EXAMINATION OF THE SCHOOL OF SOUTHSIDE. By W. W. 653 658 POSTHUMOUS LETTERS OF CHARLES EDWARDS, Esq. No. IV. FOUNDED ON THE STORY OF SIR WILLIAM WALLACE, THE WEST INDIAN CONTROVERSY. GREAT FIRE OF Edinburgh, No. IV. SOUTHEY AND BYRON, 672 680 ib. 681 682 698 711 RACTERS. No. XIX. To Malachi Mullion, Esq. M.D. F.R.S. Sec. of C. North. Esq. E.B.M. WORKS PREPARING FOR PUBLICATION, . 715 723 WILLIAM BLACKWOOD, NO. 17, PRINCE'S STREET, EDINBURGH ; AND T. CADELL, STRAND, LONDON; To whom Communications (post paid) may be addressed. SOLD ALSO BY ALL THE BOOKSELLERS OF THE UNITED KINGDOM. PRINTED BY JAMES BALLANTYNE & CO. EDINBURGH. N.B. FROM C. N. OUR readers will perceive that this Number opens with an article much longer than any that ever appeared in our Journal before. As a general rule, we hate and detest articles of anything like this length; but we found, on perusing this, (and so will our readers when they follow our example,) that in reality every paragraph of it is an article by itself: In fact, that the paper is not an article, but a collection of many articles upon subjects all full of interest, and most of them not less important than interesting. In short, this Review of a single book on America contains more new facts, more new reasonings, more new speculations of and concerning the United States of America, than have as yet appeared in any ten books, (by themselves, books,) upon that subject. This is enough for us, and this will be enough for our readers. We do not know personally the author of this article: nor do we pledge ourselves, in any way whatever, for the justice of many of his views. From internal evidence, we believe that he says nothing but what he believes to be true. It is certain that he does know America well and it is equally certain that we fully participate in his feelings, as to the folly or knavery of every writer, English or American, who libels either of these countries for the amusement of the other ;-and we have not the smallest doubt, that the appearance of such a writer as we have had the good fortune to introduce, will henceforth operate as a salutary check both on the chatterers of the Westminster Review and the growlers of the Quarterly. As for the Edinburgh Review, we had long, ere this time of day, scourged it into tolerable order as to this as well as many other matters. The great length of this article has also prevented us from inserting in the present Number several papers, which will delight our friends next month; and, among these, a review of Mr Alaric Watts's interesting Literary Souvenir, the most beautiful of a class of beautiful annuals that unfold their blossoms to the bracing air of winter. BLACKWOOD'S EDINBURGH MAGAZINE. No. XCV. DECEMBER, 1824. John Neal. A SUMMARY VIEW OF AMERICA. THIS is a very sensible, judicious book; and, saving a little heavy ostentation, here and there: a few superficial remarks: a patch or two, of awkward old-fashioned poetical embellishment-and a multitude of school-boy allusions, altogether out of place, in almost every chapter: a score or two of hard words-pedantick-absurdunintelligible or belonging to no language under heaven: a dozen or more pardonable blunders, very natural for a traveller to fall into while traversing a land, that is really unknown to our countrymen-a book to be heartily recommended. It is not such a work, as we want, upon the subject; but, so far as it goes, it is one, that may be more safely depended upon, than any other, of which we have any knowledge. Why is it, that, even to this hour, we have no such travellers in America, as we have, in every other part of the world: scholars: gentlemen: philosophers: profound and liberal thinkers, full of erudition-and lovers of plain dealing? Why is it, that up to the year 1824, the statesmen; the men of science; and the yeomanry of Great Britain are acquainted with North America-only through the representations of such persons as Hewlett, Weld, Ashe, Parkinson, Welby, Fearon, Faux, Hall-and Miss Wright: per VOL. XVI. sons, who, whatever may be their honesty, would not have been permitted (with one or two exceptions, perhaps,) to write essays on anything, in a provincial newspaper, or paltry magazine. Are we never to know anything of this people, who have been born of our loins?-this community of nations? This, we say, is the best of the books upon America. It contains more valuable information-and more plain truth: is less overcharged, and less mistaken-than any of the others: and yet, we shall show, before we get through, so many extraordinary errors, deficiencies, and blunders, in this very book, that people, who are zealous for a sound practical knowledge of America, will wonder at the amazing patience and credulity of our countrymen, toward these "Travellers" and their "Tales." The style of this author, in general, is good and sober. It is bad in those passages only, where the author has undertaken too much-ventured beyond his depth-begun by carrying the full-grown bull :-run off into classical allusion, poetical ornament, or foolish pedantry. These transgressions are not very numerous; but, still, they are worth rebuking-else our books of travels and voyages, may become only pieces of patchwork, poetry, and absurd rhe * A SUMMARY VIEW OF AMERICA: comprising a Description of the face of the Country, and of several of the principal cities: and Remarks on the social, moral, and political character of the people: Being the result of observations and enquiries, during a JOURNEY IN THE UNITED STATES. BY AN ENGLISHMAN. London, 1824. VOL. XVI. 4 K Nevertheless, this proportion is large for any traveller in America. Lieutenant Hall, for example, saw only a small part of South Carolina and Virginia. This traveller did six hundred miles on foot-in every direction: Lieutenant Hall made his journey in the stage coach, by the main road; and Miss Wright, whose fervour and enthusiasm might have been turned, we believe, to much better account torick. The words of which we complain, we shall give a list of; partly for the sake of the author, who appears to be very fastidious in such matters, (for which, by the way, he deserves all praise)—and, partly, for the sake of others, like him, who may be tempted aside, by a vile book-making spirit, from a natural, unpretending, proper diction, into offensive or childish parade: from language into jargon-from usefulness and simplicity, into rigmarole. Finery is always detestable; but finery out of place nasty finery-is the devil. ̧ ́ -- Our law is a very plain one. Suit your style to your subject: write as men talk. By this we try others; and by this, we are willing to be tried, although we may change our style in every paragraph. We can pardon poetry as well as another-but never because it is poetry. Poetry may be out of place; and, when it is, we despise it and the dealers in it. The more delightful it is, when properly applied; the more hateful it is, when misapplied. The blunders and errors of which we have spoken, will be pointed out and corrected; each in the proper place. in romances, under another titleconfined her perambulations chiefly to certain of the tea-parties, drawingrooms, &c. &c. of America. Observe, we do not charge this lady with wilful misrepresentation; but we say that she was too warm-hearted for travelling in the United States; that she had undergone too little preparation for such a job; and that her book, like Chateaubriand's Histories, would pass better under some other name. Our author praises and blames alike boldly and unequivocally; with great sincerity and great candour. He is mistaken, of course, in many things; but he is not often to blame. There is a look of serious determination in whatever he says, upon whatever he understands; as if he were in earnest, and felt a becoming solicitude for the welfare, alike of America, and of Great Britain.-He is an Englishman: he loves the people of the United States These TRAVELS in AMERICA took place in 1822-3; and were confined, it appears, to the following states: namely, MASSACHUSETTS; RHODE--but he loves his own countrymen ISLAND; CONNECTICUT -NEW YORK; NEW JERSEY; PENNSYLVANIA; DELAWARE; MARYLAND: VIRGINIA ; and NORTH CAROLINA. These ten States are all on the Atlantic frontier. The three first belong to the Eastern division-the six New England States; the four next comprise the whole of what are called the Middle States; and the two last are a part of the Southern division, or circle. We gather, moreover, that our traveller was in the District of Columbia—a territory of one hundred square miles (a ten mile-square) between Maryland and Virginia-under the exclusive jurisdiction of the federal, or general government.-He entered no one of those, which are called the "Western States;" none of the frontier" territories ;" and, on the whole, saw parts only of eleven separate governments and communities; out of twenty-nine, (including East and West Florida,) which constitute the UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. better. He is a sturdy witness in behalf of America; but he declares, and we believe him, that he would rather live in Great Britain-after all. It is impossible to doubt his honesty, whatever we may think of his judgment: and, for ourselves, we see no reason to question his judgment-except where we shall question it-whereever he had a tolerable opportunity of knowing the facts. He has divided his work into chap ters: each one being set apart for the discussion of a particular subject; and for the record of particular facts bearing upon that subject. It was a wise plan. We shall follow it-and him→→ chapter by chapter; correcting his errors, and supplying his deficiencies as we proceed. It is a hard thing to say of ourselves, and of our countrymen, when we consider the importance of North America-discovered three hundred and thirty-two years ago; colonized by ourselves, (or by those whom we drove out from among us,) two centuries ago—it is a hard thing to say, but it is true, nevertheless, that we have been-and our wise men are yet shamefully ignorant of the country and people of North America. We have undertaken, at the eleventh hour, to atone for this. The time for ridicule and falsehood; slander and eulogy; reproach and recrimination, has gone by-in wise political dealing. Plain truth is now in demand. We say this with no common seriousness, while speaking of America. Justice to our selves; and justice to her, do require a solemn consideration of this matter. We believe that the everlasting contradictions of the Edinburgh; and the unqualified foolish, open rancour of the Quarterly,* have done much evil, and little good to the great cause of the British empire-so far as Ame rica is concerned; that both journals have so far overdone whatever they have undertaken for, or against that country, that no reasonable man of this, who is anxious for sound information, upon the subject, can put any confidence in their representations. Much may be true-much is true(as in Fearon)-but how are we to know what is true, from what is false -where one party contradicts itself, and the other, everybody else?-The truth is-if they design to be mischievous-they had better follow our plan. Sincerity, and such truth as cannot be contradicted, are the only weapons, after all, for a long and steady warfare. For our part, we are not afraid of injuring Great Britain-by telling the truth-the whole truth-and nothing but the truth, of America. We are now, thoroughly acquainted with our subject: and we pledge ourselves, that our countrymen, when they come to know what we know, will have no rea son to wish themselves born out of Great Britain, or in the United States. papa Let us take up the book. We have complained of certain words for their pedantry. They are "abraded""sequacious"-" a certity"verous"- " vivacious"—" gentilitious"-"dental"-"cognitive"-" prelation"—“ intumescence"- "illative" and "mendacity;" most of which would be unintelligible, without a dictionary, to ninety-nine one hundredths, of all the readers, that our author can have-or should wish to have. They are all useless, roundabout, and awkward. What can be more absurd, than to address anybody in a language that is unintelligible? Our author has a strong mind; why then, does he not speak plainly; can he not make himself understood in common language-while talking to common people-Simplicity is the chief attribute of strength. It is the glory of an extraordinary mind—that it can make itself, with all its mystery and phenomena-intelligible—to any body and everybody-in any language by looks and signs, if no words can be found. Another class, which would be unintelligible with a dictionary-ay, with all the dictionaries under heaven, we hope to him who understands the amazing vigour and copiousness of pure English-and regards, as we do, the counterfeiting and coinage of words, as little better than high treason (except where there is no coin, of the right "This reviewer," says the last North American Review, which is roused, at last, into something like manhood, by the Quarterly's outrage upon America, in the 68th Number:-"This reviewer dwells in a glass house." Let him beware:-though we will not use his weapons-yet, if he persist, we will read him such a lesson-from English works of standard authority-as shall teach him to be silent toward this country, or to change his tone. What our political feuds could not do, is rapidly doing, by publications like the Quarterly Review; and it is matter of notoriety, that the feelings entertained in this country toward England, are less friendly now, than in the hottest of the late war. This alienation has been mainly effected by this very journal.-The threat is childish-for "who reads an American book ?"—who would ever know of the retaliation, here 2-But the fact is tremendous. It must be true-it is true. The North American Review comes from the "head quarters of federalism" the "Boston Tories"the" Hartford convention people;" the best "friends of Great Britain ;" the people, who were so vehemently opposed to the last war with us, that a separation of the States would have taken place in consequence of their power-if it had cor tinued: Every writer in it is a federalist; and, of course, partial to Great Britain—and yet, we are assured that they, the people of America, are less friendly to us now, in conse quence of this miserable policy, pursued by the Quarterly Review, than they were, in the hottest of the late war.God forbid !—It is a tremendous fact: |