New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1860-11-21
SPICY CRITIC NJ
From Tho N Y Saturday Press, Nov. III


Harrington; Story Of True Love-" written by Mr. WiiA
D. OConnor of Phisdephs and published by Messs Thayer
EdIide Of Boston II fills handsome volume Of more than
FIVE hundred closely printed pages and devoted to the Anti
Slavery Cause in particular and to what are known az high ana
holy purposes in general
With any question of night wrong that may arise a TO the
moral tendency Of this book have special coace1 Not
indeed shrink the expression Of moral judgments
Whenever by chance we happen TO have any because the
subject unn gsted bore We doubt is at all important
to s author whether the moral tendency o
this story is good or bad or in fact whether i Ia. any c
very prevalent anywhere ethical discussion much Of
luxury Yet there numbers OF uncoioItaeie people
snddcn making splendid nsme perhaps the moral tendency
of Harrington" win be without il, admirer. Wei
mark therefore for the benefit Of sublime souls generally that
the book exploits virtue than person would know
what to do t that y ehSdie I The blind zeal zeal Of I %
pixies and in short tina, is the spontaneous onburs, OF that
moral enthusiasm peculiar to youthful aud ardent nature and
which however genuine and earnest neither intelligent phi
Leaving the ethical purpose the novel
we come consider wori Of And here to
fiction otesque and comic than this story OF hang
II IT, from hIst TO last tissue OF exaegeraons and
yet snguay enough exhibits great talent and power and
10 subssnae this judgment only necessary briefly
"Iologen This spsnodic prelude the DRAMA recte the
evils of Slavery detailing the brutal rcs'nen the s9erng'
impossible reaches Boston instead of the grave and be-
have done-a demniton unpleasant body in the
Louisiana Then nervenes the sounding title
politics negroes in Boston, subsequently to the passage OF
The Fugitive Slave Law By lh sPpeaIs that there wss YER
in those days large amounts Of tyranny lying about loose IN that
line Of country, and that the fugitive would have had aver
poor liberty had he not luckily fallen the proec-
ton Abotionist named Harrington From this point to
the end take that gentleman in large doses lie u the central
character ali conceivable grace. and virtues physical moral
emotional and Intellectual He is Moral Hero, reproducing IN
modern life Bayards and ATthurs Of visionary Of cha
y in short impossible and absurd person vi course Il"
To develop this the d Of the story Accord
iney permitted to contemplate Mr. Harrington IN all the
his sanity exenceat home and abroad alone and
in a
all respects find him eminent and superior lie exeels all ms
he Vo.e ali ies and per.ecated animal. he
attend. MI Theodore Parker he l. the is4d Of
virtue Wendell Phillips lac believes that the lamented Lord
bacon the plays Of Shakespeare he ehehe heavy dis
be young woman feminine copy Of himse he protects the
fugitive slave IN great variety OF per and at last he sacT
Island in HsrboT The final suggestion Is that he goes to
Paradise. . ,,,---,., -,
peryade this novel exclusion of all Others AS might be
expected in story of true love there is here large infusion O.
Matilda lis very badly managed hoSeve, and ngn haSe we
very great paho in the closing story The earlier
passages simply stupid There are four
into relations and perturbation generally by the clumsy
arts of miseiefneI WitheIee Who hn5ywneh al
sinner aud joins the church WIN snch n1lchiouy com
be- cdn.d red also that the character Of Wieree Is feeby
the Of Wentworth and Emily do not interest
ell and that those Of Harrington and Murel are only beautiful a.
last. wrought upon by swul Of impending peril
by the uby of sacrifice and the majesty OF death only
admirable power but here do escape
the abiding fault Of eIaggeration Nothing j, natural nothing
true In the eliminating incidents, in The Old Achaian
Hour" in the farewell Of Mue and her husband In their
specve characters and actions IN that wild night upon the sea
exploits Of Harrington and in the grandeur Of his DEATH In
the and meaning Of all there is native power and
ST RS & sa' truth "' e s sn TTa 10 : In po.
rather than the novelist We contemplate oaanls PsaEs
Sf' @ rn sS RnslSa' Esusn for poetic
Pson cannot ward any ;Pssi PFsi.s sf novel
Another essential feature in this extraordinary creation the
refonatoy element Not only it, hero the champion Of Anti
general the doctrines Of Muscular Christianity
nsUds eth 81 sa bs sna
sy reform in the Institution OF marriage repudiate the W
OTundy INDUCES in large Of and is
in ae addicted independent method. Of thought and
,em Is wei enough doubtless for those who approve it. But
what any shetic sense ha. got 70 90 w e Il
to be however high and holy purposes are hard
along with and that people psc,shas wirn n.e to ad into &
story discussion Of the authenticity Of ShaIepeate play. &
s4S the S Of RSs. eS Of r. .a1d.
and though may invite should not occasion surprise
sushes ofb not mery with liberal theories of reform but also
with oosL bombssc fae of the reformers themselves and
the following well enough prepared though we hasten 70
gross yulsarity aud stupid impernence.
We sabjom specimens 1s,o,.,,,n,pn
GARRISON SANITY hero" p 10
AIRY KyILr Fair and eloquent for liberty the
Greek Hypstia for science p. II.
LYDIA MARIA CHILD Whose generous and exquisite literary
genius all know" ?. "A.
MRs CHAPrAF though shningin terse crystalline
dicton, like soldn mountain stream"
Axo,,,y. AND s.KIH GRisRK Csronisn. who knew what
Slavery was, and knew how to fash
the heart: light upon IT, T.
BERIAH GREEN - Of the old ignited logic, IT,
THEoDORE WILD a re,plendent aud indouable torrent
Of brave speech p a. ,,
Epsrsp QUINCY. "Wit humoIsit ssis gentleman, with
thp best spirit Of tho days Of Queen
Anne in his thought and style" p. "a
WENDELL PHILIPS with fiery glow Of classic oreory
strange but for him. to the sir Of
America p. H
BURLEIGH.
CH1ssIsS with words like morning. p. r.
MASON "A cold hard, Southern tyrsnt" p. IS.
FILLxOKE "a sleek, pleasant Northern traitor"
EVERETT. "Be.atful .ma,cuate oratory" p. 76.
CHoATE "IueItricable, spendor- spotted snar and
coil Of bewildering orssory," p &C.
REy. Dr. DkvKy An eminent divine p. -.
GtDDiSGs.
SEwAnD. S'
BuRLIsGAgE
Mann. >General sdnlaiion.
SEwALL
CBAsE.
SUMNER.
IT. eoDoK1 PARKER Ggsne.que in Leaning courage, devo
tion to mankind" p W 49,
PIRKEE PILIsBURY a man whore speech rode like the
Founder of Bivsr and smote with
fail" p. 2+J, etc, etc, etc -,
absolute justice there Is little to be 'ad IN iu
praise 1.-THE yigor Of moral enhasiasm the charm oi ppe.c
sOnsles such merits IN novel az entite u 10 critical
then ners T Eac be one TO- M sr do not
believe that any intelligent critic approve novel wnch
a, once unfortunate IN feeble N design %
In sIt unnatural in characterzaon commonpace IN p';
style intense and spamodic that the entire
book be like cat In ht than anything else we
just remember.
TWO CAPIT NOV + s.