Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1856-03-14

!
tive spirit of orr State Rights government could sur.
vive the conflict. IL 's not absolutely certain that
some extreme States OF The North ms sht not be detac
ed from alliance with the South and be aeducpd into
crusade OF arms against slavery. In anv event.
the productions OF slave labor would be reduced
to value altogether inadequate To tho sappnr,
Of the Institution. The cotton OF the Caruiinas and
tetobacco OF Nrgna, would waste in tho e!ds of h.
planter, aud he might accept the emancipation Of his
slaves as relief from an iunlerable burden. The
South, now 50 rich and powerful might be impover.
isheI and hum>listedi and on IFS ruin, Aboouism
would erect the commercial and political deapotsm 10
which 1t asp:res Tho plunder Of priyaleers the
monopoly Of the market in the purchase OF cotton
and the sale Of manufactures, and, above all the
quest o: Canada, would aggrsndizc the North in pro-
portion rs the South sinks in tue scue of wealth ard
power. So iuseparably nre the Interests Of tue
South bound up with the preservation of peace with
Great Britain.
The beligrrent tone Of the aJolitiouists habi,ua!
ly meek and ayerse from violroce, ad,noushes us
In this co'iHnruro II pursue pcicy o pucifc mod
eralun. They act, not from i:a9ulsu, but from ca.
cuatioos Of tue lroinundest policy; aud wheu hear
Seward, Sumner and Wilson cnmcr for war with
Great Britain, We need that they seek
not The vindieon of national honor, out the dcgra
daion aud destruction of the South They contend
not for tho sanctty Of public iaith but eso The par
ticuar treaty which sets arbitrary bounds to the ey
pansiop Of slavery.
Against contingency Ct such fat,. por,cnt to the
South, il is proper that the Legislature Of Virginia
should oppose oil the iLfuence Of forma! expires.
sion Of the popular seu;i,n.n; Of the Slue.
| CYCLOPEDIA OF AMERICAN LITERATURE,
embracing personal and critical notices Of authors
and selections from their wrtug5, from the earliest
period to the present day with portraits. Autographs
aud other Illustrations. b. Evert Dayckinck. and
George L. Duyckiucki 2 yos.-Nvw York, ChurIcs
Scribner, 1855.
We have received from the publisher n copy of this
elaborate and excellent work-and having given it n
thorough examination do not hesitate 10 dcclire that.
in our opinion, it ranks with thu fret books os this
description in either English or German literature
The Messrs Duyckinck seem 10 have brought TO
their onerous task. cxteusve and accurate nofIna-
ton, ripe scholarship, and an expanded AID catholic
spirit of criticism eminently NECESSARY il delicate
M undertaking. Wehave heretofore had 10 comprc-
| hensive summary of what America has accomplished
in l-tters-the volumes the "Pruse" and Poetry
Of America, scarcely fulfilling the design mined at BY
their cumpilers. We shuuid doubtless pardon ruc!,
in the volumes referred upon III. Of the i'm
toll Of the undertaking; but The authors Of tie
present work have shown whs: uur,lnitn.s Industry
and profound research eau accomplish; and the Cy-
| clopTda Of American Literature must s,snd ut the
!
! The work il divided into periods s-aute.revoutpI-
/ ary, revolutionary. and the prsssn. century. Gl
these divisions, thsrcv.uonsry portion is, We think,
| the most valuable and Interesting. In the bip2rs-
! phlrs and extracts relating 10 the representative
mind, Of the period, we have n complete picture OF
the ,imes, more valuable, we believe, than can b.
( found in any American history. We have not space
TO speak III detail oi this, any other portion q! th-
work. The reader mus. procure H. and find Tor him.
self the striking passages. We h"vo been psr,icr-
urly pleased with the fair and comprehensive notices
of Southern writers in tho volumes We here hui
many fact. relating the old Virginia wrtera, cepe
cially which are not elsewhere in rru The re-
searches Of The MeSsrS. Duyckiuck 10 have brer
pushed with the ntnos, diligence to the most r.vat,
sources, and the result hGs been collection OF an"
upon Southern wor:lss, Of high value and interes:
| We caunr: uk the library uf any with C tGs:e
for letters. complete wrIiiou. tho book. Its iauia and
shortcomings u5r greatly oyer.haanccd byits Eerit'
! and we mos! cordially commend /; to our readers
| The volumes nrs well printed IN royal octave. and
contain numerous portraits aud views uf colleges &C.
in the main reliable; among thcse We notice hiso.
ry of Wnm and Mary College. with view Of the
buildings OF the University of fireiia of North Ca