The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1854-07-04

hrge and exceedingly interesting compilation Of his
correspondence, 30, edited BY his son, the whole
making two ample octavos. Scarcely any work re-
ktng to the early days Of the republic possesses
- much interest for the Of letters or the polisi
clan.
Mr.. Charles Francis Adams has nearly ready the
tenth and concluding volume Of the works Of mis-
grandfather, JOHN ADAMS; and the first volume,
which will embrace life of Adams, indexes, &C.,
will speedily follow. completing this most important
collection of the ideas which governed our
heroic age. In historical value the works Of
John Adams must be ranked next TO the let
ters Of Washington, and on o par with the
writings Of Hamilton, Madison, and Jefferson,
and they should be carefully studied by every one
who attempts to write speak Of American institu-
tons policy We are glad to learn that four sd-
ditiopsl volumes will follow Of the private cores
poudence Of the Adams family-of the letters Of
John Adams 70 his wife, her letters to him, their
letters to and from their children and their intimate
friends II Il needless to say that Mrs. Adams was
one ri the great women Of her age. Her letters al
ready pri.ted evinoe her intellectual emnence, her
womanl ness an. the interest and mgacity With
which che regarded pchlic affairs. Her commune
cations to her friends while she was with her hus-
band, geect the feelings displayed At his table and
among his partisans; and those which she wrote to
him when they were separated, b+tray all she knew
Of the spirit Of the society in which she moved.
These four volumes will be more entertaining and
scarcely less valuable than any letters relating to
our early history, which have ever been printed.
Il has lately been stated that Mr.. VAN BUREN IL
much occupied at Rome with the composition Of his
Memoirs We knew and stated in the HERALD,
long before Mr.. Van Buren, went abroad, that he
had been thus occupied for years at LindenWold.
Perhaps the venerable ex-President has taken his
manuscript to Rome for final revision, under the in
struction Of those willy conference.-the Jesuits-who
reputed to possess such extraordinary skill in
eguuoqus, convertible meaning, and all that kind Of
foxcraft which has been the Little Magician's chief
dstinction or he may have been intent only upon
getting beyond the influence Of contending parties
20 ~ to write with the most scrupulous and impair
tial honesty-looking back from Italy as from an
other age, altogether removed from contemporary
factions and prajudices. However these things may
be, Mr.. Van Buren's will be remarkable work, and
we learn that it viii be very vouminous- probably
not less 30 than Mr.. Benton's.
OF memoirs, biographies, histories, Gc Of or by
public characters who figured in this country during
the first half Of the present century, there Ia likely
to be an abundant supply. Mr.. Tioknor and his
associates will in the coming year bring ont
more Of the volumes of Mr.. Websters Life and Let
ters-which as Mr.. Ncknor is to have the chief
management Of the matter, we may be sure will be
written and edited in manner altogether faultless
The venerable Josiah Quincy, the only surviving
member Of the House Of Representatives which was
elected in 1904 will publish, in the fall, his Memoir
Of John Quincy Adams, In two octavos. Mr.. Cralle
Is busily occupied with the Life and Letters Of Mr..
Calhoun, to precede the collection Of his Speeches.
&C., now being issued. The Rev. DR.. Cotton Is ar
ranging and annotatipg the immense number Of
letters TO and from Me-. Clay, which were q few
weeks ago confded to him by the great orators
family. And brother OF the brilliant political and
Congressional meteor Sergeant 8. Prsntiss has in
the press a biography Of that extraordinary man.
son Of the late Richard Henry Wilde, also, has in
preparation q memoir of that accomplished poll
6cian, elegant scholar, and most agreeable gentle
man; but this work, we suspect, will be rather
literary than political
Having referred to 30 many forthcoming works in
this departures, we will venture to mention the fact,
long known in the private circles with which that
distinguished gentleman Ia connected, that Mr..
Horace Binney will leave for posthumous publca
zion an account Of his life and times. This great
lawyer and variously eminent citizen has no supe-
ror, he has equal, among the living masters Of
English style. Every paragraph from his pen is
deserving Of study for Its compactness, flushed
elegance, and fulness Of significance. His work
will display wide range Of scholarship, rarely
paraieled knowledge and appreciation in art, and
such profound views in politics and the philosophy
Of society, as will command the respectful csnsde-
ration Of the best thinkers.
The most delightful and most popular work in
history biography to be published in America dur
ing the present or coming season, will be edition
Of Plutarch's Lives, partly from Dryden's transla-
tion and partly from other hands, with some origi-
nal trsnslatons by the editor, Mr.. A. II. Clough,
ate Fellow of Oriel College, Oxford, and now con-
nccted with Harvard College. The common version
Of Plutarch by Longhome, is deficient in every quail
ity that should render such performance accepta-
Die to intelligent readers. OF all the versions those
Of Dryden and North, (Which viii be largely used in
The forthcoming edition) are the best and better
living editor or translator of Putarch could scarcely
be found than Mr.. Clough. We are glad the most
graphic, dramatic, and altogether agreeable of the
classical historians Is at length to be accessible to
EDglth readers in proper costume. The edition
will be in fine luxurious Boston Octav0s," than
which nothing be more attractive to the literary
cpicure.
The COmmencemcnts.
The following has been received since our last no
sice Of the commandments was published:--
jams GoEDoN BENNETT ESQ
SIN The fifteenth annual commencement of " The
Rutgsrs Female Institute" will take place Friday
af~SBoon July 1854 in the Rutgers street Church.
We avail ourselves Of this Of reques tiog
- Tnn al al