New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1856-01-07
We must content ourselves with the estimate Of
his genius, which is presented ss follows:


In estimating the genius Of Irving, We can hardly
attach too high a value 10 the refined qualities AMI
genial humor which have made his writings avorItes
wherever the English language i read. The charm
il in the proportion, th, keeping, the happy VEN
which inspires happiness in return. II II the felicity OF
but few auhOrs out Of the vast stock OF English
literature, delight equally young and Old. Inc tas
Of Irving the favOrite authors OF chhdhood' ana
their good humor and amenty can please where most
literature is WEAKNESS in the sick room OF the conya-
lescent Every infaence which breathes from these
writings j. good and generous. Their sentiment j. a.
WAYS inst and manly, without cant or anctatlon Ihn
hunor is always within the bounds OF proprety. They
have fresh inspiration Of American nature, which
not the less nature for the art with which ~ Il
adorned. The color Of personality attaches us through
out 10 the author, whose hun1or OF character =
ALWAYS 20 be fen This happy ant of presenting rude
and confused objects in orderly peasurable aspect
everywhere to be met with in the pages OF Irving Is
one Of the most benefcent in literature The philoso-
pher Hume said turn for humor was worth to hum ten
thousand year, and this gift which the writings OF
Irving impart. To this quality Is allied an active
fancy and poetic imagination, many OF the choicest
passages Of Irving being inerpenetrated by this yv
fying power. On one or two occasions only, we De-
lieye in some sanZas TO she Passaic River, some
delicate lines, descriptive Of painting by Gilbert
Stuart Newton, and theatrical address, once pro-
nounced by Cooper at the Park Theaer has he ever
put pen to verse; but he Is essential poet III prose-
in many exquisite passages OF VIVID description from
Westminster Abbey and Engll,h rural scenery To- the
waste beauties of the great region beyond the MsSls
sppi. Parallel with the ruder, but more robust and
athletic writings of Cooper the volumes Of Irving
improved American society, and rendered the national
name beloved and respected abroad. Both, To the
honor of the country have never lacked admirers from
the start: both have been followed by dligent schools
of mitutos, and their books will continue to be read
together with equal honor, the complement OF each
other
Cooper's position in our literature is sketched
with firm and discriminating hand.
Cooper was the iirst American author who attained
..otsz hora tIal fOasta at b1C
language His novels were translated soon rs they
appeared III the principal countries OF Europe where
the Indian tales especially universal favorites
His deineation of the aboriginal character was nov
city which gained him hearing, and the attention
thus obtained secured and extended by his vivid
pictures of the forest and the frontier These are topics
akin in novel interest in the Old World TO ruined ab-
beys and castles in the New Scott had worked the
latter field to an extent that essened the public inter.
est in such scenes when treated by any but himself
Cooper wsely chose new path, which he could make
and hold as his own. He tired and succeeded
The novels of Scott set the antiquar1es TO work rub
bling the rust off old amor and brushing the dust from
many an old folio, and illustrating many wel-nigh
forgotten chapter of history; and the productions OF
Cooper have rendered a ike service He has thrown
poetic atmosphere around the departing race OF the
red men, which, if il cannot stay Their destiny Will DO
much TO fix their place in history.
In his personal character Cooper presents to lis
manly resOlute nature of an independent mood, az
cressive fond of the attack conscious OF the strength
which had led him choose his path in the world
and triumph He never exelted his power, however,
but in some chivaous cause. In Europe he battled
for repubcanisIn; in America he was punctiiou' for
the personal virtues which grow up under an arlstoc.
racy II would have been well, perhaps, II be had
sometimes been silent and waited for time to remedy
the evils which he commended with; but this was not
Lis nature lie had great powers, to which something
should have been conceded by Others and il would
have been better for the Others well a. for him.
The egoti:m Of such a man, if not inevitable, Is at
least venia
II was easy for those al distance To at alleged
weakness but those who knew hinl well, lis family,
his friends-and what noble men they were, IN the
highest stations of trust and confidence in the country
found new demands for sympathy and admiration in
Cooper's society. With his intnnates he was gay,
frank and waIm-heaited; fond of the society OF chill
dren; full Of sport and merrimcnt from his youth
through life.
A valuable notice is given OF the prominent y-
ing American writer on Political Economy, Henry
G.. Carey from which we take the following com.
pact statement of the leading points in which his
system presents marked contrast 10 the leading
dogmas prevailing i'll Europe:
First in time was the dcInOnstia that the prog
ress of social wealth is in the normal order concom
liant with and more rapid than that OF population
This proposition connected with one even more
adverse to the faith in the fixed dtmarkat on OF rank
class and privilege, which the traditions OF social HE
founded on and adapted to military activity nave sane
Toned for % many ages that it has grown INTO Gre
dence as provdental law. The doctrine TO which
we alude may be- termed the law OF Distribution, OF
distribution, however, not mechanical Dut OF game,
and as inscTarabe from growth the distribution OF
snp in the brances leaves and buds IL from the HE OF
Tree IL is that in the natural growth OF population
aud wealth the share of the labOrer in each successive
increment increases both relatively and absolutely, III
proportion az well as III amounts while that OF the cap
talist though increasing III amount, dlinnishe IN pro
norton In other words, there j. IN the growth OF
capital-the machinery by which man subordinate to
his service the gratutou powers and agenccs OF ma
ture-a constant acccleratmg force which, steadily
INCREASING the prOductveness of any given amount OF
toll and therefore cheapenng the result, or what III
the converse is precisely equivalent enhancing the
roIne of labor secures product enlarged to the de-
gree that a diminished proportion thereof gives
greater quantity than the capitalist formerly OBTAINED
from his large proportion OF smaller lFoduct' Inc
enlarged proportion of an increased product proVmes
the aborer enhanced quantity ana ho' III ple' Ou'
in virtue of increased cheapness 10 the consumer.
This NAV be translated from the abstract into the
concrete facts patent upon the smallest examination
of history, that commoditic OF all Kinds are constantly
falling in price while are rising, and that the
rate of interest declines while the mass OF captal con-
stantly receives larger accreions.
Mr. Cary has reached these vital conclusions while
vet admitting the plausible hypothesis Of Ricardo that
IN the occupation and culture Of the sol men pass from
those of superior TO those of progressively detenoratnS
fertility this hypothesis were wen founded, there
will be diminishing product for the agricultural toll
of each successive generation, aud consequently an
increasing proportion of laborers required TO devote
their energies for ever declining remuneration Ar
Carey has shown the existence vi power, III the
Growth of capital other than land, more than cOmpen
.ating the tendency to retrogresson from the supposed
Il. cTeasing productiveness OF the SOLE In lois, now
eyer he WAS led BY the direct observation OF facts to
the discovery that the of individuals ana COM
munties in the occupation and culture OF the son II
dramatically opposite TO that imagined by Ricardo
that men always from the necessity of their unfuf
uished condition subject their inferior lands to culture