The Works of James Fenimore Cooper by Francis Parkman

8/13/2019 The Works of James Fenimore Cooper by Francis Parkman

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/the-works-of-james-fenimore-cooper-by-francis-parkman 1/16

University of Northern owa

The Works of James Fenimore Cooper by James Fenimore CooperThe North American Review, Vol. 74, No. 154 (JANUARY, 1852), pp. 147-161Published by: University of Northern Iowa

Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/40794844 .

Accessed: 22/12/2013 05:06

Your use of the JSTOR archive indicates your acceptance of the Terms & Conditions of Use, available at .http://www.jstor.org/page/info/about/policies/terms.jsp

.JSTOR is a not-for-profit service that helps scholars, researchers, and students discover, use, and build upon a wide range of

content in a trusted digital archive. We use information technology and tools to increase productivity and facilitate new forms

of scholarship. For more information about JSTOR, please contact [email protected].

.

University of Northern Iowa is collaborating with JSTOR to digitize, preserve and extend access to The North

American Review.

http://www.jstor.org

This content downloaded from 110.23.37.97 on Sun, 22 Dec 2013 05:06:00 AMAll use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions

http://www.jstor.org/action/showPublisher?publisherCode=uni

http://www.jstor.org/stable/40794844?origin=JSTOR-pdf

http://www.jstor.org/page/info/about/policies/terms.jsp





http://www.jstor.org/stable/40794844?origin=JSTOR-pdf

http://www.jstor.org/action/showPublisher?publisherCode=uni



1852.] JamesFenimoreCooper. 147

must hereforeow close thissketch. Imperfects itis,westillventure ohope tmayawaken, n some of ourreaders,an interesthichmay ead to a better nowledgenda justerappreciationf themodern renchschool.

Art. VI. - The Worksof James Fenimore Cooper.Author'sRevisedEdition. New York G. P. Putnam.1851. 12mo.

No American riter asbeen so extensivelyead as JamesFenimoreCooper. His novels have been translatednto

nearlyeveryEuropean tongue. Nay, we are told but

hardly nowhowtobelieve t that heymaybe had dulyrendered ntoPersian t thebazaars of Ispahan. We haveseen someofthem,wellthumbedndworn, t a little illage

in a remotemountainousistrictfSicily andinNaplesandMilan, he bookstalls earwitnesshat U Ultimo ei Mohe-canni is still popularwork. In England, heseAmericannovelshave beeneagerly eadandtransformedntopopulardramas while heapandoften tupidlymutilatedditions fthemhavebeencirculatedhroughll hercolonies, arrisons,and navalstations,rom ew Zealand toCanada.

Nor is thiswidely preadpopularityndeserved. Of allAmericanwriters,ooper s the mostoriginal,hemosttho-

roughly ational. His geniusdrewalimentfrom he soilwhereGod had planted t,and rose to a vigorous rowth,rough nd gnarled,but strong s a mountain edar. Hisvolumes rea faithful irrorf that ude ransatlanticature,which oEuropean yesappears o strange nd new. Thesea and the forest avebeen the scenesof hiscountrymen'smostconspicuous chievementsandit s on the sea and intheforesthatCooper smost t home. Theirspiritnspiredhim,their magesweregravenon his heart and the menwhomtheirmbrace as nurtured,he ailor, hehunter,he

pioneer,move nd act uponhis pageswith ll the truthnd

energyf real ife.There is one

greatwriterwithwhom

Cooperhas been

often ompared,nd the comparisons notvoid of ustice







148 JamesFenimoreCooper. [Jan.

forthough,n thewhole,far nferior,here re certainhighpoints f literaryxcellence nregard o whichhe maycon-test the palmwith irWalterScott. It is true, hathe hasno claimtoshare thehumor ndpathos, he fineperceptionofbeauty nddelicacy ncharacter, hich dds suchcharmsto theromances f Scott. Nor can he boast thatcompassand varietyf power,which ould deal alikewithformsf

humanityo diverse which ouldportrayith qual masterythe TemplarBois Guilbert,nd theJewessRebecca; themanlyheart of HenryMorton, nd the gentleheroism fJeanieDeans. But notwithstandinghisunquestionednfe-riorityn the partofCooper,therewere marked ffinitiesbetweenhim nd hisgreatcontemporary. othwereprac-ticalmen, ble andwilling ograpplewith he hard realitiesoftheworld. Eithermight avelearnedwith ase to lead aregiment,r command line-of-battlehip. Their concep-tions f character erenomere bstractdeas,or unsubstan-tial images, utsolidembodimentsn living lesh nd blood.

Bulwer and Hawthorne the conjunctionmay excite asmile arewritersf a differenttamp. Theirconceptionsare often xhibitedwith consummatekill,and, in one ofthese examplesat least,with admirable ruthfulnessbuttheynever cheatus into beliefof their eality. We maymarvel t the skillof theartist, utwe are prone o regardhiscreations athers figmentsf artthanas reproductionsofnature, as a series fvivifiedndanimate ictures,atherthan as breathingmenand women. With Scottand withCooper tis far therwise. DominieSampson nd theAnti-quary reas distinctndfamiliaroourminds s someeccen-

tricacquaintance f our childhood. If we metLong TomCoffin n the wharf t New Bedford,we shouldwonderwherewe hadbeforeeenthat amiliarace andfigure. Thetall,gaunt orm f Leatherstocking,heweather-beatenace,thebony and, hecap offox-skin,nd theoldhuntingrock,polishedwith ong ervice,eemso palpable ndreal, hat, nsomemoods fmind,nemayeasily onfoundhemwith hememories f hisown experiences. Othershavebeengiftedtoconceive he elements f far oftierharacter,nd eventocombine heseelements n a manner quallytruthfulbutfewhave rivalled

ooperin the

powerof

breathingntohis

creationshebreath f life, nd turninghephantoms f his








brain ntoseeming ealities. It is to this,n no smallmea-sure, hathe owes hiswidely preadpopularity. His mostsuccessfulportraituresre drawn, t is true,fromhumblewalksand rude ssociations yet they re instinct ith ife,and stampedwiththe impress f a masculine nd originalgenius.

The descriptionsf externalnaturewithwhichCooper's

works boundbear a certain nalogy o his portraituresfcharacter. Thereis no glowuponhispictures,owarm ndvaried oloring,o studied ontrastf ightndshade. Theirvirtueonsistsntheir idelity,nthestrengthithwhich heyimpress hemselvesponthemind, nd the strangeenacitywithwhich hey ling othememory. For our own part, twas manyyears incewe had turned he pages of Cooper,butstillwe werehaunted ythe imageswhichhisspell hadevoked; the darkgleaming f hill-embosomedakes,the

traceryf forest oughs gainst he redeveningky, nd theravenflapping isblackwingsabove thecarnagefieldnear

theHorican. These descriptionsaveoften,tmust e con-fessed,he gravefault fbeingoverloadedwithdetail but

they re utterlymistakenwho affirm,s some have done,that hey re but a catalogue fcommonplaces, mountainsandwoods,rivers nd torrents,hrown ogethers a matterof course. A genuine ove of nature nspired he artist's

pen andtheywho cannotfeel heefficacyf its strong ic-turing ave neither eartnor mind or hegrandeur f theouterworld.

Beforeproceeding, owever,we must observe that, in

speakingof

Cooper's writings,e have reference

nlyto

thosehappier ffspringf hisgeniuswhichform hebasis ofhis reputationfor, f that numerous rogeny hich f late

yearshave swarmed rom ispen,we have neverreadone,andtherefore,otwithstandinghe ncient sageofreviewers,do notthink urselves ntitledo commentponthem.

The style of Cooper is, as stylemustalways be, in nosmallmeasure heexponent f the author'smind. It isnotelastic rvaried, nd is certainlyarfromlegant. Its bestcharacteristicsre a manlydirectness,nd a freedom romthoseprettinesses,tudiedturnsof expression, nd petty

tricksof rhetoric, hich are the prideof less masculine

writers. Cooper is no favoritewithdilettanti ritics. In13*








truth,uch criticism oes not suithis case. He should bemeasured ndeeperprinciples,otbyhismanner,utbyhispith ndsubstance. A rough iamond,nd he is one of theroughest,s worthmore thana jewel of paste, hough tsfacetsmaynotshine o clearly.

And yet, ryCooper bywhattestwe may,we shall dis-coverin himgravedefects. The fieldof his success is,

afterll, a narrowne,and even in his best workshe oftenoverstepsts imits. His attemptst sentimentrenotoriouslyunsuccessful. Above all, when he aspires to portrayheroine, o wordscan expressthe remarkableharacter ftheproduct. Withsimplecountry irlshe succeedssome-whatbetter;butwhenhe essays higher light,is failurescalamitous. The most abid sserter f therightsf womanis scarcelymoregnorantfwoman's ruepower nddignity.This is the moresingular,s his novelsare veryfar frombeingvoid of feeling. They seldom,however and whocan wonder t it?- findmuch favorwithwomen,who for

themostpartcan see little n thembut ghastlytories fshipwrecks,mbuscades,nd bush fights, ingledwithpro-lix descriptionsnd stupiddialogues. Their most appre-ciating eadersmay perhaps e found, otamongpersons fsedentarynd studioushabits,but amongthoseof a moreactiveturn,militaryfficersnd the like,whose tasteshavenot beentrainedntofastidiousness,ndwho areoften etterqualifiedhan iterary ento feel the freshnessndtruthfthe author's escriptions.

The merit f a novelist s usuallymeasured ess by hismerepowerof descriptionhanbyhis skill in delineatingcharacter. The permanencyf Cooper's reputationmust,as it seemsto us,restupon threeor four inely onceivedandadmirablyxecutedportraits.We do not alludetohisIndian characters,which it mustbe granted, re for themostpart either uperficiallyr falselydrawn whilethelongconversations hichhe puts intotheirmouths,re astruthlesss they re tiresome. Such as they re,however,theyhave been eagerly opied bya legionof the smallerpoets ndnovelwritersso that,ointlywithThomasCamp-bell,Cooper s responsibleorthefatheringf those borigi-nal

heroes, overs,nd

sages,whohave

longformed

pettynuisancen our iterature. The portraitsf whichwe have








spokenare all those of whitemen,fromhumbleranksofsociety, et not of a meanor vulgar tamp. Conspicuousbefore hem ll stands the well knownfigure f Leather-stocking. The life nd characterf thispersonagere con-tained n a series of five ndependent ovels,entitled,nhonor f him, he Leatherstockingales. Cooperhasbeencensured,nd evenridiculed,or hisfrequenteproductionf

his favorite ero,which, t is affirmed,rguespoverty finvention and yettheres notone of the tales nquestionwithwhichwe wouldwillinglyart. To have drawn ucha character s in itself ufficientonor and had Cooperachievednothing lse,this alone musthave insured imawide and merited enown. There is somethingdmirablyfelicitousn the conceptionf thishybridffspringf civili-zation ndbarbarism,nwhomuprightness,indliness,nnate

philosophy,nd the truestmoralperceptionsrejoinedwiththewanderingnstinctsnd hatred f restrainthich tampthe ndianorthe Bedouin. Nor s thecharacternthe east

unnatural. The whitedenizens f the forestnd theprairieareoftenmong heworst, hough ever mong hemeanest,of mankind but it is equally true,thatwherethe moralinstinctsre originallytrong, hey may findnutrimentnd

growthmong he rude cenesand grand ssociationsf thewilderness.Men as true, enerous,nd kindly s Leather-

stockingmaystill be found mongtheperilous olitudes ftheWest. The quiet, nostentatiousourage fCooper'sherohad its counterpartn thecharacter f Daniel Boone andthe latterhad the same unaffectedove of naturewhichformso

pleasingfeaturen themind f

Leatherstocking.Civilization as a destroyings well as a creating ower.It is exterminatinghebuffalo nd the Indian, verwhosefate oomanyamentations,ealor ffected,avebeen oundedforus to renewthemhere. It must,moreover,ventuallysweepfromefore t a class of men, tsownprecursorsnd

pioneers,o remarkableothin their irtuesnd their aults,thatfewwill see their xtinction ithout egret. Of thesemenLeatherstockings the representative;nd though nhimthe traits f the individual re quite as prominentsthoseof the class,yet his characters not on thisaccount

less interesting,r less worthyf permanentemembrance.His life onveysn some ort n epitomefAmericanhistory,








duringne of itsmostbusyand decisiveperiods. At first,we findhim a lonely younghunter n what was thenthewildernessf New York. Ten or twelveyears ater,he isplayinghis partmanfullyn the Old FrenchWar. Aftertheclose oftheRevolution,we meethimagainon thesamespotwherehewas firstntroducedous butnow very hingis changed. The solitarymargin f the Otsego lake is

transformedntothe seat of a growingettlement,nd thehunter,ppressed ytherestraintsf society, urnshisagedfootsteps estwardnsearch f his congenial olitudes. Atlength,we discoverhimforthe last time, n octogenariantrapper,ar uton theprairiesf theWest. It is clear thatthe successivestagesof his retreat romocietycould notwell be presentedn a singlestory,nd thattherepetitionwhichhas beencharged gainst ooperas a faultwas indis-pensable o thedevelopmentf hisdesign.

The Deerslayer,hefirst ovel nthe eries ftheLeather-stocking ales, seems to us one of the most nterestingf

Cooper'sproductions.He has chosenforthe scene of hisstory heOtsego lake, on whose banks he lived anddied,andwhose cenery e has introducednto hree,f notmore,of his novels. The Deerslayer, r Leatherstocking,eremakeshis firstppearance s a youngman, n factscarcelyemergedfrom oyhood, et withall the simplicity,andor,feeling,nd penetration,hichmarkhis riperyears. Theold buccaneer n his aquatic habitation,nd the contrastedcharactersf histwodaughters,dd a humannteresto thescene,for hewant of whichthe highestkill nmere and-scape paintingannot ompensate. The characterf Judithseemsto us thebestdrawn, ndbyfar hemostinteresting,female ortraitn anyof Cooper'snovelswithwhichwe areacquainted. The story, owever,s not freefromhe cha-racteristicaults f its author. Above all, it contains,noneinstance t least, glaring xhibitionf his aptitude orde-scribing orrors. Whenhecompelshismarvellouslyraphicpento depictsceneswhichwoulddisgrace heshamblesorthedissectingable,nonecan wonder hat adies and youngclergymen egardhis pageswithabhorrence. These,how-ever, re but casual defects na workwhichbears the un-mistakable

mpressfgenius.The Pathfinderormshesecondvolume f theseries; nd








is remarkable,venamong ts companions,or he force nddistinctnessf itspictures. For ourselves thoughwe dili-

gently perusedthe despatches the battleof Palo Altoand thestormingfMontereyrenotmorerealandpresenttoourmind hansomeof the scenes and charactersf ThePathfinder,houghwe have not read it fornineyears -the ittle ort n themarginf Lake Ontario, he urrounding

woods ndwaters,heveteranmajorncommand,he treach-erous cotchman,hedogmatic ld sailor, ndthePathfinderhimself. Several of these scenes re borrowednpartfromMrs. Grant's Memoirs f an American ady ; but in bor-rowing,Cooper has transmuted hadows into substance.Mrs.Grant's acts for s such we aretotake hem havean air of fictionwhileCooper'sfiction earsthe aspectofsolid fact. His peculiarpowerscould notbe better llus-trated hanbya comparisonf thepassages lluded o in thetwobooks.

One of the mostwidelyknown f Cooper'snovels s The

Last of theMohicans,whichforms he third olume f theseries,ndwhich,with ll theelementsf a vulgar opularity,combines xcellences f a farhigher rder. It has, never-theless, ts greatand obtrusive aults. It takes needlessliberties ithhistoryandthoughtwouldbe follyo demandthat n historical ovelisthould lways conformo receivedauthorities,et it is certainly esirable hathe shouldnot

unnecessarilyetthem tdefiance sincethe ncidentsf thenovel reapttoremain onger n the memoryhan hose fthe esspalatablehistory. But whatevermaybe the extentof the novelist's

icense,t s,at all events, ssential hathis

story houldhave some semblance f probability,nd notrun ounter o nature nd common ense. In The Last oftheMohicans, hemachineryf theplot falls ittle hort f

absurdity.Whya veteran fficer,entup in a littlefort,andhourly xpecting o be beleagueredya vastly uperiorforce,onsistingngreatpartof bloodthirstyavages, houldatthatparticularimedesireorpermit visitfromhistwo

daughters,s a questionnot easy to answer. Nor is the

difficultyessened when it is remembered,hatthe youngladiesare to make the ourney hrough wilderness ullof

Indian calping arties. It is equallydifficultosee

whyhe

lover of Alice shouldchoose, merelyfor the sake of a








romanticide,to conducther and her sister ya circuitousand mostperilousby-path hroughhe forests, hen theymightmoreeasilyhave gonebya good roadunder he safeescort f a column f troopswho marched or he fort hatverymorning.The story ounded n thesegrossnventionsis sustained yvariousminor mprobabilities,hichcannotescape the readerunlesshis attentions absorbedby the

powerfulnterestf thenarrative.It seems to us a defect n a novelora poem,when theheroines compelled oundergo odilyhardship,osleepoutat nightnthewoods,drenched yrain, tungbymosquitosand cratchedybriars, toforegollappliances f the oilet,and aboveall, to lodge n an Indianwigwam. Womenhavesometimesndureduch privation,nd enduredtwithforti-tude but tmaybe safely ffirmed,hat or he ime,ll graceand romancewerebanishedfrom heirpresence. We readLongfellow'svangelinewithmuch ympathyn thefortunesof theerrant eroine, ntil, s wrepproachedheendof the

poem,everyother entiment as lost in admirationt theunparalleled xtentof herwanderings,t thedexterity ithwhich hecontrivedo elude at easta dozen ribes fsavagesat that ime n a stateofwar, t the trengthf herconstitu-tion, ndat hermarvellousroficiencynwoodcraft.When,however,we hadfollowed er for bout two thousandmilesonherforestilgrimage,nd reflectedn thefigurehe musthave made,so tattered nd bepatched, edrenchedndbe-draggled, ecouldnotbut steemt a happy ircumstancehatshefailed, s she did,tomeet herlover since,hadhe seenher in such plight, very parkof sentiment usthaveva-

nished rom isbreast,ndall theromance fthepoemhavebeen ingloriouslyxtinguished.With Cooper's heroines,Cora andAlice,thecase is notso hard. Yet, as itdoesnotappear that, n a journey f severalweeks, heywere per-mitted ocarry o muchas a valise or a carpetbag,andaswe areexpresslyold, hat nseveral ccasions,hey roppedbythewayside heir loves,veils, ndother seful rticles fapparel,t scertain,hat t the ourney'snd, heymust avepresentednappearancemore dapted o callforthChristiansympathyhan nyemotionf a more omanticature.

Inrespect

o thedelineationfcharacter,

he Last oftheMohicans s surpassed yseveralotherworksof the author.







1852.] James enimoreCooper. 155

Its distinguishingerit ies in itsdescriptionsfsceneryndaction. Of thepersonages hofiguren it,one of themostinterestings theyoungMohican,Uncas,who,however,oesnotat all resemble genuine ndian. Magua,the villain fthestory,s a less untruthfulortrait. Cooperhasbeen cri-ticizedforhavingrepresented im as fallingn love withCora and thecriticisms based on the allegedgroundhat

passionsof this kind are not characteristicf the Indian.This may, n some qualified ense,be true but it is wellknown hat ndians,nreal ife s wellas innovels, isplaypeculiar artialityorwhitewomen, n the ameprincipleywhich talians reproneto admire light omplexion, hileSwedes regard brunette ithhighest steem. Corawastheveryperson ofascinaten Indian. The coldestwarriorwouldgladlyhavereceivedherintohis odge, ndpromotedherto be his favorite ife,wholly ispensing,nhonor f hercharms,with lagellationranyof the severermarks fcon-

jugal displeasure.

The character f Hawkeyeor Leatherstockings,in theMohicans as elsewhere, learlyand admirablyrawn. Heoften isplays, owever, weaknesswhich xcites he mpa-tience f thereader, an excessiveand ill-timedoquacity.When,forexample, n the fightt Glenn's Falls, he andMajorHeywood re crouchingn the thicket, atching hemotionsf fourndians,whoseheads arevisible bove a logat a little istance,ndwho, n the expression f Hawkeyehimself,regatheringor rush, he scoutemploys hetimeindilating pon the propertiesf the long-barrelled,oft-metalled ifle. The design s,no doubt, oconvey n im-

pressionf his coolness nmoments f extreme anger butunder uch circumstances,he bravestmanwould udge itthepart fgoodsenseto usehiseyesratherhanhistongue.Men of Hawkeye'sclass,however alkative heymaybe atthecamp-fire,re remarkable orpreserving close silencewhile ngaged n the active abors f their alling.

It is easytofind aultwith he Lastof the Mohicans butitis farfromasyto rivalor evenapproach ts excellences.The book has thegenuinegameflavor itexhalestheodorsof thepinewoodsand the freshnessf the mountain ind.Its dark nd

rugged ceneryises as

distinctlyn the

eyeas

the mages fthepainter's anvas,orrathers the reflection







156 James enimoreCooper. [Jan.

of natureherself. But it is not as the mererenderingfmaterial orms,hat hesewoodpaintingsre mosthighly obe esteemed. Theyare nstinct ith ife,with hevery piritofthewildernesstheybreathe he ombre oetryfsolitudeanddanger. In theseachievementsf his art,Cooper,wethink, asno equal,unless tmaybe the uthor f that trik-ingromance,Wacoustaor theProphecy,whosefine owers

of imaginationre,however,ven less under heguidance fa just taste han hose f theAmerican ovelist.The most bviousmerit f The Last oftheMohicans on-

sists n itsdescriptionsfaction,nthepowerwithwhich heauthorbsorbsthereader's ympathies,nd leads him, s itwere, o playa part n the scene. One readstheaccountsof a greatbattle aside fromany cause or principle tissue with he same kindof nterest ithwhichhe beholdsthegrand estructivehenomenafnature, tempestt sea,ora tornadonthe ropics yetwith feelingarmorentense,sincethe conflicts nota mere trivingf nsensatelements,

butof iving ides fhumanwrath ndvalor. Withdescrip-tionsof petty kirmishesr singlecombats,hefeelings ofa differentind. The reader s enlisted n thefray, par-taker, s itwere,n every houghtndmovementfthecom-batants,n the alternationsf fearand triumph,hepromptexpedient, he desperate esort, he palpitations f humanweakness, rthecouragethatfacesdeath. Of this peciesofdescription,he sceneof theconflicttGlenn'sFalls is anadmirablexample, nsurpassed,e think,venbythe com-batof Balfour ndBothwell, rby anyother assageof thekind n thenovels of Scott. The sceneryf the fight,hefoamingataract, he ittlesletwith tsstout-heartedefend-ers,the precipices nd the darkpinewoods, dd greatlyotheeffect. The scene is conjuredbefore he reader's ye,notas a vision r a picture, ut like thetangible resence frock, iver,nd forest. His very enses seem conspiringodeceivehim. He seemsto feelagainsthis cheekthewindand spray f thecataract, nd hear its sullenroar, midtheyellsof the assailants nd thesharp rackof theansweringrifle. The sceneof the trifes pointed uttotravellerss ifthisfictitiousombatwere a real event of history. Mills,

factories,nd

bridgesave marred henativewildness f the

spot, nda villagehasusurped hedomain f theforestyet







1852.] James enimoreCooper. 157

still hosefoaming aters ndblack sheetsof limestone ockareclothedwith ll the interestf an historicmemoryandthe ciceroneof the place can show the caves wheretheaffrightedisters ookrefuge, he pointwherethe Indianslanded, ndtherockwhence hedespairing uronwas flungintothe abyss. Nay, if the lapse of a fewyearshas notenlightenedisunderstanding,heguidewouldas soon doubt

thereality f the battle of Saratoga, s that of Hawkeye'sfight ith heMingoes.The Pioneers,hefourtholume f theseries,s, n several

respects, he best of Cooper'sworks. Unlike some of itscompanions,tbears verymark f having eenwrittenromthe results f personal xperience and indeed,Cooper iswellknown o havedrawnargely n therecollectionsf hisearlier earsn the ompositionfthisnovel. The charactersarefull f vitalityndtruth,hough,none ortwo nstances,theexcellence f delineations impairedya certain aint fvulgarity. Leatherstocking,s he appears nThe Pioneers,

must ertainlyavehadhis iving riginalnsomegaunt, ray-hairedoldwoodsman,owhosestories f hunts nd Indianfightshe uthormay erhaps ave istenednhisboyhood ithraptears,unconsciouslyarnering p in memoryhe germswhich imewas todevelop nto richharvest. The scenes ftheChristmasurkey-shooting,hefish-spearingyfirelightnOtsego lake, the rescuefrom he panther, nd the burn-ingof the woods, re all inimitablen theirway. Of all

Cooper'sworks, he Pioneersseems to us most ikely oholda permanentlace in literature,or t preserves vividreflectionf scenes and characterswhichwill soon have

passedaway.The Prairie, he last of the Leatherstockingales, is a

novelof far nferior erit. The storys verymprobable,and notvery nteresting.The pictures f scenery re lesstrue onature han n thepreviousolumes,ndseem o indi-cate thatCooperhad little rno personal cquaintancewiththe remoter artsof the West. The book,however, asseveralpassagesof much nterest,ne ofthebestofwhich sthe cene nwhichthe agedtrapper iscovers,nthepersonof a youngofficer,he grandson f Duncan Heywood nd

AliceMunro,whom, alf a centuryefore,e had

protectedwhenin such imminenteopardyon the rocksof Glenn'sVOL. LXXIV. - NO. 541. 14








Falls andamong hemountainsf Lake George. The deathofAbiramWhite sverytriking,hough emindinghereadertoomuch fa similar cene n theSpy. The granddeformityofthestorys thewretchedttemptthumor n theperson fDr. Obed Battius. David Gamut,n The Mohicans,s badenough butBattius utherods erod, ndgreatmustbe themerit f the bookwhichone such incubuswouldnot sink

beyond edemption.The novel,which firstroughthe name of Cooper intodistinguishedotice,wasThe Spy andthis ook,which avehimhisearliest eputation,illcontributeargely o preserveit. The storys full f nterest,nd thecharacterfHarveyBirch s drawnwith ingularkill.

The Pilot is usually onsideredhe best of Cooper's seatales. It is in truth masterpiecefhisgenius andalthoughthe reader s apt topasswith mpatienceverthe ongcon-versationsmong he adies at St. Ruth's, ndbetweenAliceDunscombeand thedisguised aul Jones,yet he is amply

repaidwhenhe follows he author o his congenial lement.The descriptionf thewreckof theAriel, ndthedeathofLongTom Coffin,an scarcely e spoken f nterms f toomuch dmiration.LongTom is toCooper'ssea taleswhatLeatherstockings to the novels f theforest, a conceptionso original nd forcible,hatposterity illhardly ufferttoescape fromemembrance.The Red Rover, The Water-Witch, nd theremainderf the sea tales,are markedwiththe same excellences nd defectswiththe novels alreadymentioned,nd furtheromments ould hereforee useless.

The recent eathof themanwho had achieved o much

in the cause ofAmerican iterature as called forth,s itshouldhave done, generalexpression f regret and theoutcries, ot unprovoked, hichof late have been raisedagainst im, redrownedn thevoiceof sorrow. The mostmarked nd original f Americanwriters as passed fromamongus. It was an auspiciousmoment hen his earlierworks irstaw the ight for herewas promisentheir udevigor, a good hopethat from uch roughbeginningshecountry ight evelop literaryrogeny hich,akingessonsin thegraces, ndrefiningith he apseofyears,might ne

daydo honorto its

parentageand when the chastened

genius f Bryant rose, t seemed hat hefulfilmentf such








a hopewasnotfar emote. But thisfair romise as failed,and to this hourthe purpose, he energy, he passionofAmerica have neverfound heir dequateexpressionn theprinted age. The number fgoodwritersruly merican,bywhichwe mean ll thosewhoare not mitatorsfforeignmodes,might e countedon the fingersf the two handsnor are thewriters f this small class,not excepting ven

Bryanthimself,nanyeminentegree he favoritesf thoseamongtheir ountrymenhomakepretensionso taste ndrefinement.As in life and manners he American eopleseem bent on aping the polisheduxury f anotherhemi-sphere,o likewise hey eserve heir nthusiasm nd theirpursesforthehoneyedverse and the sugaredproseof anemasculatendsupposititiousiterature.

SomeFrenchwriter, Chateaubriand,e believe, ob-serveshat he nly ortionf heAmerican eoplewho xhibitanydistinctive ational haracterre the backwoodsmenftheWest. The remark s not strictlyrue. The whole

merchantmarine, rom aptainsto cabin-boys,he lumber-menofMaine,thefarmersf New England, nd indeed allthe aboring opulation f thecountry,otof foreignrigin,are markedwithstrong nd peculiartraits. Butwhenweascend nto he educated ndpolished lasses, hesepeculiar-ities re smoothedway,until,nmany ases,they re invi-sible. An educatedEnglishmans an Englishman till aneducated renchmans oftenntenselyrench but an edu-catedAmerican s apt to have no national haracter t all.The conditionf the iteraturef thecountrys,as might eexpected,nclose accordancewiththesepeculiaritiesf itssociety. With but few exceptions, he onlybookswhichreflect he nationalmindare thosewhichemanate rom,rareadapted o,the unschooled lasses of the people such,for xample, s Dr. Bird's Nick of theWoods,The LifeofDavid Crockett,he Big Bear ofArkansas,with tskindredlegends, nd,we may dd, theearlier ovels fCooper. Inthepoliterwalks of literature,e findmuchgraceof style,but verylittleoriginalityf thought, productions hichmights readily e takenfor hework fan EnglishmansofanAmerican.

This lackoforiginality

as beenoudly omplainedf,

butit seems to us inevitableunderthe circumstances.The








healthful rowth f the intellect, hether ational r indi-vidual, ikehealthful rowth f every therkind,mustpro-ceed from heaction f nternalnergies,nd notfromoreignaid. Too much assistance, oo manystimulants, eakeninstead f ncreasingt. The cravingsfthe Americanmind,eageras they re,are amply uppliedbythecopiousstreamof Englishcurrentiterature.Thousands,nay,millions f

readers ndwritersrink rom hisbounteousource,ndfeedon this foreign liment,ill thewhole complexion f theirthoughtss tingedwith t, and by a sortofnecessity heythink ndwrite t secondhand. If this ransatlanticupplywerecompletelyutoff,nd the nation bandoned o itsownresources,twould eventuallyromote,n a highdegree, hedevelopmentf thenationalntellect. The vitalityndforce,which reabundantlyisplayednevery epartmentfactivelife,would soonfind heirway nto higherhannel, o meetthenewandclamorous ecessityormental ood andin thespaceof a generation,heoft-repeatedemand or n original

literature ouldbe fully atisfied.In respect o everydepartmentf active ife, he UnitedStates refullymancipatedromheir ncient olonialsub-

jection. They can plan, nvent,nd achievefor hemselves,and this, oo,with commandinguccess. But in all thefiner unctions f thought,n all matters f literaturendtaste,we arestill ssentially rovincial. Englandonceheldus ina state fpolitical ependency. Thatdayis past butshestillholdsus in an intellectualependencyarmore om-plete. Her thoughtsecomeourthoughts,y a process n-conscious,ut nevitable. She caters or urmind nd fancywith liberalhand. We arespared he aborofself-support;butbytheuniversalaw,applicable o nationsno less thanindividuals, e are weakenedby the wantof independentexercise. It is a matter f common emark,hatthe mosthighlyducated lassesamongus arefarfromeing hemostefficientithernthoughtraction. The vigorousife fthenationpringsromhedeeprich oilat thebottomfsociety.Itsmenofgreatestnfluencere thosewhohavestudiedmenbeforehey tudied ooks, ndwho,byhardbattling ith heworld, nd boldlyfollowing ut the bent of theirnative

genius,have hewn theirown

wayto wealth,station,or

knowledge, rom he ploughshare r the forecastle. The







1852.] Eaton's Annals of Warren. 161

comparativehortcomingsfthebest ducated mong s maybe tracedto several auses but, s we are constrainedothink, heyare mainly wingto the factthat the highestcivilizationf Americas communicatedrom ithoutnsteadof being developed romwithin,nd is thereforeervelessandunproductive.

Art. VII. - AnnalsoftheTownof Warren, ith heEarlyHistory fSt. George's,Broad Bay, and theNeighbor-ingSettlementsntheWaldoPatent. ByCyrusEaton,A. M. Hallowell Masters,Smith,& Co. 1851.12mo.pp. 437.

The townof Warren was incorporatedn 1776. Its

present istorian, r.Eaton,does not statewhatwe believe

tobe a fact, hat twas thefirstettlementn MainetowhichtheWhigs f Massachusetts ave a corporatexistence fter

throwingfftheirallegianceto the British rown. The

question f formingntotowns heterritoryastofGorges'seastern oundarywas one uponwhichthe royalgovernorsandthepopular ranch f the legislatureeldomagreedforsuccessive dministrationsandonewhich emained ndeter-mined t thecommencementf the graver ontroversiesfthe Revolution. This instance, hen,of the exerciseof

newly cquired overeigntys entitled o remembrancethemore

specially,ince the actwas, n some degree t least,

political,he nameofWarren eing vowedly elected odohonor othememoryf thedistinguishedartyrf the17thofJune f theprevious ear.

The historyf theMuscongus, s the Waldo Patentwas

originallyalled, s quiteas peculiar s this ncident ntheannalsof its oldesttown, nd is connected eryntimatelywith hepersonal nd politicalfortunesf severaleminent

persons. The country mbraced n this Patent was notwithinheancientimits ither fMaineorof New England,butonceformed partofNew France. Until hetreatyf

Ryswick,the entire erritory,romheKennebeckto the

St. Croix,was indispute etween hetwogreat owers, ho,14*

The Works of James Fenimore Cooper by Francis Parkman

Documents