The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1854-08-13

really useful man, while Gpmes IVES the Intrepid
enc a their number: the other tAree we're Of very
httle IL any, service, the sequel VIII ahow, and
were entirely out OF their element when It cane to
conf ontinR the hostile Ere. Livingston haduntil
then LATIN under the suspicion OF potroonery md II
the celebrated French academician and historian
Mignet speaks, In his obituary Of Edward Living
stoD, published in the Journal dss Dsbats, of the
daring courage which disting uished that gentle man
amid the perils Of battle he had no other authority
for the narrative than Livingston himself AsJssk-
ness!" Livingston might have exclaimed in the in
verse seIse, Writing, mot fighting, ismy business %
Again, as to this matter, the reader win learn ia
the course Of the present history, with what zeal
any real bravery applied themselves to the work of
informing their contemporal les and posterity after
them OF their personal prowess. The excellent pro-
CARNATIONS addressed by jackson to the country, 70
tia AT the despatches sent to the President, At
Washington in relation to the events and operations
transpiiing until the invading British force had
withdrawn, were from Mvipgston's pen. The des.
patch at the close OF the brief campaign ia from the
hand of Mr.. Grymes
Though MI. Nolte meers frequently at the
American people, he by no means shares the
opinion of some OF his countrymen with respect
to our fighting qualities. He says
The Americans in war are peculiar. In Napoleons
day the French fought for the glory OF the great
nation." Now, perhaps they fight for :" the glory
country or " God aud country" but the Amer
cans " for tue good Of my country" After the
teace, an officer ia this war; the Marquis of Tweed
dale who was takeo prisoner on the Canadian from.
tier and brought 10 New York, said to me: " j
hope it will never fall TO lot again to fight Arnari
cans; every ole II them always fgh>s his own indi
vidusl battle. and is . most dangerous enemy
lie makes some exceptions, however, such as
The Ades-de-Camp Duncan and Livingston
whose friends must feel fattered by the follow
ing allusion:--
After the military council of the 7th, Livingston
had retired to the city on pretence OF q violent
collie, /, myself, who was sergeant, commanding
the pquet.e. had the honor of opening the barrier
for hin. There he remained until next day, 10 his
dressing gown, upon the balcony of his house, until
he heard of Jacksons sue ess, when the collie left
him and he re-appeared in the camp. His comrade
Duncan, who quit tae camp At daybreak on the 9Th,
TO look for renforcemens rode about the streets at
up the foe is upon us. To the isld! to the iied"
All active people were in the field. A csrps of
veterans, many of whom had net yet seen thirty
years, guarded the bank and arsenal. My heroic
antagonist, Mr.. Cashier Saul, already frequently
named in these volumes, had as the story goes for
the truth Of which do not however vouch, the
greatest possible difficulty in restraining bis warike
ardor. Indeed, an order, obtained by his friend
Duncan from General jackson, was found absolutely
was essential to the safety of the bank.
would not have spoken of these casual instances
Of cowaroice, were 1t not for the fact, that in the
report of this battle contained in the dispatches Of
General jackson to the President Of the United
States, and which were drawn up by Livingston
himself, The General thanks his staff aud his militia
ry and volunteer adutants for their cool and delbe
rate bravery; When first saw this paragraph il
what queer look Duncan and Livingston must
have exchanged, when they read it togetber-those
two birds of q feather-th0se two scoundrels who
play ed so we'll into each others hands.
We could multiply amusing extracts by the
score, but we think enough has been said to
show the interesting nature Of the book. Mr..
Redtield has made lucky hit.
The ENGLISH ENVOY AT THE CoURT OF NIcH-
oLAs l., BY MISS JULIA CORNER. Riker, Thorne
j Co.-Miss Corner is favorably known to the
public by some historical works Of considerable
merit but we believe that this is her first &C.
knowledged effort in the realms Of fiction. The
title Of the book is calculated to deceive the
public into the impression that it is purely po
litica in its character and objects. but on turn
ing over few pages of it, it will be seen that
The tale has been written to fit the title, and not
the title to tit the tale. This has now become
The common practice with the London publish
ere, who seek TO direct the talents of authors
into the channel Of thcil own mercenary views
without considering or caring for the injurious
and depreciating influence which such sOrdid
abuse of their position is calculated to exercise
upon English literature. The present nag
mates of Paternoster Row are gripping, grasp
ing moneyloving race, very different in their
notions ard dealings from the Murrays, Bal
lantynes and Cadets Of former days. Unlike
those liberal minded and generous patrons Of
literary talent, the London publishers are, by
o sy stem of grinding parsimony and illjudged
interference with the better taste and
Judgment of authors gradually degrad-
ing the literature of Eogland to the level Of
their own narrow understandings. They either
seize upon topics of present political interest,
for the staple titles Of their lighter works, with
out reference to their fitness and strict relation
to their subjects, OF they select list of at
trsctive captions and give orders to their lite
rsry hacks to write books to them. This has,
no doubt, been the case in the present instance.
The conspicuous part played by Sir Hamilton
seymour, the lase Dftttsu .iHtstcr ~ ~. ! e
tersburg, in the confidential correspondence
that took place between the two courts relative
to the prospective partition of Turkey, evident
ly suggested the title of 81 The English Envoy
at the Court of Nicholas L." as popular and
taking one, for be it remembered that Lie
don publishers Of the present day place more
dependence on the outside than on the inside
Of their publications. They pay the same COM
pliment to the cultivated tastes of their fash
ionable readers that Sternc did to that of an
empty headed pedant, who, be said, committed
the titles of books to memory, in order that he
might boast Of their acquaintance"
1t must not be supposed from these observa-
tons, which are intended to be merely depreca-
tory of practice, which we regret to see is fast
prowino into favor amonpst nihlishers that