New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1856-09-12

HAND. ROOM or AMERICAN LITERATURE limo
m 80 ]. Il Lppincoii & 60

notice of the principal authors in the United States
1t has evidently been got up in hasty manner and is
founded on secondhand authorities, instcad Of an
adequate acquaintance with the productions Of Amer-
can literature. The editor shows want of fairness
of Judgment he scarcely liable TO the influence OF
pre- JUDGE subject remote from personal interests
and hence the numerous errors into which he has
fallen must be set down TO the account Of ignorance
and too confident reliance ENTHUSIASTICALLY sources Of
information, rather than to studied attempt at mis-
representation. We have no space to point out his
mistakes in detail, but will alude to two o the
most prominent.
Mr.. Bryant is stated to have been admitted to the
bar in Plymouth, Mass. II he ever resided in the
Old Colony, no previous biographer that We are
aware Of has noticed the fact. The lines,
Forced to drudge for the dregs Of men.
And scraw strange words with bsrbarous PEN
are said to have been written in reference to the
authors writings for the newspaper press after his
retirement from the legal profession On the contrary,
those lines are found in the charming little poem to
Green River written at Great Darlington, and refer to
the natural disgust Of poet with the wranglngs Of
country law-oflce.
Among the productions Of Mr.. Bancroft, several
translatons Of German works on philoogy said
to have followed his publication of the trans
laton Of IIeeren. This is not correct. Nor is the
statement true that he explained his motives for
joining the Democratic party in an article in The
Boston Quarterly Reri,W nor that the Round Hill
School at Northampton was established in conse-
quence of his not trusting in the precarous gains Of
literary labor subsequent to his experience with the
German TRANSACTIONS. still greater bunder is that
his appointment collector of the customs at Boston
intended the reward of his services for writing
the first volume of the History of the United States
Dr. James Walker, President Of HarvaSl College,
is classed with Theodore Parker and William b.
Greene, as having assumed wide latitude Of opn-
on and attempted to make innovations in theology
md moral philosophy But President Walker is one
If the most cautious and conservative thinkers of the
lay and has about as much affinity with the writers
alluded to as Bishop Butler might have with John
sterling and Thomas Carlyle.
Emerson is said to have borrowed the results of the
peculatons of Fchte but venture to say that the
age of Concord has read work of the Ger
nan Idealst at all events, the problem concerning
he validity and bounds of human knowledge which
occupied the mind of Fichte, is which Emerson
las spoken, and with which he has patience.
Fichte followed the leadings Of iron logic-Emer-
on trusts to aesthetic inuitions. Their methods and
POINTS Of view have so little in common, that no one
acquainted with the writings of both, could accuse
Emerson Of being borrower from the German or, in
my sense, his imtator
The account of Dr. Brownson is tissue of errors.
First is said that The Boston Quarterly Reriew
in 1887 and during recent years has been
lnder the guidance and indeed has been chiefly writ
en- by Orestes A. BownsOn. This is alike bad history
md bad grammar. During recent years" The Boston
quarterly has had no exisence-it established by
dr. Biownson in the Outse-and was written almost
exclusively by his own hand during its natural life
secondly, The Boston Quarterly was never mergedin
The Democratic Rerieuc as is here asserted. Nor
hrdy, did Mr.. Brownson, after by turns advocating
in religion eclecticsm in philosophy, and
ther systems less borrowed from foreign
writer's ultimately find resting place in the Positive
philosophy of NJ. Comte." DR.. BrownsOn has never
,een advocate, an adherent, nor even student of
,omte's philosophy; and is still an earnest Catholic, of
which faith for ten years he has been of the
most prominent and able champions in this country.
But we have wish to dwell on the shortcomings of
work, which doubtless aims at fairness and impartial
", and which uniformly shows liberal judgment and
friendly spirit in relation both to the institutions and
he literature of this country. The author has failed
trough toe implicit trust in incompetent guides
TUCKER. avo. PIP go. -Four vols Vol l. Philadelphia:
j. b. Lippincott Co.
Mr.. Tucker has. embodied the experience of many
Years in the history of which the first volume s now
to the public. Connected by intimate per-
cna relations with large number of the leading
statesmen of this country since the adoption of the
Federal Constitution, and enjoying the acquaintance of
several who were conspicuous in the Revolutionary
contest. he has been watchfu observer of the prog
u of 10, durin fha
xisence Of the present Government. His position is
more favorable to an accurate knowlede of affairs than
o impaltislity of judgment Few writers could de-
crbe the history Of period, to which they sustained
uch close relations, without perceptibe bias Of
pinon. NJ. Tucker however, has not adopted the
one of partisan, in his narrative of the political de-
elopments to which his work is mainly devoted
Without claiming TO be free from party predictions
which would indeed be no benefit to the most consc-
ntious historian he has evidently aimed TO hold
ven balance between the representatives of antago
listic tendencies and interests The present volume
extends to the retirement of Washington from the
Presidency in 1897 while the whole work will comprise
he period from the earliest settlement of the country
10 the accession Of General Harrison in 1871. Mr..
Tucker makes pretensions to the graces of compo-
.iion but his narrative is lucid and unaffected, and
presents compact view Of the course of events in
heir relation to the embodiment of political principles
IN Federal gslation.
THE LIFE OF GEORGE WASHINGTON ByJ.T HEAD
LEY eve. Pr IN. Charles Scrbner
Mr.. Headley has aimed, in this work. to present
popular view of the biography of Washington and OF
he events intimately connected with his public ca
reer in less volumnous form than would be required
for detailed history of contemporary affairs. 1t was
..1 haa