Clarksville chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1857-1865, 1860-01-06

Life Of ASDRkw JACKSON. In three Volumes 1850
pages by JAMES PARTox. Mason Brothers Pub /
fishers, 1860. Col @. Leander Eberhs-t of Nash- i
v.sisa ,5 Fss, Genera 4geh.T f5f The South. I
Seldom has biography been able to excite a fur
ore Occasionally come brilliant witty writer has
succeeded in clothing beautiful thoughts in such
verbal .'forms of lovelincss" has won for his or
her book nm uncommon degree of popularity. Thus
"Ftrn Ledres,n when they appeared few years
since--ledpes that seemed TO have been cued from
the great human heart-were all the rage till every
one had feasted on their beauty. The inimitable
"TiteOrn6,' too, for the reason that his thoughts
heart has entered the homes and reached the hearts
Of the million. "The Picktcick Papers, the in
comparable "Widow Bedott1-good "Mrs Parting
ton too, and few others of the same class-be-
cause they make sides shake so, are read with
avidity all over the country. But not so with his
tories and Biographies Dull books--dry and hard
morsels are they, ever. So wearisome they inyari-
bly, are that even their names have become formi-
dable and when new "historyn or biography
is announced, what an Involuntary shudder arises
at the thought of the dry task that awaits the poor
"book worm" who will venture to read it. This
ought not TO be. We love to read of thrilling adj
ventures, bold and noble deeds, great conflicts and
coup d Etdt-the very things of which history and
biography speak--yet for their dullness' sake, we
pass them by and turn to read the in the novel
whose ingenious writer has more skilfully told his
story. novel is not 'success" unless it be true
to nature-unleis it seem that every part was really
enacted; the author shows his ability, not in con-
ceving improbable events, or imagining mysteri-
plots, but in the skill with which he telA bis
story-be that story what it may. aTruth is stran-
ger than fiction Then, if rightly told, the story
of real life-a true biography will be more fasci-
mating than romance. Prescott and Irving have,
il is conceded by all, given tone to this very
important department of litcrature-ther volumes
are read and admired by the Hterdti everywhere.
But ii has remained for Mr.. Parton to write BIZ |
ography that is appreciated and admired by the
people as well as the E,irdG. Everybody who has
read it praises "Par,on's Life of Jackson In all
our exchanges we observe the highest enconium
pronounced upon it. The n. Y. Home Journal, edi- |
ted by n =. Willis and Gen G. p. Morris, says at
is one of the most readable of books. Every page is
aiUe. 1t is rs romantic as medieval re NANCE and
yet has the advantage of being true. 1t is fuofad- |
yenture-terrible, pathetic, heart-rending, heroic
and glorious" etc. etc The Nashville Banner, says
awe have reed it with as much pleasure as We ever
experienced in turning the leaves of any book and
looking at the enterprise in sordid sense, the
thought was frequently suggested to mind
'What a book TO sell y twill be read with avdi-
ty all over the Union, and nowhere generally as
in the South and Southwest, where the hero ved
acted and died The author has sought
10 do his work thoroughly and. mpartially. lie
omts no incident in the Life of jackson, calculated
to throw light upon his peculiar temperament, and
attempts no plastering over OF those faults which
undoubtedly characterize the subject ofhis story"
The Un,on and american says 1.-THE one object of
the writer to have been, in his researches to
obtain clear and vivid conception Of his hero at the
different periods of his career and in his writings
to present what he has seen as graphically as prac
able to his reader This is the great
object of the book--to describe Jackson exactly as
he was.
Nothing exteEuate, nor nught set down in malice.
From all parts of the country the press and the
people speak the same language in regard TO this
book. The Press speaks as we have quoted-the
people speak, as Tie American pssplc always speak
of the book, they Npprccate-by subscribing forthe
work.
Few Publishing Houses in the country do more
extensive business than Mason Bros. yet we have
been informed that they unable to keep their
orders tilled-thousands of copies ordered more
han they can keep on hand. After examining the
book one does not wonder that it is SO. True Jack
sons life teds unusually romantic from first to last
yet it required the pen Of this ready writer--this
Mr.. Parton-this husband of Fanny Fern to tell the
story cfiI ably truthfully, and iascinatingly.
| Mr. Jason Yurann, who was recently here, can
wasting for Worcesters Dictionary, is now here as
agent for the above work, and prepared to exhibit
The first volume as specimen. The book is ad-
mirpbly written and its facts are reliable, and we
heartily commend it to our readers as of great
interest.