L American History, comprising Historical Sketches of the Indian tribes, a description of American Antiquities, with an inquiry into their origin and the origin of the Indian tribes. Also, History of the British Provinces, Mexico, and Texas, down to its admission into the American Union. By MARCIUS WILSON, Author of the School History of the United States. Mark H. Newman & Co. 199 Broadway. Mr. Wilson has, in the volume before us, presented a very valuable work to the public. It brings up into a clear recital the shreds and patches, as it were, of American history wove into the main story; the antiquities of our continent; the exciting memoirs of the fast fading tribes of the aborigines; the history of the nation that seems destined to become a part and parcel of our great empire, more particularly the curious story of Texas. In the short space of a quarter of a century, a colony from the United States reclaimed a vast territory from the wilderness, successfully resisted the attempts of Hispana-Mexican tyranny, and created a nation which, in the exercise of its sovereignty, merged itself in the glorious Union. The whole supplies a very urgent want, and in the most desirable manner, accompanied by instructive plates, and with full marginal analysis and dates, which makes it a valuable work of reference to the general reader. The execution of the work does great credit to Messrs. Newman & Co. the publishers, who will doubtless find a sterling work appreciated by the public. The Lives of Vasco Nunez de Balboa, the Discoverer of the Pacific Ocean; Hernandez Cortez, Conqueror of Mexico; and Francisco Pizarro, Conqueror of Peru. Harper Brothers, New-York. Among the lives of those renowned navigators whose adventurous spirit, aroused by the genius of Columbus, made the new world the scene of their bold enterprise, none are more interesting than of these, the three heroes treated of in this small volume. They present Spanish character in a light more bold and enterprising than of late years they have been able to sustain, and are fraught with interest. Mary Howitt's Ballads and Other Poems. Wiley & Putnam's Library of Choice Reading, No. 83. To the admirers of the admirable writings of Mrs. Howitt, the mere account of this volume is sufficient to guide the demand for it; and to those who have a pleasure yet in store in forming an acquaintance with an agreeable poetess, no more favorable opportunity will offer, than is presented in the beautiful and cheap volume offered them by Messrs. Wiley & Putnam. Margaret Fuller. By the author of "Amy Herbert," &c. 2 vols. Edited by Rev. WILLIAM SEWELL, B. D. D. Appleton & Co., New-York. This interesting work forms No. 23 of Appleton's Literary Miscellany. It is an agreeable story, of an instructive and moral character, and enjoys the success incident to the productions of the popular author. The True Believer. A Series of Discourses. By Rev. ASA MAHAN. Harper Brothers, New-York. This is an instructive and interesting series, full of the great gospel truths, strongly put. Questions in Geography. By RICHARD GREEN PARKER, A. M. Harper Brothers, New-York. A series of questions, adapted to most of the geographies used in public schools. A System of Intellectual Philosophy. By Rev. ASA MAHAN, President of the Oberlin Institute. Second edition. Harper Brothers. This volume purports to be the sum of a course of lectures, which have been delivered in the last five or six years with great success. They profess to be drawn mostly from Coleridge, Cousin and Kant, and are highly calculated to interest the public, as well as the student. During the month, two additions have been made to the weekly press of the city of New-York; one literary, under able management. "The Literary World." A New Weekly Journal. The most important event of the month affecting our Home Literature, is the announcement of a new literary journal, bearing the title of “The Literary World; an Authors', Readers' and Publisher's Gazette." It is to be under the editorial charge of Mr. Duyckinck, whose name is ample guarantee for the spirit, fidelity and honor with which it will be conducted. The readers of the Democratic Review, for several years, have had, in the papers on general literature and criticism, contributed by him to its pages, evidence of his talents, and of the thoroughly American spirit in which he labors in the cause of letters. The enterprise of the new journal starts with a powerful publishing support from the leading houses in this and other cities. It is the first paper of the kind issued in the country-embracing, as its title imports, all the kindred and reciprocal interests connected with the writing, publication and purchase of books. Besides these, it will give its attention to a wide range of miscellany in art, general intelligence, passages of choice reading, extracts in advance from new works, and the literature and better performances in music and the drama. All these subjects it will treat in reference to the growing and rapidly consolidating interests of the world of art and literature here at home. The first number was issued from the office, 136 Nassau-street, by the publishers, Osgood & Co., on the 6th of February, in a quarto of 16 handsomely printed pages, at 6 cents the single number, or $3 for the year. American Stalesman. Edited by A. INGRAHAM. This is a weekly paper, devoted to politicians of independent character. It is of quarto form, containing 16 pages of reading matter, advertisements being excluded. "The thousands of bold and energetic minds, which constitute a large portion of the population of the Union, desire an organ that will fearlessly, truthfully, honestly, and discreetly, discuss questions that the mere politician does not dare to meddle with, until they are popularized by others; or, until they have been tested in the crucible of public opinion, and become popular with the masses." Such an organ Mr. Ingraham intends to make his journal, and at the same time make it a record of facts and documents, interesting to the American statesman, politician, or general render. The editorial experience and known abilities of Mr. Ingraham, are favorable to the success of this new paper, which is issued at $3 per annum. An Inkstand.-What is an inkstand? The dictionary answers, "a vessel to hold ink." Now, anything may hold ink that is capable of retaining any liquid; but such an answer gives no more idea of the article which modern science has presented to the world, for purposes of writing, than a house is described by calling it a place of shelter from storms. There is a philosophy of ink holders in the world, evidently beyond the dreams of dictionary makers. It was a primitive notion, that nothing further was necessary to hold ink, than to procure a horn with a string, or a glass bottle with a stopper. The evaporation of the ink, the accumulation of sediment, and frequent spillings, to the damage of papers and apparel, were looked upon as matters of course, and entirely incident upon the necessity of using ink. In process of time, some genius conceived the idea of making a vessel for holding. ink, which should yield its supply freely, while the liquid was unexposed to the air. Your common fountain inkstands were the result, but sudden changes of temperature caused them to spill ink much faster than it before evaporated. Finally, however, the article which will hold the ink without the disadvantages named, bas made its appearance. It is called " Hall's Hydrostatic Ink Fountain," sold by Thomas Wilde & Co., 30 Old Slip. It consists of a beautifully fashioned cast-iron urn, tastefully gilded, air-tight, and provided with a plunger, working by a screw, which, in descending, forces the ink through a small pipe into a smail, detached cup, of the size of a thimble. This simple contrivance prevents evaporation, or the accumulation of sediment, and the whole may fall in any position, without spilling ink, and seems to fulfill all the conditions of a philosophic ink-stand. 1. THE MEXICAN WAR-ITS ORIGIN AND CONDUCT... II. AN ALBUM DEDICATION. By W. H. C. H...... III. PUNISHMENT AND PENALTY. Page 291 299 Argument of Edward Livingston against Capital Punishment. Published by the New-York State Society for the Abolition of Capital Punishment. 1847....... 300 IV. JEAN-CHARLES-LEONARD DE SISMONDI, The Historian of Italy and France.. V. NATIONALITY OF LITERATURE. (Continued.).. 306 ... 316 VI. SYSTEM OF POSITIVE PHILOSOPHY. III. Cours de Philosophie Positive, par M. Auguste Comte..... 321 VII. POEMS FOR THE PEOPLE. No. 4. Albert Merle.-A Ballad. 328 VIII. SCENES FROM THE LIFE OF DIDEROT. (Concluded.) 329 IX. THE NATURAL JUSTICE OF WAR. By W. M. Bayard.......... X. VERSE LIMNINGS. No. 2. The Vain and Proud. By D. P. Barhydt...... XI. LAST WORDS OF THE LEARNED.... XII. LETTERS FROM JERUSALEM. (Concluded.) ... XIII. POLITICAL PORTRAITS WITH PEN AND PENCIL. Ellis Lewis........ 355 Lent in New-York-Dancing in New-York-Opera-Lombardi-Horror and Horns THE ARTS.-Music-Herz-Burke-Geo. Loder-Philharmonic-Linda di Chamounix-Lucia di Lammermoor-I Lombardi, &c...... 372 XVI. NOTICES OF NEW BOOKS.... XVII. THE TWENTY-NINTH CONGRESS. 378 Analysis of Vote in Senate-Vote in the House-Wilmot Proviso......... 382 VOL. XX.-NO. CVI. 1 It has been the fortune of this country, perhaps its misfortune, to have become involved in hostilities with a neighboring republic. Such a state of things was contemplated many years ago however, as possible, by our leading statesmen, to whom no intentions of precipitate action, nor any ambitious designs, were ever attributed. Indeed, we may safely aver, that if hostilities had been commenced against Mexico long before the annexation of Texas, the people of this country would have been ready to sustain such a measure, and have given it their hearty approval. The subsequent causes which have arisen for the attitude we have assumed, resulting from the addition of Texas to the Union, would in all probability have never been questioned, if an internal discord of opinion had not prevailed among ourselves, on the subject of slavery. This has led to opposition in certain quarters, to the measures of the Government, and has drawn public attention too much from the consideration of the war as a national measure of public justice, as well as from its origin, conduct, and real character. These are questions which belong to history, which other nations will regard with interest, and in that view they should be treated. The theory of our domestic institutions, the provisions of our constitution, and the conflicting opinions of politicians on slavery, have nothing, or should have nothing to do with the broad question of our relations with Mexico. This is an independent topic, and should be treated as such. We are not willing that the judgment of the age should be warped by irrelative issues. To contribute our humble share, therefore, to a right exposition of the case, we shall proceed briefly to examine the origin and conduct of the war. We may start with the proposition, then, that our relations with Mexico for twenty years past have been of an offensive and threatening character. The attention of Congress has again and again been attracted to their condition, not only by the communications of successive Presidents, but by the earnest petitions of our citizens, asking for redress and indemnity for unprovoked and eminently unjust aggressions on our commerce. No nation on earth would have so long refrained from exacting justice from Mexico by force of arms as we have done. We have borne our wrongs from her with patience, until patience has ceased to be a virtue. In our negotiations |