New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1857-05-27

refused To give him up he should be brought force
Washington humored the joke, and offered TO head
the party. He led il with great tormay to the door
of the dIawing-ro and sent in summons. The
ladies refused to give up the deserter An attempt
was made 10 capture him. The ladies came 10 the
rescue There was q melee, in the course OF which
his Excellency seems TO have had passage at arms
with Mrs Omey. The ladies were victorious, as they
always ought to be. says the gallant Tighman.
Among other topics of interest treated in this
volume are the character and history of Arnold
the operations of Greene in the Southern Depart
mcnt. the exploits Of Marion, and the affair of the
Newburgb Addresses
THE AMERICAN BIOGRAPHICAL DICTIONARY BY
WILLIAM ALLEN ID. svc' Pp s'a John r. Ie~e''
The preseLS biographical work, of which the third
edition il now Issued, Ba itself biography of Ordi
nary interest. II is than half century since the
author conceived the plan Oft occupation fo tue
leisure hours Of literary retirement, and in few
years from that time the arduous labor of its prepare
ton by single individual was successfully completed.
The task which he had undertaken was different from
that of the compers of similar works in Europe mas
much as new field was TO be explored, the whole
range Of American history was TO be traversed and
the essential facts in the ves of its conspicuous or
noteworthy men to be culled os of wilderness of de-
tails and reproduced in a compact and consistent Sc
ries of biographical narratives Few men would have
had the courage attempt the patience to execute,
such formidable enterprise, but ii was finished to the
acceptance of the reading public, and for long time
remained the only general collection of American BIZ
ography in print. During an interval of more than
twenty years, SECOND edition was often called for,
but it wss not until the year 1882 that the author com
piled with the wishes that had been loudly expressed.
just twenty-five years from that date the present edi-
ton makes It's appearance IN an enlarged form, and
is,ued in style Of appropriate and beautiful typo
graphy that makes the consulting of It's pages work
not only of convenience but Of pleasure IL is rarely
indeed that such monument of fifty years industry
can receive the finishing touch of the author, and we
cannot but congratulate DIR. Allen on living to witness
the full maturity of work to which he has devoted so
many of the best years both Of his youth and his old
age.
The volume, which IS q portly octave in large aud
handsome print contains nearly seven thousand
names from the first settlement of the country to
period comparatively recent, including record OF
men of distinction in the religious and civil history OF
America-Of eminent persons in literature and sci
ence in the learned professions, and in commercial
pursuits-of those who have been remarkable for Pc
culiar traits in their character in their history
and of large number who known only for their
social and moral worth in the walks of private life In
such a great variety Of biographical sketches, al
though apparently by the same hand, We mud expect
10 find striking inequality Of execution. This y GER
tanly the case in the volume before Many OF the
lives are written with circumspecton with considerable
ness and with due attention not only to correctness
but even to elegance Of expression. They can be
read with qualification not only for the information
which they impair, but as examples Of condensed ana
lucid narrative In other instances, the marks OF care
les-ners or fatigue are too plainly visible and neg
lgence of execution is permitted which shows either
standard Of excellence not sufficiently elevated for
the demands of good taste or a want of yigor TO carry
il into effect. The biography of Washington, for in
stance, is a well-wrought and pleasing composition.
So, with some exceptions, are those of Hamilton and
Jeferson Not So the sketches of Madison and Jack
son. which are quite inadequate to the subject Or.
Franklin ard the elder Adams fare better at the hands
Of the bcrapher; but Of the modern statesmen john
Quincy Adams and Daniel Webster the accounts are
sipculsrIy measer and unsatisfactory. John C. Cal
boun receives a little more justice, but nothing to
bos.t Of Fisher Ames is the subject of interesting
notice, bringing the religious features Oh MS character
nto prominent relief
elneaon of character H. often brings his personal
feelings to bear on BIZ judgment Of individuals. In
some instances ne .ekes occasion TO indulge IN pohtl-
cal or religious dsqus!tions which. we submit, are
foreign 20 the purposes o; such work. Whether we
agree or Disagree with hs dogmatc assertions, We feel
that they are out Of place and demand that no private
specua,iors shall disturb the progress Of his nana-
tive. Thus the space OF less than column which he
deyotes 20 Daniel Webster Is nearly one half taken up
with diatribe against torder-fufianism,' which,
however sound. e rreey.u.. 4 clear exposition Of
the actual ..fe OF the ExpouLder would have been
far more satisfactory to the reader than the idle suppo
stions a. 70 what he might have done in he had
been President So, too, in the few lines given to
John W. Webster, who was hanged FOR the murder Of
Dr. Perkman We have q superhuous volunteer defense
Of the beauty of capital punishment Apropos OF an
other worthy who epded his life on the gallows, one
Jason Fairbanks, who was executed az Dedhan il
lsG4 he vents hs disgust the legisIion OF Massa-
chuse.ts, which provides for the Imprisonment Of the
criminal for year before suffering the lat penalty OF
the las. Nor a. ell less strenuous are the efforts q