Weekly national intelligencer., 1853-06-04
NATIONAL INTELLIGENCER.
NOTES ON NEW BOOKS.

s b;,o Lstters Of Rfaiaent Men 10 GEORGE WASHING
RON from The Of his taking command Of ne Army 20
~ ~ ~ his Presidency. Edited from the original manu-
scrints by JARED SPARKS volumes Boston Little
Brown s. CO., 1858.
Tbese volumes form natural and appropriate
Saouel to Washington's Writings" as previously
compiled by the same editor and may be regarded
in fact as necessary complement to that portion of
tbe writings of our Pater Patrio comprised under
,be head Of his Correspondence" The letters
here giyen have been selected from "several thou
sands remaining in the possession Of WASHINGTON
at his death it being the aim of the editor choose
.ncb as would enlarge the readers knowledge of the
events characters and opinions of the period which
they embrace and it adds to their value that all
the letters thus selected here printed entire As
10 their editorial revision, Mr.. SPARKS simply
claims that it has been performed with such care as
the condition of the manuscripts admitted or re-
auired, errors of grammar and obvious blunders,
the result of hasty composition, having been cor
rected But no reader can carefully peruse these
volumes without being made sensible of the consci-
entous and faithful manner in which the editor has
acquitted himself of the responsibility attaching to
his functions For the which, in his editorial
revision Of Washington's Letters he chose to pur-
sue and for the fidelity with which he followed it
out in practice, Mr.. SPARKS needs no defence of
ours as the readers of this journal have not forgot
ten the ample justification which appeared short
time ago in its columns under his own hand
Though the primary aim Of the present comrila-
ton may have been to illustrate various parts of
Washington's Writings, yet their contents as the
editor justly remarks, possess Independent value,
conveying they do numerous original facts from
the highest sources" Interesting simply as me-
MORALS of the men whom not only American pride
but the consentng voice of the world has agreed to
pronounce "above all Greek, above all Roman
fame" they are valuable besides as being the con-
fdential testimony Of those best qualified to Judge
of the civil and military events of the time to which
they refer Writing" says Mr.. SPARKS, g with
a full understanding of what was passing around
them, and generally on topics of immediate impor-
tance their statements possess weight of authority
and freshness which ensure their accuracy and
enhance their interest" Remembering what the
French philosopher cencisely said about the rea-
hons between the style and the man, the reader
very naturally expects TO find the style of these let
ters quite different from that with which literary
taste modern habit has familiarized him. He
who comes to their perusa expecting to find in them
the graces of elegant compositions or the face flip
pancy of current correspondence will be doomed to
disappointment ltmust be remembered that maay
of the writers of these letters men like Putnam and
Greene, were better used to WELD the mattock and
the blacksmiths hammer before they began to WELD
the sword and the pen. They were men of deeds
not OF words; they affected eaden rather than paper
bullets; they could set squadron on the field
DETER than they could marshal fine phrases into
harmonious periods. And yet their style is not in
general without certain terseness which far trans
cends all the gauds of gewgaw diction; if it lacks
the grace and elegance of the Corinthian capital
possesses the soldity and massveness of the Dorc
column. We can perhaps best convey our concep
tion of the style which pervades nearly all these
letters by quoting an example illustration of tha
strength and conciseness of expression which reacl
the point at once without any waste of time ano
paper in superfuous verbiage, and least of all in
adscititious ornament. We select almost at ran
DOM but the following extract from letter of John
Hancock, the President Of Congress, to the Com
mander-in-C Chief, will show the calm and selfsus-
tanned grandeur which characterized the heroes of
revolutionary era. There was nothing rhapsodi-
CAL nothing strained in their language as there was
nothing intemperate and hair ir,brained In their
conduct;
"PHILADELPHIA, JuLY 8, 1875.
q Sin; The Congress, for some time past, have hat
their attention occupied BY one Of the most interesting
them any other assembly Of men.
Although it is not possible foresee the consequence
Of human actions yet it is nevertheless duty ow,
ourselves and posterity in all public councils to de
eide in the best are able and to leave tn,
that Being who controls both causes and events
to bring about HIS own determinations
/" Impressed with this sentiment and at the same time
fully convinced that affairs may take more favor
able turn the Congress have judged it necessary dis
solve the connexion between Great Britain and the Ame
rcan Colonies and to declare them and
States you will perceive by the nclosed Declaration
which am directed by Congress to transmit you and
to request you will have il proclaimed the head Of the
army in the way you shall think most proper
Agreeaby TO the request of Congress- the Cemmitte.
of Safety of this colony have forwarded you
sand ints, and the ints Rhode Island ordered
be-sent TO you Immediately.
81 have the honor to be- sir with perfect esteem you
most obedient and very humble servant.
"JoHS HANCOCK, President.
There is in such language natural dignity which
well afford dispense with the tawdry pretnesses that
moderns too often disposed affect Who can con
ceve Of Monsieur Lamarne writing thus about the las
French Declaration Of the Republic, simple and ndi
visible y fact Of any Frenchman writing thus abou
any of the revolutions in which his countrymen have re
oiced during the last hreeuarters Of century,? Sucl
letters as the above make thankful that Ame
ricans and Ango-Americans at that. To mind tber
is something ofbe old Spartan imperturbabiity in t
calm reference osubects the momentous and then
and tone that which announced the Declaration Of
Independence" has significance Of its own which the
attentive reader will not fail to note.
The letters contained in these volumes will be the most
interesting and suggestive him whose Of the
times which they embrace is the most accurate and mi
mute To such reader they will disclose the secret
springs Of many actions and events and enable him as
were the hidden rsof influence which combined
10 swell ga tide in the affairs of men,. Even the local.
from which they dated often invest with added
interest the Of many places with which before
NAV have failed to