1. Memoirs of the Court of Marie Antoinette, 504.-2. An Easter Of fering, 506.-3. Sketches and Rambles, 507.-4. Southey's Remains, 508.-5. History of the Consulate and Empire under Napoleon, 508.— 6. Latter Day Pamphlets, 509.—7. Miss Leslie's New Receipt Book, 509.-8. Sacred Scenes and Characters, 510.-9. Annual Message of the President of the United States, 510.-10. The History of the De- cline and Fall of the man Empire, 511.-11. The History of Eng- land, 511.-12. Sketches of Minnesota, the New-England of the West, 512.-13. Narrative of the United States Expedition to the River Jordan and the Dead Sea, 512.-14. Juvenile Gift Books, 514.-15. White Jacket: or the World in a Man-of-War, 514.-16. Memoirs of the House of Orleans, 520.—17. The Conquest of Canada, 521.-18. Histoire du Droit Byzantin, 522.-19. El Dorado, or Adventures in the path of Empire, 523.-20. Invasion of the Territory of Alabama, CRITICAL NOTICES.-CONTINUED. 524.-21. Talbot and Vernon, 526.-22. The Value of Ourselves, 526. XI. SCIENTIFIC AND LITERARY INTELLIGENCE, 542 TERMS: FIVE DOLLARS PER ANNUM-TO BE PAID IN ADVANCE. All communications to be post paid, and addressed to WALKER & RICHARDS, CHARLESTON, S. C. Notices of discontinuance must be given three months in advance of the expiration of the term subscribed for. TO THE PATRONS OF THE REVIEW. The present publishers of the Review are not unaware of the fact that much irregularity has heretofore existed in the issue and delivery of the work, greatly to the annoyance of its patrons; and they beg leave respectfully but positively to assure all who may continue to support the Review, and all new subscribers, that they shall have no ground for complaint upon this point. The numbers shall be promptly issued, and faithfully distributed by mail or otherwise. They also beg leave to announce their readiness to supply on demand, any back numbers of the work which have certainly failed to reach its subscribers within the past year or two. Steam-Power Press Printing. WALKER & JAMES, BOOK, CARD AND JOB PRINTERS, BILLS OF LADING, BILL HEADS, HAND-BILLS, RECEIPTS, BUSINESS CARDS, CIRCULARS, VISITING CARDS, BRIEFS, &C. &C. EXECUTED ON REASONABLE TERMS. ART. I.-ANNUAL REGISTER, 1847, 1848, 1849. London. 8vo. 2.-London Observer, for 1849. 3.-Baltimore Sun, for 1849. We have reached the culminating point of the Nineteenth Century, and now stand upon the keystone of the arch. The ascending curve is past, the descending lies before us. While yet trembling on the meridian, we may profitably avail ourselves of the momentary pause, to apply the experience acquired in the prosecution of our journey through the first half of the Century, to the formation of some conjecture of the probable destinies, which are still hidden in the womb of the future. The alteration of a long war, and a long peace, which comprises nearly the whole history of the last fifty years, has passed away-and, again, we hear reverberating around us rumors of wars, and the hoarse murmurs of real warfare. The industry, the energy, the active production which attended the continuance of tranquillity, prepared vast accumulations for future weal or woe; but the sudden and successive explosions, which followed the first contact of the spark and the populations of Europe, may restrain the indulgence of too sanguine anticipations. But the first outburst of revolution has subsided into the semblance of peace-the echoes of former commotion still linger on the ear-but it may be that these are only the waves dashing upon the rock, after the fury of the NEW SERIES, VOL. 1.-NO. 2. 18 storm has been spent; and that another morn will bring back the sun. There is a lull-perhaps a calm-but still gloom, and thick darkness, and the lurid aspect of the heavens environ us on all sides, and beget uncertainty of the future, so that we may yet ask, with painful anxiety, "watchman! what of the night?" The attentive eye and observant mind, can hardly so misconceive the troubled rest of the waters at present in Europe, as to fancy that they give assurance of the change to a settled calm. The voice of revolution may be stilled for a time, but it is not hushed forever. In our own country, we sleep on the gradually brightening fires of a volcano; and the time may not be far distant, when it may again be said— Alternum mavors niterfurit orbem. Both at home and abroad, we may consider the signs. of heaven as portentious of mighty changes, and threatening early and wide spread convulsion. Nay, more; if science and the experience of the past, furnished to human weakness any thing better than a glimmering light, whose aid is so often perverted and misapprehended by human folly and human prejudice, as to serve no better than a will o' the wisp for the guidance of our speculations and actions, we might expect that the coming change would be apparent to all, both in its magnitude and in its character: Si cuneta perito, Augure mens nominum cœli nova signa no tapet, We are all parties in the great and universal contest which has even now commenced-some less, some more actively engaged; and, in the midst of the strife, we dream not of the battle. Our own relative motion, in connection with the rapid succession of the phenomena around us, prevents us from noticing. the absolute motion which is taking place, "nondimeno il mondo muove”—and the change is now advancing with thunder-speed, whether our ignorance, our carelessness, or our sympathetic affections, prevent our recognition of the mutation of the earth's axis, or its revolution in its orbit. Yet astronomy, notwithwithstanding the double motion of the observer, and the distant orbs to which he directs his scientific gaze, has been able to trace their wan |