The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1853-05-12
VOL. VII.
LITERARY NOTICES.

Il l..
George Y. Baker In three volumes New Yo,L
Redheld. For sale by Gray Ballantyno 7th !,
Washington ID. @.
We have before us three large volumes %,
tanning an aggregate of near 1000 pages Or
the Speeches, Orations, Messages, and Letter,
of Mr.. Seward
The first volume embraces his Speeches :,
the Senate Of New York and in the Senate 90
the United States and his Forensic Arguman,.
with memoir of the author; the second vo,
ume, his Notes on New York, Annual ana
Special Messages to the Legislature, Official
Correspondence and Pardon Papers the third
volume Orations and Discourses Occasional
Speeches and Addresses, Executive Speecbs.
Political Writings, General Correspondence
Letters from Europe and his late Speeches in
the United States Senate.
The country need not be told that Mr.. Sew.
ard is an able man. The rancor of his Zoe.
and the devotion of his friends, the command.
ing position be has obtained in one of the lar0a
political organizations and the fact that unon
the odium, real or imaginary, attached to his
name, his political opponents in the last Presj.
Dental election greatly relied, in their wa,
against the Party with which he is identified
snow clearly enough that he has power, and has
used his power 50 as 10 make himself felt
The works before us give evidence of. great
industry, thorough investigation patient and
laborious thought, excellent scholarship, and a
wide range of ideas. Their tone is elevated
their spirit sympathetic with reform, their die.
ton clear and energetic, although sometimes
too labored and ornate. We speak of the
really valuable portions of the volumes; for the
editor has mixed in with these a medley Of
things written and spoken by the author, of
no general or permanent interest, and by no
means necessary to elueidate his principles OR
policy. MIR. Seward surely does not suppose
himself so great man, 80 essential to the
country and to the age, that the world cannot
afford to lose the meaning of single word he
has ever uttered. And yet it would seem that
such was the impression of the editor of his
works We find among them, for example,
pAAOi iOihoi no III bhC pShdtc, nOb Occupying
more than ten lines letters of acknowledgment
and letters of congratulation, of no interest ex.
cept to the parties concerned; pardon papers,
which would scarcely be read by any but
the pardoned and their friends; official papers,
illustrating no signal event, no important prin-
ciple, and which might be found at any time,
when necessary, by reference to the Execu-
tive Department; brief, formal letters, in reply
to political invitations, Sc, Sc. all Of which
have only served to swell the dimensions at the
expense of the merits of the book What was
needed was, selection, not collection Por-
tions of his official correspondence while Gov
ernor of New York, relate to vital questions
and are marked by the bold enumeration and
mastery presentation of great principles which
must give them enduring value Some of his
speeches in the Senate of New York, some of
his forensic arguments, and nearly all his elab-
crate speeches in the u States Senate, possess
also an interest and value, independent of time
and place. All these are worthy of preserva-
ton, and, if carefully separated from the large
mass of unimportant material which now en-
cumbers Them and presented in compact
form, would have been generally read, and
would have done more credit to the genius of
Mr.. Seward.
Oh, that our authors, considering that life is
very short, and the press very prolific, would
consent to be brief!
SPEECHES IN CONGRESS. By j. r. Giddings. Bos-
ton: j. P. Jewett 4 Co. For sale by l.. Clephane,
Washington, d. G. Price 81. Postage "a cents.
This is handsome volume, Of 5ll pages
printed on good, white paper, with Likeness
of Mr.. Giddings as frontispiecc. 1t contains
his principal speeches delivered in Congress
during the last twelve years. and should have
q place in the library of every man who wishes
to be posted up on the various questions having
an Anti-Slavery bearing, that have been intro
duced into that body during the last dozen
years. The principal topics discussed are The
Florida War; the Rights of the States; An
nexaton of Texas the Mexican War; the
Wilmot Proviso; Payment for Slaves; Rela-
tions of the Federal Government to Slavery
California; New Mexico; Agitation of the
Slave Question the Compromise Measures;
the Baltimore Platforms, &c. We have read
the volume with much interest, and hope it
will have large SALE His speech on the bill
to pay the heirs of Antonio Pacheco for
slave for coseness of reasoning and legal acu-
men, has not in our opinion, been surpassed
by any speech delivered in the House. 1t has
never been answered, and may, therefore, be
held to be unanswerable.
The Works OF john C. CALHOUN. Vol l. New
York d. Appleton 4 Co. For sale by X. Farm
ham, Pennsylvania avenue Washington, d. c.
In an advertisement prefxed to this volume,
it is stated that the manuscripts from which
these works are published, were never revised
or corrected by their author. The editor, how
ever, judging from the contents of the volume
before us, has discharged his duty admirably
"The Disquisition on Government" constr
tutng portion of it, has none of that negli-
gence Of style, none of those verbal inaccu-
racies, which characterized the speeches Of
Mr.. Calhoun. The style is clear, exact and
direct finely adapted to the subject under dis
cussion
FThe Disquisition on Government" is con-
else and lucid exposition of cause, nature, and
scope of Government, which is held to be OF
Divine ordination of the necessity and design
of Constitution of the natural tendency OF
Government to abuse of its powers; and Of
the appropriate correctives Of this tendency.
Mr.. Calhoun states his positions with preci-
sion and great force, and with logical fidelity
follows them out to their legitimate conse-
quences. There is no meretricious display, no
sophistry, no clap-trap about the argument
The production has given us far more favor