Retrofpeii of American Literature. — Politics, 



619 



Having given a fliort account of Swedifh 

 Finland, our traveller arrives at the im- 

 portant bridge which feparates the S^e- 

 ilifli from the Kiiflian territories ; and 

 )>ioceeds througli Frederickfliam toward 

 Peieifbiiig, where the manners, as vi/ell as 

 • he artificial curiofitics, of the city are de- 

 fcribcd in a manner truly entertaining : 

 and the lourteenth chapter of tl c work is 

 entirely devrted to the melancholy death 

 of the late Emperor. To afford even a 

 fhght idta heie of the numerous anecdotes 

 with which Mr. Carr has eulivtned his 

 rarration, is impcflible : he feems tvery 

 vvhtre to have faftened on the molt 

 difcriminating tiaits of natioB-d cha- 

 lafler: he appears to defrribe fctnery 

 and manners with equal propriety and 

 coirtdlnefs : and the dciaiis which he pie- 

 lerves oi coins and p(jft-chaig':s are well 

 calculated to facilitate the Iteps of ihc.fe 

 who may heieafier follow him. Q^iiiing 

 Petersburg, he pioceeded by Narva, Rig^, 

 and Mittau,and at lalf reiched the barrier 

 of the RulTian empire at Polangen. Me- 

 mel, Koninglbcrg, and Dantzic, are the 

 principal places in Pruflia which Mr. Carr 

 delcribes in the way to Berlin 5 and at 

 Frawebiirg he paid a vifit 10 the tomb 

 cf Copernicus. " The road to Berlin (he 

 lays^ has in one refpeiS a great advantage : 



there is a conftant and rapid fiicceffion of 

 towns and vllUges, but no fcateic i C)'- 

 tages : upon evtrv acclivity tiie ti avci'ap 

 commands fix or feven fpirts riling ficm 

 little clumps of ness and clulfers ot' 

 h. ufes. 7 he rosd to each of thefe (inall 

 communities, for ibout a quater of a 

 mile, is paved with large rough angular 

 (fone>', which conifitute the pride ot the 

 p'rifl), and are brougdt from a grer.t d f- 

 tance, and with cndderable colK Upon 

 my wifliing them at the devil one day, 

 which I never fsiltd to do as often as I 

 had to contend with ihcm. my driver 

 turned round and faid, ' Di not wifh 

 them there: do you know ihat each of 

 ihoCcJinrJiones coft four good grol'hcn ?'* 

 After reatling a moil irterefting account of 

 Berlin, ttie re:^c^er accompanies .Mr. Carr 

 by a circuitous route once more to Hii- 

 fum, where he quits his travels with the 

 following fentence : — " Having felt moH 

 ftnfibly, in the huur >"f my return, tholi* 

 prime diftinfli' ns ot my country which 

 cmii.ently and juftly endear her to all her 

 children, 1 clofe the Vidume with an ar- 

 dent wifli thcit Heaven may gracioiifly 

 render thoie diftintlions perpetual." We 

 difmifs •' The Northern Summer" with 

 the higheftcomnicndation. 



HALF-YEARLY RETROSPECT OF AMERICAN LITERATURE. 



POLITICS. 



IN mofl of our former Retrofpeflive 

 Notices of the United States we have 

 been induced to prefix to our accoun' of 

 Political Literature fome obfeivaiiors on 

 the (fate of the nation with relpe(?f both to 

 domeftic concerns and foreign relations — 

 Conceiving that this new country exhi- 

 bits to the world fome rare political phe- 

 nomena, we have preliimed that the pub- 

 lic might feel fome intereft in viewing a 

 (ketch of its prefent fituation. As cvciy 

 individual pofTcfTcs the right of forming 

 hi« opinions on his own model, and of de- 

 cently prefenting them to the comir.unity, 

 we make no apclogy to fuch as are inrlin- 

 ed to look at this objeft through a diffe- 

 lent medium. 



Having on former occafions reprefented 

 this country as eminently pqaceful, happy, 

 »nd flourifhing, we find no realcin, at pre- 

 feut, to vary tlie defcription. Although 

 the (toims of pnrty-rage may fometimes 

 • ulHe and deform the furface of I'ocicty, 

 v,e are perluaded that the molt enthufialtic 



republican, if called to exhibit in the molt 

 advantageous point of view tiis favuurit* 

 form of government, would inlfanily fe- 

 left the United States as the belt example 

 of ancient or modern times to demcnftiaie 

 the truth of his theory, and t > fhiw how 

 perfe<5tly the pri ciphs of freedom, and 

 all the bUfu ps of fecial life, may cpn- 

 fpire, under that fylttm of organizstion, 

 to render a community happy and f'ecure. 

 It is not pcfTllile for hiitnan affalis .0 exhi- 

 bit a more pleafing afpeft than' the prelent 

 political condition of the United States.— 

 At peace with all the woild (excepting 

 the Tripolitan war, which is t'.;o diflant 

 and too unimp T'lnt to deCerve iiutice 

 here), there is every pr>jh.ihili'y of a long 

 lapl'e of time taking place hefoie this peace 

 can fiiffer any interruption. The natural 

 and moral raufes which lead nations into 

 war in other paits of il^e woild, either do 

 not exift in tliis country, or exilf in fuch 

 little force as Icarcely to produce any et« 



The re ekflion of Mr. jErrE.t.soN to 

 4 1 z the 



