The Washington union. [volume] (City of Washington [D.C.]) 1857-1859, 1858-04-04

tn foregoing rates
philosophical identification of governments IN its prin-
oples with the time -honorcd systems the od World
IL Is the same thing in art in good mnancrs and in let
ters We forget the past II we would be great
in the present or progressive in the future Memory
was surely given To that his labos might mot be
merely inscription the sad, to bc ofAced BY every
tide 1t is precisely those writer's who have stuiied tho
masters most deeply who are themselves the trusst orig
nails We have many writer's now who arc ssry OF the
SOIL aud they have all drank deeply Of the wells al Eng
ish and all other European cuturcs, to say nothing OF
classical antiquity. Hawthorne is example, bril-
liant scholar-yct the Scarlet Letter and Hose of
the Seven Gables could not have been written out of
Massachusetts Huntington is anothera man thor
oughly mbucd with past and foreign iteratures yct
even Engsh criticism admits his absolute nationality
II Is true that it did not at first sight that the
author Qf Lady Alice going to turn ont a pccu
Iiarly national writer The Of that charming afs
exciting novel is laid wholly in the arintocratc circles of
Europe. The horo k young noble, the heroine the
daughter OF an Eugish duke; titles glitter every pagc
and NO great the fidelity to the details Of Ehh FASH
ioable l that tc British reviews and the talk of Lon
don are said to have attsibutcd ~ autAorsp 10 we'll
known individuals Of the society Described It's Arne
can origin was not suspected till il reprinted in the
United States native book But, after this brilliant
mysication, all the works Of Mr.. Huntington have been
thoroughly American and perfectly oblvous Of every ier
egn interest s'Alban describes with loving elabora-
tion the student life of Puritan New England The
Forest introduces tho characters of Aban into the heart
of the 'focst primeval which still covers the northern
half Of the State of New York. depicting its magnificent
sylvan and mountain soItudes and its life Of wild ad
vcnturc with rich and versatile power of word paint
ing that no other American writer has, in opinion
eo,ialcd Thc Dark Lady is Of the most Vivid, If
not the most vivid and snguarly pcsurc OF
plantation life in South Carolina with Its swaning
croes happy and contented, its swamps of rico, piny
forests dark swift rivers and lux'ant cotton fields and
Xanthine and Melanie, althoughy evidently initiative
Of 80 decided an English classic as Sir Philip sydneys
Arcadia, ofcfs M a soft, dreamy amMotype Of New
York and its beautiful vcinagc, divided by The
slyery lapse Of the Hudson overlooked by the gray cliffs
or the Palisades and embracing the rcstl proncnading
shopping Gotham in bolt Of steamboats, and shipping
is deeply to bo regretted that those two last tales Of
such singular merit and beauty exist only tn the perod
cal FORM in scattered numbers Of the st. Louis Leader
The earlier novels Of this series marked with st
king faults which caused general outcry against them
Their scctarian tendency offensive to many rcaders
not excepting those who Of the way n think
ing with the author but who did not care to scc these
matters obtrudcd into work Of fiction. Nothing hurt
Mr. Huntingtons literary reputation narrowed his
circle of readers much this pccuiarity Another
fault perhaps was tendency to situations which Tor
some readers were youptuous, although in dramatic
point Of view they true and beautila and unqucs
tionahly legitimate in art. ~ s@ ts@
Mr. Huntington seems to have tacity admitted the
Justice OF these criticisms by paying marked attention to
them Aban" passed rapidly through twocditions, but
the third was corrected with an unsparing hand nnd
all the later stories arc considered by the most stidons
to be morally faultcss~, sThe Pretty Plate is one of
the most charming juvenile stories though simply writ
ten IL is highly imaginative and one old or young
could read it without edicaton Neither tho ingenious
workings of the maideny heart the blaneless self
surrender of matron love, have met with q purer de-
lneation than in s'Xanthne and Meanc' The define
alton is indeed of force to elicit the bushes Of
man and the signs of manly heart but perfectly pure and
delicate The honeymoon of Xanthnc and Trcmainc is,
indeed all tremulous with passion, as the orb OF the n
sing SUI, flames and trembles in the amber OF the orient
but it is a chaste and spotless fire. Many womans
pen would have failed here, where this man has succeed
ed Tho minute and accurate knowledge of female traits,
habits and feelings displayed in all these books puzzles
women and gives a charm of flesh and blood reality to
their heroncs which is, felt by all men.
We hope that the author of "Iady Alice" will quit
the stormy of politics. and devote himself agnin to
the caer pursuits Of literature We observe that he is
announced about to deliver lecture on Money (of
all subjects y at the request of dom know how many
distinguished senators.
The announcement of novel from his pen, which
he might have easily written this winter, would have
given us greater pleasure. Tho author OF the Ozark
Lady," with the peculiar experience acquired in loht
cal career could teach political truths effect
ualy than by stump-spceches' or "leading articles"
There are than enough of our most promising lit
erary who have fallen sacrifice to this melancholy
intoxication of age and countryparty politics.
They should remember that is more inexcusable
than he who ''to party gives up what meant for
mankind"
THE COLLINS STEAMERS HAMMER. The
steamships Atlantic Baltic and Adratic the property of
the New York Liverpool and United States Mail Steam
ship Company sold to-day at public auction at their
wharf at the foot Of Canal street
Prior to the commencement of the sale notice
given by the United States district attorney that the gen