New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1854-03-02
NEW PUBLICATIONS..

LETTERS TO A YOUNG NAN AND or TER PAPERS. BY
TBomAs De 0UlSeEY l-ino PIP 500 l'eA"of Reed q
Tho contents of this volume are less inoleraby De
Ouncysh than many OF the preceding portions OF the Sc
ries still they move in the same skimble skambe style,
which in writer of inferior and audacty would be
secuted out of the limits coed literature Disguise as he
will the smell Of opium every ching tina; falls from DE
Oun,eys pen He never fulfls his promises. He never
reaches the end of the road which he starts With al cir
Of great originality and subety he does not satisfy
the o1pecatons which be excos What pregnant problem
has he elucidated What positive addition has he made
TO our treasures of knowledge OF criticism What
pasage has he written which read ceaves forever to
The memory We do not believe that De Quincy will ever
hold the rank classic in language Ills course has
been ike that of comet, flaming, startling cratic, but
with no place among the acknowledged umnares Of the
sLy Els brilliant episodes often possess fascinating 10
teres. but few will them either for delight in
struciion OF the papers in this volume the most readable
ia that on Conversation, from which we make or
two selections
DIR. JOHNSON A. 4 CONyERsER.
Many people think Dr johnson the ereLor of CONVEX
saonal power. thin, otherwise for reasons which
shall soon explain and far should look for such
eltmPiar in Burke But neither johnson Burke
however they might rank porer,, the artist that
demanded Burke valued not at oil the reputation Of
great performer in conversation he scarcely contem
plated the skill as having real existence and
will be artist who does value his art
recognise object distinctlydefned johnson again
relied suriy upon his natural powers for carrying him
aggresyey through all conversational occasions diff
cultes that English society from its known character and
composition, could be supposed likely 10 bring forward,
without caring for any art or system Of rules that might
give further effect TO that power II is strong
enough to knock down ninety nine in hundred Of all an
tagonists in spite Of any advantages pugisc sci
which they may possess over himself he is not likely
to care for the improbable of a hundredth ap
peang with strength equal TO his superad1ed to the
utmost excess OF that artificial skill which is wanting in
himself Against such a contingency it is not worth
while going to the cost of regular pugsc training
Hall century might bring up actual cal for
lis application Or If ii did, for single extra case of
that nature there would always be in the erra
and strictly speaking foul arts of Kicking scratching
pDchiDg, and tearing hair
The conversational powers Of johnson were narrow in
compass however strong within their essential limits
A. coHdstto qua aOn he did absolutely demand
persoAGl contradiction by way of stOker supply fuel
and keep 1p his steam but he demanded least subject
teeming with elements of known contradictory opinion
whether linked to craftsmanship not His views OF all
things tended to negaoD never to the positive ad tue
creative. Hence may be explained fact, which cannot
have escaped keen observer of those huge
memorabilia which possess, viz that the gyr1slon OF
his fight upon any question that ever came before
him was so exceedingly brief There process, no
evo,uop no movements of self conflict preparation
word distinction pointed antithseis, and above ALL
rev abstraction Of the logic involved in some popalaf
leos i bis eos Re aisspatd soma casual perpeIy
that had gathered in the eddes Of conversation but he
coptrbued nothing TO any wighter int BE- ,oked
trsDeuated sew err in blind alley, but what river is
there that felt his cleansing power There 10 man that
can cite any single which Dr. johnson unmasked
anv iratortsnt truth which he expanded Nor is this eK
rCordmayy DR. johnson had not within himself the fOaa
tain Of such power having hot brooing naturally
IhoSoIhic intellect Philosophy in any acquired
he had How else could have happened that upon
David Hartley, upon David Hume, upon Voiaire upon
Rousseau the true the false philosophy Of his
beyond personal sneer founded popular SANDER
be hsc nothing TO say and said nothing new world
moldiug itself in DR. JohnsOn's meridian hours, ne
generations were ascending, and other palms were won
Yet Of all this the Doctor suspected nothing Country
and contemporaries Of the DO tors brilliant men bat
rs many think trihing men such Horace Wapoe and
Lord Chesterfield elready the middle gheen.h
century could reed the signs OF the grea, changes adyaac-
rg, already started ia horror from tho p0rtens which
before them in Paris Ike the procession Of regal
IhaItoms before Macbeth, and have In in tler letters
records uuGena5le such read like Cassand.a
prophecies ha! already they have noticed in the
ground below their feet and sounds In the cir running DO
the great couvulsoEs under which Europe was des
tined % ro,k fun thirty years later Many instances dar
irg tie last war showed ~ that IL theft eul andy might
oHen lax the most htry aEd accomplished o. 0ife ~
thF-e ~IOs ft 20 tire