The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1856-07-10

ity, which Is sustained in circumstances "a they
occur. The conversion of the yengeful rival
into the humble and self sacrificing minister of
the Gospel, is unusual among writers of &c
ton; yet 1t commends itself to the reader, and
he cannot but feel that such g removal Of an
adversary from the path of the favored lover
Is better than the common horrible modes of
death or despair, and it also gives the author
an opportunity to lure the reader to some of
the best pathetic moods she can seize on, to en-.
list their attention. Her pictures of Southern
life are admitted, we believe, to be favorable
specimens of the existing state of society
there, In IDS better aspects. OF Slavery, as
such, her plan does not lead her to trea. yet
there are certain points, that now and then
come up above the fair surface, which reveal
the evil in the influence it exercises on life.
Mrs. Walton and Robert Graham, as depicted,
evidently are products of the exercise of its
power, their passions and domineering spirit
its legitimate result.
Gleanings, dc, are tales and sketches of
different kinds, brought together, we presume,
from magazines, to form q volume. Some of
them, we think, we have before read in that
form. With nothing striking, they are pleas
antly written, have not equal merit, but will
compare favorably with nine-tenths of the
lighter products of the same kind.
Bouldin's little work on Turkey, in part, if
not in whole, we believe, made its appearance
in one of our public journals. Among the
many volumes on the East, it can hardly take
any prominent place of merit, as it conveys no
new information of interest. 1t will not, how.
ever, want for readers, as Oriental life is an
attractive theme.
From the publishers, Messrs. Moore, Viii
stach, Keys, & Co., of Cincinnati, we have
been furnished with two small volumes on life
at sea- called, respectively, MAxoF-wAR LIFE,
a Boys experience in the United States Nary,
during a royage round the scorld, in a ship of
the line and THE MERCHANT VESSEL, Sailor
Boys Voyages to see the World. Both by the
same author, whose name is not given. They
are handsomely prepared, and contain much
interesting incident of adventure, and relating
to life on the ocean. The author tells a
straightforward story, and whether or not they
are what they claim to be- real occurrences,
there is truthfulness of manner about them
which leaves such an impression that we can
hardly believe them unreal. The plates are good
specimens of wood cuts, and relate to parts OF
the world which have lately been visited by
our ships, as japan, &c. Intended, as these vol
umes probably are, more especially for youthful
readers, yet our older ones also will find them
full of interest for themselves. Jack, humor-
Gus and frank as he always is, is well portrayed
on board ship, and we are glad to see, too,
without the profane language which forms so
large portion of conversation in many books
written on similar subjects. 1t would seem as
if some authors had never heard of pioa.s
sailor; he may be a rara apis, an exception
to the greater portion of tars, but he is among
the noblest specimens of what the Gospel can
do for every class of mankind. We commend
these volumes to those who would borrow a bit
of knowledge of the ups and downs on the
water, without the hardships of its experience.
The American Reform Tract and Book So
ciety have lately issued little volume, called
GERTRUDE LEE or, the Northern Cousin, by a
Lady; which depicts the evils of the system
of buying and selling human beings, in a
graphic manner. The sympathies of the reader
are enlisted in the story of Kate, slave girl,
rescued by the intercession of Gertrude and
Grace; and yet we can see nothing, in the
management of the incidents or language, that
ought to render the book offensive to our South
ern friends. 1t is such volume as we should
like to have them read candidly, and with re-
| Election.
A JOURNEY in the Seaboard Slave States with Remarks
on their Economy. BY Frederick Law Olmsted. New
York: Dix Edwards. 1856.
A NORTH SIDE VIEW SLAVERY The Refugee, or the
Narratives OF Fugitive Slaves in Canada. Related by
themselves With Account of the History and Con-
diion of the Colored Population of Upper Canada By
Benjamin Drew. Boston: J. p. Jewett & Co. 1856.
SLAVERY and its Remedy. BY William McMchsel Pitts
burgh: J. G. Davidson. 1855.
LAYS LBKRrY or Verses for the Times. Boston: Ella
Marsh 1854
| PoKAs Miscellaneous Subjects. BY Franci. Ellen
Watkins Boston: j. b. Yerrinion & Son. 1854.
THE MONUMENTS or, Eleven Years Progress of Reforms
ton among the ooored People of the District, Guided
by their late Monitor the Rev. Francis Cook By Free
man aad Ferguson Washington: William Fl. Moore
1856.
New ENoLANDER No 2, for 1856. New Haven: D. Mead
The KIDNAPPED and the Ransomed Being the Personal
Recollectsns of Peter Still and his Wife Vinap after
Forty Years of Slavery. By Mrs. Kate Z. R. Pckard
With Introduction by Rev. Samuel J. May and an
Appendix by William H. Furness ID. D. Syracuse:
William T. Hamilton. New York and Auburn: Mil
Ter, Orion, Mulligan. 1856.
We have placed these works together, not
because they are of equal merit, but as relating
more or less to the same subject Slavery and
its collateral issues. The number of the Mesc
| Highlander, a religious quarterly of established
| reputation, contains an extended notice of Mr..
| Olmsted's book, of which it speaks in terms of
high commentator. The review is understood
to be from the pen of the Rev. s. w. s. Dutton,
of New Haven. He says, We do not know of
any book protesting to give information respect
ing the working of Slavery in the United States,
which is on the whole so valuable as this
and ait is a thesaurus of information on the
whole subject" In the justice of this estimate,
we doubt not, those who give the book candid
perusal will accord. Mr.. Olmsted possessed
| some peculiar qualifications which fitted him
| for the task on which he entered. He had al.
| ready proved himself man of careful observa-
| ton in the amount of valuable information he
had gathered and spread before the public, un.
der the title of WALKS and Talks of On Amer.
lean Farmer in England" He Is admitted BY
the Southern CultiUator, an agricultural journal
published in one Of the States particularly no.
ticed in the present work, to have furnished a