUGGESTIONS of broad grins and, between
the pencil and pen, we are at least kept in
good humor. And, even when dealing in the
horrible, as sketching dead and dcoayng
monks, the exclamation of What q sad, sad,
wicked world" is followed, like the man in the
play, with, Well, he as funny boy"
AS the matter-of-tact man must eschew Yu-
SET 80 must the romantic. Before his keen
satire, romance vanishes like fog before north
wind Bless US, how he has disposed of the
" Isles of Greece, where burning Sappho loved,
&C., and played odd gooseberry" with our no.
tiOns of Constantinople.
We regret, much, our limits will not permit
specimens of the work, if such we may call it.
There is quiet humor lounging of sentences
out of the mouth-sly digs, in an off-hand way
which nothing but the book itself will carry
home to our readers We would like to take
from it some capital stories, as the effect Of
cold Zip Coon on the Arabs; "Adventwes
on the road to Syracuse" or some descriptions
of scenes and characters-al the last of which
are before us, palpable as if we had looked
upon and shaken or scolded them in our trav-
els. "Yusef the Dragoman, the valiant slayer
OF robbers" we know BEST and admire exceed
ingly. What terrible fellow he would have
been in the Mexican war We should like to
vote for him at the next election. Let all the
nhappy-meaning, Of course, the hundred
thousand Office seekers--read Yusef
10 For the following notice Of Das Volk
we are indebted to an intelligent friend
Ed Era
| DAs voLK (THE PEoPLE) BY X. Heinzen New
| York; 1853. Published by the author Price q
cents.
This is pamphlet of 81 pages, containing
the following articles:
/. Who and What is the People,
q The People and the State
8. The People and the Church
a. Democracy.
S. Eating and Drinking
Das Volk il the first Of series of pamphlets,
which the author would be glad to publish if
sufficiently encouraged. The cost of publish
ing is over hundred dollars Mr.. II. cannot
| afford the expense, and he requests all who
read with interest, and who feel disposed to as
sist him, to let him know how much they will
contribute.
The spirit of this number is very bold and
independent--nOt to say revolutionary in It's
tendency. The church, the government and
all institutions, are treated with more or less
severity and perhaps much justice The fol-
lowing very literal translation Of few pas
sages may give some idea Of the style;
"Has Mr.. Fillmore in the least regarded The
general condemnation Of his policy! Has be
not made contracts and alliances with foreign
powers without the least right to do so! mas
be not disgraced and dishonored the Republic
in every possible wayl And what other pros
pect had this Republic than its day Of deliver
ance, when he, in conformity to the Const'u
ton, must resign to his successor! Must nO'
the account be rendered by the calendar, ra'ne,
Al 4 Al. - Of ba pn0nle
But to say the least, it appears to me that 'n0
democratic idea of Democrats in Washng'
ton, is expressed in the recent public asnos
upon the projected acquisition of Cuba, wh'y ,a
the Democratic Polk and Buchanan, wouiu
purchase, of mountaineering, dcspotic Govern
ment-the land and people, as farm, WIN ~
stock, for 81 90, O0O, 900, which the United Sial'
must pay in order to possess new slave l"'
tory; NV ,.,..., ,.,;,0,;o0 itself
is in this country, in spite OF its freedom, ;on
more to the people than cypher or e, ',;.a,s
machine. II is powerless, because ~ oe,,v,
the whole power, and the fate OF ,ne .o 81 tbs
into the hands of a few rePresen'"' "a ,;nce
law-gving and Executive power 20 oxrosed
these irresponsible Representative a." ~ ,eonle
10 all manner Of corrupt influences, me peop'0
must become what the influx from Their repre'
sentatiyes makes them, viz guards and hunter
corps for the shareholders s.n,ar
aBy the people is meant no parucu 10,
nartv neither Whigs nor Democrats, but "'
wAols population Of the country"
The last article is satirical essay on VINO
Monta;yue terms, gastromony," which, MI
Heinuler says should be studied as sc'en1s'
bAcause Il makes the man. Man has OILY
re.Obed tho right and-point, when he has a.,
tanned the highest the world can offer throus'
eating and drinking, as well as through TINS
ing and loving. The table indicates the oh''
acser Of people. 10 the Turks be finds NOR
humanity and poetry than in the EgyPia0'