The national Republican. [volume] (Washington City [D.C.]) 1866-1870, 1868-03-20
ASl<lR NNTlGEa.


NORWOOD OR VILLAGE LIFE IN NEW
EN6LhND," by Rev Henry Ward Beechcr
From the New York Ledger. Published BY
BY French L Richardson, ssi Penniyivsnia
avenue.
Henry Ward Beeeher, like Achilles, is found
to be vulnerable. Norwood 10 the weak spot
Certainly, we were unprepared to md COLOSSUS
In oratory display such pigmy proportions IN
preparing new leaves for the book Of fiction.
No genius can boast superiority In the infinite.
Hence the risk oftaking steps at hazard. single
fall survives In the memory a long equilibrium.
Mr.. Beecher should have reposed In the "breath
of public praise" generated by the rich pearls
falling from his lips In pulpit eoquence, and left
romsncing TO the differently gifted; TO those un-
possessedo OF silver tongues to thrill the millions
Norwood really Expresses us. We have rarely
met with novel so heavy, tnanimate, and utterly
stupid. Its style is exceedingly labored. There
is total absence Of ease, freedom, or elasticity.
It has all the effort Of cup the hill he heaves
huge round stone" That choking sensation
caused by confinement In a cell Allied with
mephitic air, or that deadly languor DIFF
fusing our frames on an August mid-noon, may
express the hostile properties Of the book. The
towering preacher seems not quite reconciled to
the propriety Of engaging In so trivial an en-
ployment as writing novel, and, as II under
protest, he gives a moralizlng round TO every
period. The conversations, whether between
DR.. Buell. and DR.. Wentworth, or Pete Sawmill
and his neighbors, are ever grim and constrained;
depressing into the prescribed mould OF
grave reasoning or didatic addresses The
drdmafis persona, from Rachel Liseomb to
Agate BlsselI-from 'Biah Cathcart to Tommy
Taft-arc rigid, unnatural, starched-up speci-
mems ofhumanity, so distractiugly regular as to
make las Dickens expresses ~ Tour hands fold
themselves upon our breast OF their own calm
aocord.". The children, from Rose Wentworth
to Alice and Barton Catheart, are most unchild-
like creations. At six years Of age, they are
prodigies of wisdom-exchanging the most orac-
ular sayings, and discussing the most mctaphysi.
cal abstruscs. As Norwood contains a little too
much philosophy and ethical argument to ex.
actly suit the ordinary novel reader, and too full
a supply of vain fancies and exaggerated concep-
lions, to charm the savant or logician, We detect
but slight prophetic gieanings OF a successful
career.
The Renewal OF our City Charter.
A petition WAS presented in the Senate yester-
day, by Mr.. Sumner, signed by number Of citi-
zens Of Washington, asking that the bill intro
duced into the Senate by that Senator may be
adopted. We. may take occasion to give our
| views upon this question when we shall have
given more especial examination to the prori-
forth their reasons for the passage of Mr.. Sum-
ner's bill substantially as follows. They say;
"The present charter expires on the 18th of
May next, and feeling the great importance Of
continuing the present form OF government with;
out resort to a temporary or provisional one, OF
whatever character, they most earnestly ask as
early action as consistent, In order to enable u
made prior to the election to be held under the
proposed charter. or the several bills now before
the committee, that introduced by Senator Sum
Iair To- md mi
prevail embodying, as 1t does, many desirable
features Of the bill introduced by Senator James
Harlan, without extending the present geograph-
The BILL in ali its parts, Is SO just as not to find
single antagonist among any OF the newspapers
The Hoard Of Common Council of the city, by
| the affirmative vote OF every Republican mem
ha. lsvorns said biz
Republican Central Association OF the city have
each resolved unanimously In favor of tho bill
though respectfully, protest against a favorable
report OF the bill prepared By few Interested
citizens, and placed In the hands Of Senator
| solidating the several governments OF Washing
ton and Georgetown cities and the county OF
Washington as at present impracticable and in.
judicious; and the general features OF such bill
as in other respects highly Objectionable. For
not only does It place our municipal airairs in
| the control of a few moneyed men and specula-
Itors but II substantially strikes down the privi-
| iege OF the elective franchise. BY 1t some un-
important oncers are eiectcu, put thosc more
| imme diately connected with, and who should be
nnswerablc to the people, arc to be set over us
! without our voice or consent.
! The Inevitable working OF this bill would be
| the creation OF monstrous moneyed monopoly,
damaging beyond measure to the best and true
interests of city and all OF its citizens whose
| sympathies are with the majority In Congress.
The petition is signed by A; Q. Hall city col,
Iector; =. A. Boswell, city register; Messrs. Ar
rison, Clark, Crocker, $. $. Baker, Pau, Knight,
of the City Councils; John 7. Cook, william
Bramhail, Chas. II. Bliss, VIM. b. Chase, q. A.
Fleetwood, James S. Brown, Wilson Miller,
John O. Clary, II. A. Hall, Anthony Bowen,
John O. Cox, Geo. Il. Plant, IT,, R. NJ. Clarke,
and others