Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1858-01-15

it was connected, the funding act and all the foreign
and domestic transactions of rson during the year
l'9l the author interpreting throughout his graver
narrative many capital portraitures of such men
Morris, Knox and other prominent men 10 France and
America, and concluding his fret volume with more
discriminating and more fearless estimate of Hsmil
ton than We have ever seen before.
The style Of Mr. r. is clear and bold II it has not
the exquisite polish Of Irvng's, it is more flowing,
more racy, and more energetic. He is master of
rapid and thorough augmentation. His industry in
collecting and collatng authorities is most commends.
ble and his candor equals his industry. The way in
which he bears John Adams through perfect sea of
errors, refung his innumerable misrepresentation
most successfully and yet makes the venerable patriot
Of Quincy true and lovesbs man, is masterpiece
of biographical anatomy, and stands forth in bold re.
lief when compared with the villainous depreciation
OF Jefferson by Northern writers. But it is in the
general deneaon Of his great snbect that the abil.
tiles of Mr.. r. shine more conspicuously. He loves
Jeersoni but he holds him to the standard of truth,
and decides accordingly. OF his two concluding vo.
lumes we cannot speak, but it. in the complicated
questions which will be forced upon him during the
last thirty years Of Jefrsrsons life. be shall preserve
the same mpartiaty the same fulness of statement,
ahd the came lofty standard of character which he
has displayed in his first, he will have accomplished
work that will be regarded text book by thou.
sands, and hold place in the library of every in.
teigent reader for generations to come. We would
state for the benefit Of distant resters that the
work is printed in large type on hand,ome paper
and may be read by the old as we'll as the young
We note come typographical errors which ouga not to
have found their way in such q volume. The namee
of Hening, Girsrdn, and Rogers Clark, are invsria
bly, misspelt. II plain that Mr. R. although laboous
In collecting materials writes rapidly and word,
that We think doubtful and even apocryphal. Such
words as uatono-federatiye spotheosise, Sc, ought
to be stricken out We dislike such expressions az
"to tone up the public mind We take 1t, that If the
public mind is fairly toned, its music will flow with
equal harmony upward, or downward, or even in q
lateral direction. We also dislike the frequent nser
ton of the abverb between the particle and the verb
in the infnive mood, as to indefinitely postpone, IN
stead of to postpone Indefinitely. AS We trust this
work will 70 ahead, We wish to see such marks o
haste obliteraed. We who write under the pressure
of the printers devil may be psrdoned for slips Of tht
the life Of Jefferson such carelessness is nexcussble
and We hope to zee it amended in forthcoming ed
tions. Our readers may judge of the grand outline
Of the work from the fact that the first volume con
tains six hundred and forty-ive pages.
LAST ACT OF THE BLOODY DRAMA IN
INDIA.
The relief of Lucknow may be considered the clo
sing scene Of the terrible drama that has recently
been enacted in India. Great Britain is, Of course
sIyuant And the sympathies of the civilized worlc
must spring spontaneously towards her in cordial con
graduation. The annals Of war, either ancient o.
modern, present few such pictures OF human british
ness those that illustrate tho records Of the recen
revolution OF the Sepoys. For diabolicsl deeds o.
the most atrocous and revolving character for iend
ish enormities, in contemplation Of which, maDkinC
must stand aghast in after ages, reluctant to believe
what they would fain consider foul libel upon hu
manty, and carcature of crue,es, the insurrection
of 1857 in India, is without prototype in the past
or parallel in the present, and for the sake OF human
nature, trust that it may be go through all time tC
come.
England has cause to mourn. Her fire-sides are
saddened Fathers and brothers, and wives and sis
ters in lordy mansions and in owy cottages. through
vul hei realm, nave been bowed down IN agonlZn
grief as every arrival of news from India told the tra
gic tale of death, what was far more rightfu the
distressing details OF such unmaginable scenes of
voting outrage and torture truly harrow up" the
human soul. But England has also reason to be joyous
and proud The impaired prestige of her arms is re-
stored. Her i'll fortune in the Crimea is forgotten in
contemplation Of the gallant conduct and brilliant
achievements that redeem the reputation Of Wilson
and which must make the name of Havelock cher
ished household word, wherever roof is found, un
der which British subject dwes.
We will only add, that terrible retrbution for
the msgovernment that has, perhaps directly led to
I, should teach to England lesson in that humanity
which she has recently seen so shockngly outraged
by people, whom she must must needs rule with
Justice and generosity we'll rigor; if she would
preclude all imputaon upon her own conduct, and at
the same time save herself from the horrors Of ano
ther revolution