New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1857-12-26

do not say gres. poet, which, perhaps, be wss m,
or earnest patriot and profound politician, which 10
certainly was, bat a rarely complete man. mo
unity OF his character, the symmetry Of hs scott
mepts scts AZ opinions preserved, through hie OF
nearly eighty years, is equal in its hind 10 that u
Washington in its kind.
To ssy u at this book has added 70 the charms oil
STYLE On artistic skill of arrangement under the
exernsl form Of an easy half conversational sketch
ia only 10 say that it was written BY BeraDger 10
translate few passages will give a more agreetoie
and rot lees imperfect idea Of the Volume than
any attempt at further description and ansiyH'
OF it. Considering the brief space 70 when ava,
limited in ktter, l must take such as WIZ san
preserve some sense wbea separated from their con-
txt vitbt nj too much regard 20 their relative in
portsnce. will venture 10 make sort Vi connec-
ton between them by arranging the iragme ntary
extracts under their heads
BERANGHR AS 4 POLITICIAN AND PAIhWi.
No man va 3 ever more thoroughly patriotic than
Berapger. His was the thorough going patriotism
Of Of the people, strongly iinctured even WIN
tie deep prejueices Of q man OF the people. Aae
this quilted bis political notions. For thougn
his republlcabim dates from bis infancy and WAS
sentiment as well as an opinion, he says tnat ne
coud accept the 18th Brumare: "Because with
me, patriotism has always overruIed political doc
" trints; and Providence does not always leave ma
tons the choice Of the means OF salvation" Ii be
publican rather than partisan. With clear sight
tdness and foresight which events have shown 70
be me- ct extraordinary, with an ardent desire Tor
and unwayeribe hope in the future liberties OF bis
country, and with discomfort amounting to dlsgust
for Il policy of Louis Philippe, he was opposed 70
violen, revolution, on grounds Of exPediency. On
occasion of the Revolution of le4-, be remarked:
Here, when we had staircase to descend, We
| have Jumped out Of the widow"
D., rls;p mic iu NJ
tory that at cOndescends TO record foolish actions
"obh hen they are performed by kings or princes"
Berapstr says, with larger and calmer wisdom:
History too much negects little details; II Is
doing history service to preserve even those
(which are apparently Insignificant 1t may ind
Z" ip them the expression Of the popular Thought,
| (which it seems loo much to dsdain. II is Dad
habit to assemble, for the representation CT each
"etoch a few figures which ara begrimed or
| whtewasbed at WILL and for which style is made
"tO serve az q pedestal" From lc2J to lc'.c ne
was in constant and familiar intercourse with the
political leaders great and small of the opposition
- saw how much more intelligent and advanced
"was the nation than its leaders who iancled them
selves the elite Of the nation every polite al as
"Anby invariably fancies ITSELF though it is rarely
Z" the case and certainly was not then more than II
sis now a.days. Several of these gentlemen thans-
"ed me for the aid was endeavOrlDg to lend theln
| His sores were doing more than their arguments
" or intrgues for the overthrow Of the BourooDs.
/" replied, Do not thank me for the songs written
" seainst our opponents; thank me for those do
"IOt write against you Heaven knows that they
might have been good once, and the ideas OF them
often passed through NY mind" BY the eide OF
this persistent independence OF chiefs, parties and
reductions Of al kinds offered by friends aud
foes alike exists strong and cheering to the end his
persistent faith in the people, the young and the tu
| tuIe. IL have seen the origin and development Vi
"thilosophic and social IDEAS which will serve one
"day, when dlsembarrassed from inevitable en-
"Iors, for the smeliOratOn Ct this poor world,
"wbose Wanted civilization is at present hard
ely NOE than barbarism." have
"learred more from them the youth who
"always honoIed him and sought his presence than
" tbey could earn from me- am not ashamed to
" confess it. The hope Of being buried by men VINO
evil be better worth than ourselves, is . sweet
| consolation for a friend of bis kind" II his
| 6cutentss Of vision enabled him to see the faults
aid falpgs Of certain chiefs Of the liberals, an VA
.paiirg condemnation is qualified by awise recognl-
ton Of the temptations to which they we're exposed,
and be cOst bis verdict upon them 18th the moQled
phrase Of wit and charity " But, after all, who OF
I" US has Lot failed If iheIe are those who have
"the reputation If having never fallen, it is because
"thsy stumbled when no enc was looking on lie
was bald at twenty tirte. Thanks to this appear
ance OF advanced sge, be escaped the cOnscrption,
although at risk Of severe puI shment if the trick be
was playing, with Nature for an accOmplcs, were
Uncovered. But, on the occasion of the marriage
of Napoleon with Marie Louise, gene raj armistIce
was granted to oil refractory conscripts, (which
"pIOvts that the little do not always suffer from
:" The folies Of the great" In another place he
ssys: "My admiration Of the genius of Napoleon
did Lot lessen my repugnance to the desPotism OF
:" his government especially as did not then take
into account ss have since done, the necessities
imposed on him by the struggle he had TO main
"tan agsIs the constantly attacks OF the
" Eu opean aristocracy"
BRRANGIR As A NAN OF LETTERS.
If ever q man had literary vocation, 1t was
B6IaDeer So far ss books are concerned, his early
education was vt TO nothing He cannot tell hun
self how be learned to read when he had get 80 far
| as to commit to memory two long POEMS Ii read
ing came by nature in his csse, spelling and correct
writing were acquired long after by most laborlous
study "At The age Of twelve, suspectiDg that
"yeIses should be subjected to any sort Of measure
II wrote rbymed lines at venture; they were OF
"equal length however, thanks to two marks drawn
with lead pencil from top to bottom OF the pa
per; thought BY that means that was writing
"verses as regular ss thOee Of Racine" No man,
however, no Frenchman even, was more scruDu-
ousy attentive to the art of writing than Btranger
came TO be when he wrote for the press. Yet he
vas not Of those who subscribe to the doctrine OF
art for the sake of art 40 my mind, be
sa,s 1.-The utility of art Is what sanctliles It"
regret tla. have not room 10 introduce here MS
exps nation of rather than apology for his Baccha-
naiian and Erotc songs. 1t is neither dePrecatory
ror d. 6ant but almost satisfactory. 1t should not
be forgotten that his songs Of that nature are but
| small part of what he wrote, and IN hardly any
part the transcript Of his experiences. his earlier
| attempts, as is well known, were pastoral poems;
it is not so generally known that he tried bis pen in
various other kinds Of verse and pfose-including