The Republican journal., 1883-01-11
Literature

JAMES FENIMORE COOPER. By Prof. Thos.
r. Lounsbury, of ale College. This is the
fifth volume in the American Men of Letters
series, but second in interest to no one of its
predecessors Indeed. it will be read by many
with as much zest as that with which. wears
ago, they devoured the works of the novelist if
portrays. 1t is well known that when Cooper
lay on his death-bed he enjoined his family to
permit no authorized account of his life to be
prepared. 1t would be idle to speculate now as
| to the motive which prompted this request. but
it has been rigidly respected, and in writing
this, the first biography of Cooper, the author
was denied access to the personal and family
records and papers which might have furnish
ed more of detail, but could hardly have made
the volume more interesting. 1t is, indeed,
something more than biography In addition
to all the essential facts and dates concerning
Coopers life we are given just and discriminate
ing estimates of his writings, and views of the
literary world of Europe and America at the
time the American writer won his spurs as a
novelist side by side with Walter Scott The
tnSiish rev levers and American newspapers
do not appear to good advantage, but that they
are truthfully portrayed none can doubt. In
deed the work of the biegrapher throughout
shows regard for truth even in minor details.
and conscientious endeavor to do justice to all,
that cannot be too highly commended. 1t is
suggested by one critic that Prof. Lounsbury is
over jealous in his defence of Coopcr's weak
nesses. We do not think So In the numerous
controversies in which Cooper was engaged
Il l.;
oftener msrepresented, misunderstood, and
mlSludged For years he rested under preju-
dices which should not have existed and which
have been perpetuaed to this day. Statements
We're attributed to him by his enemies which he
never made, and even when refuted by him, the
original SANDER, as is usually the ease, oulived
and outran the correction. The biOgrapher,
while concealins none of Cooper's faults, does
not fail to do justice to his virtues. and to bis
intrepid and outspoken character. Though for
many years personally unpopular with his
countrymen, whose weaknesses he did not
spare. his love of country never sWerved, and
whether at home or abroad his faith in the inn
pera greatness and grandeur to which the re-
public was to attain" was unfatering. NO
other man of letters has there been in America,
or perhaps in any other land, to whom this has
been passion so Absorbing "Other
lands might look to the future with hope or
doubt; his own was as sure of it as if it lay al
ready in its grasp"
1t was in a Maine vessel that Cooper learned
the rudiments of the seamanship he >ub>e-
quently turned to good advantage in his liter
ary career. 1t was decided that he should en-
ter the navy. and as at that time no naval school
existed lit was the custom for boys purposng
to tit themselves for the position Of officers to
serve sort OF apprenticeship in the merchant
marine. Accordng y in the autumn of 1906
Cooper was placed on board vessel that was
to sail from the port Of New ork with
freight of flour to Cowes and Il market. The
ship was named the Stirling and was command
ed by Captain John Johnston, Of Wscasset,
Maine, who was also part owner. Cooper's
position and prospects Were well known; but
he was employed regularly before the mast.
and was never admitted to the cabin" His
life on board the Stirling closed with her ar
rival at Philadelphia on the 18th of Sept. 1907.
after long and stormy passage from London
| of 1ifty-tWe days He now regularly entered
the navy and on the 24th of February, lS0S, was
ordered to report for duty to the commanding
naval officer at New York 1t is not our pur-
pose to follow in detail either his naval career
or his subsequent successes i'll the literary field.
That he was the originator of the sea story is
claimed. and we believe correctly, bv his BIZ
ographer. of The Pilot published in Janu-
ary, 1924. h, SAYS: Its success, both in this
country and in Europe was instantaneous.
Far-sighted men saw at once that new realm
had been added to the lomain of fiction. The
Pilot is indeed not only the first of Coopers
sea-st0ries in point of time. but if we regard
exclusively the excellence of detached scenes.
il may perhaps BE- justly styled the best of
them all At any rate its place in the highest
rank of this species of fiction cannot be disput-
ed, and in spite of the multitude OF similar
works that have followed in its wake and
which have had their seasons of temporary
popularity, its hold upon the public has never
been lost.
The wonderful successes Coopers works met
with when first published, in days when there
were fewer readers than now and nothing like
the present facilities for disseminating liera-
through edition after edition in this country
and Were published as soon as he produced
them in thirty-four different places in Europe.
They retain their popularity even to this day,
and if the present volume does not set many of
the old admirers of Cooper to re-reading the
sea novels and the Leather Stocking Tales we
shall be greatly mistaken. The volumes of this
series are sold at uniform price of $125, and
may be ordered through the book sellers or will
be sent post paid by the publishers, Houghton,
Mitflin & Co., Boston.
PIONEERS OF THE WESTERN RESERVE. BY
Harvey Rice. author of mount Vernon and
Select Poems.' In his preface the author says
he has not attempted to write history of the
Connecticut Western Reserve nor to sketch at
length the leading families or prominent per-
sons identified with the early settlement of that
country. His principal aim has been to portray
such remarkable inciden.s in the experiences of
the original pioneers as he has been able to gath
er from sources which seemed worthy of ere
dence. He has thus succeeded in making a book
of greater general interest, perhaps, than if he
had followed either of the other plans. There is
enough of history and of personal detail to sup
| plement the pictures he gives of frontier life.
The name of Western Reserve is a familiar one
in the politics of to-day, and applies to a Re-
publican stronghold, the northeastern portion
of the State Of Ohio. The prefix Connecticut,
not now used. is due to the fact that this terri
tory of nearly three and half million acres was
preserved" as the rishtful share of the State of
Connecticut in the final adjustment of colonial
land claims made by Congress between the
States soon after the close of the Revolution.
The result Of planting New England colony
| in the Western wilderness was as might have
been expected Their thrift and ENERGY and
patient toll caused the wilderness to blossom as
the rose, and they perpetuated a race of strong
men and women, whose influence has been felt
in the State and nation. Eleven judges of the
supreme court and five governors, to say moth
ing of minor officials, has the Western Reserve
given to the State, and in addition, three United
States Senators, two district judges, two foreign
ministers, and one President-James A. Gar
| feld-''a man who was born and bred in the