The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1858-07-22

the opinions, fashions, manners, and destinies
of the nation and its influences reach not
only over the Kingdom, Republic, Empire, or
whatever else may be the governing destiny,
but the world.
This fact might seem to make it very easy
to write a readable book with such title. But
France and its people are the most mercural
of any country or people on the face of the
globe. The phase that is seen there to-day is
not the one of yesterday, or what shall be on
the morrow and hence, to catch and fix on
the page the sights beheld, and the words ut
tered, is only to tell what has been, and not
what is. No one while he reads can help feel.
ing but presto, change-it is all different now.
1t is like watching the ever.varying sky and
clouds of the sunset, with shapes however
strange, colors however bright-all at once
gone, and something new is before the eye.
And there have been, too, so many books writ
ten on Paris-books by those of almost all
nations-Frenchmen with enough of amour
propre, Englishmen with hate or stolid indii.
ference, Germans with satire or admiration,
and Americans with too great haste to go
ahead for stopping to consider, that here is
another difficulty in the treatment of the sub
ject. Yet friend Bartlett has given us a very
good and readable book and we do not say 80
because we happen to know, as many of our
readers may do, the author, but after care.
full examination aud perusal of the volume.
The topics are fifty selected and mingled.
Historical, anecdotical, literary, and artistic
bearings, traits of character, darker or the less
sombre shadows on the changing scenes and
opinions of society and morals, are wrought in
the style, if sometimes little stiff, AS whole,
is easy and simple, and the matter instructive
and amusing. 1t processes not to be guide
book, and yet, like familiar friend, it will be
useful to many for its hints and sketches by a
truthful and 80 reliable an observer.
The wood cuts add to its value; but it is a
pity that, printed, as they seem to be by the
engraver's name, from French blocks their i'm.
pressions at the printers have not done them
better justice. Probably want of ia nilisrity in
the press-work has been the cause. We notice
also occasional errors of proper ma mes, &C.
such as Rosseau for Rousseau, Du Bollay for Du
Bellay, Foquet for Fouquet, &C., Etouedi for
LEtourdi, Dept Amorex for Amoreux, Ecole-
des, lone word &C., and few MOTE such in.
accuracies, chargeable, no doubt, ilso to the
printer. We can and do commend it, however,
as book far more meritorious thas many of
greater pretension, and very good addition TO
volumes for summer reading.
The Indian Rebellion; its Causes and Results In Sc
res of Letters from the Rev Alexander Duff d. d,
LII. d., Calcutta. New York: Robert Carter &
Brothers 1858. For sale by WIN. BallaGtyne, Wash
ington, d. C.
For its facts aud discriminating views. the
result of experience and observation of years
of one qualified to study the native character
and acquainted with the history of the country
and many of the actors in the fearful scenes
described, we have met with no book on the
Indian rebellion so satisfactory as this. From
the extracts in the public journals, various ar
ticles in Blackwood and other foreign period.
calls, we have gathered many particulars OF
useful information; but we are disposed to
regard DR.. Duff as furnishing the best con.
read its statements, in successive letters from
Calcutta, while the events we're transporting, and
his keen. sighted examination of the causes and
development of the grand conspiracy, here and
there glazing with horrors at which the heart
sickens, ard yet overspread by him every.
where with firm faith in God, without the
deepest interest. The examples of determined
effort, enthusiasm, and bravery, by the little
handfulls of troops and suffering men and wo-
men amid such overwhelming array and at
tacks, at Delhi, Lucknow, &C., are probably un.
equalled in the annals of the worlds warfare,
even if we recall to mind Thermopyle, the de-
fence of Jerusalem, the great battles Of Nspo-
leon and others in modern times, and the siege
and assault of Sebastopol Such probably will
be the universal admission, when the history of
the last eventful year of India comes to be
written in its details. No one, too, can can
didly read this volume, and refuse to believe in
q special experimenting Providence, as he sees
how Calcutta was saved the very night when,
by trescherous invitation to see the fireworks
to be exhibited by native prince, the whole
British officers and troops were to be with
drawn, and every one thrown off their guard,
the massacre was to take place, yet all was
frustrated by q sudden thunder.st storm. And so,
when Havelock, within two days of Lucknow,
WAS forced to stop by heavy rains, those very
rains, so disheartening to them, covered with
water aud mud the mines by which the devoted
garrison was to have been blown up. DR.. Duff
80 hat L. Ill
military one, and by his numerous examples
of the treachery of the population, and their
hostile conduct, we think, successfully estab.
fishes his point.
The book is one that deserves the study of
all who wish to get fair view of the state of
things in India. DR.. Duff was in this country
but short time before he last went to India
and those who saw and heard him, and know
his history as man and missionary, will
feel that his is an authority of no mean weight
in what regards that portion of the British en-
pire. We need not say that such production
from him is able and graphic. Our Christian
public are familiar with his style and elo-
quence.
The Christian Examiner, July, isjS
The following articles comprise its table of
contents:
L. The Church of Rome and her Theology.
2. The Material Condition of the People of
Massachusetts,.
3. The Composition of the Apocalypse,
(only few pages, and not critically
A Curtiss History of the Constitution.