Literary Notices [pp. 646-651]

SOUTHERN LITERARY MESSENGER.
651
them seems good, disregard the frightful evils which
their blind impetuosity may produce, cannot but awaken in those upon whom these evils must fall, a trembling anxiety for the future, and an indignant resentment against the madmen who are blindly jeoparding
the peace of the country and the lives of thousands.
We cannot trust our feelings upon this subject. We
see too clearly the horrors in perspective, which fanaticism is preparing for us, and we humbly hope that the
results of its insane excess, may be averted. The reviewer in the North American, thinks and feels correctly on this subject, and we regret that we can only
make room for the closing passages of his remarks:
"That we must be rid of slavery at some day, seems
to be the decided conviction of almost every honest
mind. But when or how this is to be, God only knows.
If in a struggle for this end the Union should be dissolved, it needs not the gift of prophecy to foresee that
our country will be plunged into that gulf which in the
language of another,'is full of the fire and the blood of
civil war, and of the thick darkness of general political
disgrace, ignominy, and ruin.'
"There is much error upon this as well as other subjects, to be corrected, before the public can act deliberately or wisely in relation to it. It is too common to
associate with the slave-holder the character of the
slave-merchant. And we regret to see the abolitionist
of the day seizing upon the cruelties and abuses of
power by a few slave-owners in regard to their slaves
in order to excite odium against slave-holders as a
class. This is alike unreasonable and unjust. Very
many of them are deeply solicitous to free the country
of this alarming evil, but no feasible means by which
this is to be accomplished has yet been offered for their
adoption. Such denunciations are no better than the
anathemas of fanaticism, and ought to be discountenanced by every well wisher of his country. The subject of slavery is one, in regard to which, more than
almost any other, there are clouds and darkness upon
the future destinies of these states. It is one upon which
all think and feel more or less acutely, and it is moreover one upon which all may be called upon to act. It is,
therefore, we repeat, with regret that we see intellects
like that of Mrs. Child, and pens like hers, which may
be otherwise so agreeably and beneficially employed,
diverted from their legitimate spheres of action, and
employed in urging on a cause so dangerous to the
union, domestic peace, and civil liberty, as the immediate emancipation of the slaves at the South."
American Repuiblication of Forei,gn Qearterlies.-The
London, Edinburg and Westminster Reviews for April,
1835, have been republished by Mr. Foster, in his cheap
and valuable series of periodicals. The Edinburg Review contains an article on American Poetry, in the
course of which a general glance at the literature of this
country is taken; and a more favorable opinion expressed of its achievements than that work has hitherto
entertained. This fact is worthy of remark, when it is
recollected that the taunting query, "Who reads an
American book?" emanated from that journal not many
years since. The most attractive articles in the Westminster, are those upon "Lucy Aiken's Court of Charles
II," and "Dunlop's Memoirs of Spain." To us, an
article in the Quarterly on "Maria, or Slavery in the
United States, a picture of American Manners, by
Gustave de Beaumont, one of the authors of a work on
the Penitentiary System in the United States"*-" The
* "Mar-e, ou l,Esclavage aux Etas-Unis, Tableau de Moeirs
Americaines par Gustave de Beaumont, plun des Auteurs de
1louvrage intitul6 Du Systeme Penitentiare aux Etas.-Unis."
Stranger in America, by F. Leiber," and "New England and her Institutions, by one of her sons," is the
most attractive in the April number. The work of M.
de Beaumont has not, as we have heard, been translated
or republished in this country. His views of our manners and institutions are exhibited in the form of a
novel, which the Quarterly declares to possess considerable interest, and to display in parts a large share of
the true genius of romance, notwithstanding that the
incidents are few and the commentaries copious. The
author declares in a preface, that "though his personages are fictitious, every trait of character has been
sketched from the life, and that almost every incident
in his tale may be depended on as a fact that had fallen
under his own observation." The reviewer is somewhat
scandalized at the author's avowal of "his belief that
the democratic system ofgovernment, as now established
in America, is the best machinery that ever was invented for developing the political independence and
happiness of mankind," and endeavors to show that M.
de Beaumont's strictures upon our manners and condition (and he cannot be charged with undue lenity in
his censure) are inconsistent with that avowal. The
reviewer makes copious extracts from the work, which
show that the author is disposed to censure severely
the condition of the colored population in this country,
without a fair consideration of the circumstances which
produced it. But we can scarcely judge of the book
from the extracts in the review, which are probably the
most unfavorable that could be found, as the reviewer
displays a strong desire to draw from the opinions of
the French author, support for the assertions of English
travellers.
MY LIFE, by the author of Tales of Waterloo, &c. New York:
Harper & Brothers. 1835.
This is the production of a lively and spirited writer.
He describes skirmishes, onslaughts and battles, with
the familiarity of one who has not seldom taken a part
in such actions-traces the Irish character with great
fidelity, and best of all, his book abounds in humorous
incidents. The contre-pieds between the hero and his
cousin, " Jack the Devil," are admirably detailed. Jack
is a rare specimen of the Wild Irishman, and we have
seldom been more amused than we were with the
history of the scrapes in which he involved himself
and his cousin. The battle of Waterloo is sketched
briefly, but with a graphic pen. The last struggle of
that day, when Ney led the Old Guard to the charge,
and the description of the "field red with slaughter,"
after the work of death had concluded, give evidence of
the painting of an eye-witness.
BELFORD REGIS, or Sketches of a Country Town, by Miss
Mitford. Philadelphia: Carey, Lea & Blanchard. 1835.
Like "Our Village," these are delightful productions, abounding with wholesome satire of folly and
prejudice, and displaying in strong relief the humble
virtues of retired life. Some of the characters are conceptions of great loveliness, and many of the scenes
are wrought with most pathetic effect. The story of
Hester is admirable. We have seldom dwelt with more
delighted interest over a picture of juvenile virtue and
self-devotion.