Critical Notices [pp. 509-544]

1853.1 Critical Notices. 517
1800, on the subject of the Alien Sedition Laws, together with the
Virginia Res9lutions of 1~98; the Debate and Proceedings thereon
in the llouse of Delegates of Virginia, with sundry other documents
illustrative of the Report and the subjects involved, form a compact volume, published by I. W. Randolph, of Richmond, and to
be found at the bookstore of McCarter & Co., of this city. We
counsel our legal and political studcnts not to let the opportunity of
securing copies of this volume escape them. Such collections are
rarely republished.
Congre~s has given to llenry Clay a memorial such as was
accorded by the same body to Calhoun and Taylor, in a volum~
comprising the obituary address~s on the death of the Kentucky
statesman. This volume contains, in addition to the usual resolusions, etc., the speeches of Mr. Underwood, of Kentucky; Mr. Cass,
of Michigan; Mr. llunter, of Virginia; Mr llale; Mr. Clemens,
of Ala.; Mr. Cooper; Mr. Seward, of N. Y.; Mr. Jones, of Iowa,
and Mr. Brooke-all~~of the Senate. In the llouse, we have
speeches from Mr. Breckenridge, Mr. Ewing, Mr. C askie, Mr. Chandler, Mr. Bayly, Mr. Venables, Mr. llaven, Mr. Brooks, Mr. Faulkner,
Mr. Parker, Mr. Gentry, Mr. Bowie, Mr. Walsh. These are followed, in this collection, by a funeral sermon from the Rev. C. M. Butler, D.D., Chaplain of the Senate, under the title, "The strong staff
broken and the beautiful rod." These speeches are usually marked
by good sense and good taste, rather than eloquence. Some of
them might have been omitted; some of them ought not to have
been spoken. There were only certain men in Congress, in either
llouse, who could with propriety rise to speak of such men as Clay,
Calhoun and Webster. But fools rush in where angels fear to
tread. Of these speeches, we may remark, with regret, that they
embody so little anecdotical or properly professional matter. None
of the speakers seem to have been possessed of any facts in Clay's
career, such as might have been given, and which have not yet
found their way into print.
I)o not let the unpromising title of "Reuben Medlicott, or tJLe
Coming Afan," or the sober Quakerly externals of the book, (from
the press of llarper & Bro.,) discourage you from its perusal. The