Nashville patriot. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1858-1860, 1858-03-11
onr ReSk Table,

now before US, Ia to review a series of Reviews;
and we may add, for the most part, very able
ones There does not seem to be much of an
attempt at what is generally termed slime
trriting," and consequently the book is all the
better for it; the style being clear, elegant
and unaffected. The work, also, is evidently
written by person who to natural abilities
has added the polish of cultivation-it reveals
both the innate gentleman and the accomplish
ed scholar.
The first article is review of what may
now be styled an old book; viz: "Memoir,
Correspondence and Miscellanies, from the
papers of Thomas Jefferson. Edited by Thos
Jefferson Randolph" We do not hesitate to
pronounce this an admirable paper-it is so
in every sense-in style, in spirit and in opin-
ion. 1t forms, however, rather condemned
history of the life and times of Jefferson than
review of memoir by another. Possibly
the reason why we have been SO pleased in its
perusal is that our authors views of the life
and estimate of the character of the great
"Apostle of Democracy" so fully comedies
with our own preconceived opinions His es-
innate of Jefferson as man. a reformer, an ex-
ecutive officer and statesman, SO exactly cor
responds with our own, that we can imagine
his voice is that of our "own soul, heard in the
deep calm of thought"
In Part " of this article, the struggle of
Burr with his "evil genius" Thomas Jeffer-
son, is given with more than historical, nay
with almost dramatic force and fire. 1t is
stirring and brilliant-lucid and full of vim
indeed we don't believe that Macaulay could
"better" it. The picture of Burr, desolated
in his home, wandering forth an Ishmael pur-
sued by the blood hounds of official hate, an
athematized by the Democracy, and hunted
down as murderer by the Federalists, whose
idol he had slain, is graphic in the extreme.
We forget that Burr is branded as profiigate,
| murderer, and traitOr-we see only his an
guish, his danger and his desolation. SIN all
America one only heart throbbed in unison
with his own; but that one heart, devoted,
fixed, chnngeless; sensitive alike to his joys
and his sorrows, was to him more than all
America, or all the world. 1t was the heart
of Theodosia, sole daughter of his hOusen !"
But to proceed. In the review of "Macau-
lays History of England" we can again con-
graduate ourselves in seeing our own thoughts
and opinions so truthfully, and so eloquently
expressed this affords us the greater
pleasure in that it is done so much better for
us, than we can ever hope to do ii for our
selves.
Notwithstanding our authors deep and ac-
l,nn IoJo I'D, Of bril- ri
ter, he boldly administers reproof where the
historian merits it; for instance, in his too APP
parent leaning towards Cromwell, and his
scarcely disguised antipathy to VIM. Penn.
Mr. Macaulay is at liberty to put forth his own
personal opinions and predictions in the So
cial circle or in debate but he has no bust
ness bringing them forward in his history.
With the reviews of the "Poems" of Willis
and Longfellow, we cannot SO fully coincide.
Our authors contempt for both is evidently
sincere, and we do not quarrel with him for
having told them so. But we regret that he
does so regard them,-that he shows up their
shortcomings without mercy, and yet gives
them but little credit for what is good in them.
Willis has "dawdled" over great many
trivial things, to be sure,-for instance, "To
the Lady in the chemisette with black but
TONS" in which he says, (biank rerse mind
YOU'D
''who is thy progentor, fair maid
And what doth he for lucre ~ &c, &c.
Now. for this Willis deserves the bastinado,
but then he has given us "Parrhasius," 1.-THE
Scholar of Ben Khorat," and delicious little
nOrcedu, entitled, "A Chamber Scene" for
which we could consent to ''cover multi
tuder of his sins, with the mantle of charity.
We have come to the conclusion that great
people" can't ARRAYS be great, de Grand
Monarque excepted, who even took an emetic,
and went through its consequences" IN stated
and we little folk must cease to expect 1t OF
them. Mrs Sigourney devotes a whole col
umn of Exceedingly prosaic,) blank verse, to
"A shred of Linen" but that does not affect
our unqualified admiration" of her "Niag-
ara" Byron wrote enough of "stuff" to
condemn him to literary limbo, and even
Shakespeare himself, the awful Bird of Jove, "
condescends at times to stoop from his eagle
flight and twitter with the wren.
We can only add that we trust "the end is
| not yet" and that the world shall hear further
from the author of Leisure Labors." lie is
a Southron, and it is his duty to expend, and
circulate his ''ten talents" for the elevation Of
literature in the South.
InE STUDIES OR, How LIVE. BY Rer. ). Battle
New York. Harper Brothers. For sale by W 7
Berry 4 Co.
This little work is one, the aim of which
| seems to be to teach us chow to live" by
placing before us the example of others, who
| though the way of life was oftentimes dark
to them. threaded its maZcs in manner which
| taught them how to die. OF these examples
| or 'studics," we have five: l. The Good
Soldier-John Bunyan. III. The Christian
Laborer-Gerhard Tersteegen. Ill. The
Christian Man of Letters-James Montgomery
w. The Man of Business-Frederick Per
thes. " The Christian Mother-Mrs. Mary
| Winslow.
Our attention is more particularly directed