senseless as it may be, one hears it resounding always. The asserter of this opinion maintains its supremacy, also that Shakspeare will in a few years be entirely banished from the German stage, which will be indeed even no misfortune, for the solitary or public reader will experience from him so much the purer enjoy

ment.

Notwithstanding an effort has been made to edit Romeo and Juliet for the theatre at Weimar according to the sense, as we have diffusely described it above. At the first opportunity we will explain the principles on which this is done, when perhaps it will also be acknowledged why this critique, the conception of which is by no means difficult, but which must nevertheless be treated accurately and according to art, has not embraced the German drama, Essays of a similar kind are in operation, and perhaps something will be done for the future, as extraordinary pains produce their main influence not always at the moment.

BIOGRAPHICAL INDIVIDUALITIES.

JACOBI.

FROM THE GERMAN OF GOETHE.

As the long-tried friend Jacobi was on his journey back from northern Germany he called on me and staid several days. The annunciation instantly gave me great pleasure. His arrival made me happy affection, love, friendship, participation, all were as lively as in former times. But an extraordinary dispute arose in the course of the conversation.

With Schiller, whose character and existence stood perfectly opposed to my own, I had lived along for several years in unbroken intercourse, and our mutual influence had worked upon us in such a manner, that we understood one another even there, where we could not agree. Each held fast to his personality continually until we could agree together again on some other thought and action. With Jacobi I found just the contrary. We had not seen one another for several years; all that we had experienced, done and suffered, had been elaborated by each one for himself. When we met again that unbound loving confidence manifested itself in all its purity and splendor, animated faith to a perfect participation, as through disposition, so therefore also through thought and deep emotion. But the scene was soon changed, we loved, without understanding one another. No longer could I comprehend the language of his philosophy. He could not suit himself to the world of my emotions. How earnestly I wished to see Schiller here, as

third man, who stood in conjunction, as a thinker with him, as a meditator with me, and then we would have been attracted together into a beautiful union, which at the moment could not be formed between the two over-livers. In this state of feeling we satisfied ourselves in taking mutual notice, only in the most common manner, of our persuasions and philosophical and poetical conduct, and in confirming the old bond faithfully and full of love.

Jacobi had spirit in sense, I nature; that, which should have united, separated us. The first principles of our relation remained unshaken. Affection, love, confidence, were steadily the same, but the animating participation was lost by degrees; until at last it was completely gone. We have never interchanged a friendly. word about our later labors. Singular! that persons, who in such a manner give a finished education to their faculties of thinking, are unabled to explain their mutual condition to one another, troubling themselves on account of the one-sided peculiarity of their language, yes allowing themselves to become perplexed from a slight to a prominent error.

Wherefore did you not say in time: He who will rise to the highest point, must have a free will for all; he who acts from the spirit must presuppose nature, he who speaks from nature must presuppose the spirit, or agree with it in silence. Thought will not allow itself to be separated from the thing well considered, neither will the will be severed from the emotion! If an understanding had existed on this, or on that manner, then you could have gone through life hand in hand, instead of that, you are now at the end of the course of your life, contemplating with consciousness the different traveled routes, greeted indeed friendly and cordially but yet with regret.

FURTHER RESPECTING MY RELATION TO SCHILLER.

Every man must by degrees form a method for himself in the restrained condition of his life, so that he may live comfortably. He is always learning to know himself, also the condition of the outer world; he unites himself into it, but throws himself back again upon himself, and at last forms maxims for himself, to regulate his conduct, by which he may be able to come out through it in an admirable manner; he imparts himself to others, receives impartations from others, and as he is continually experiencing opposition or harmony, he binds himself to, or places a barrier between himself and others, and so we hold on to ourselves and to our friends. But it is seldom the case that persons, who are constituted almost one half different from each other, do not repel but attach themselves to and complete one another.

The difficulty lies mainly in this, that the necessary methods-oflife differ from one another and that in the course of time no one overlooks the others.

I seized upon the evolving developing method, disregarding the conjoining ordering system; I knew not what to make of the phenomena-thinkers of various styles around me, on the contrary rather deprived myself of their adoption.

But now it is to be considered, whether I, any more than Schiller, enjoyed a complete maturity, as a man should really wish it; therefore then to the difference of our individualities there was associated a fermentation which each one had to elaborate for himself; wherefore an extraordinary demand was made for great love and confidence, necessity and truth so as to allow a friendly relation without disturbance to work together always onward.

TO THE CONSUL SCHOENBORN IN ALGIERS.

KLOPSTOCK.

FRANKFORT, 10th June, 1774. Klopstock's glorious work has poured new life in the veins. The only art of poetry of all times and people, the only rule which is possible! This is what may be called the history of feeling, as it strengthens and purifies itself by degrees, and as it fashions itself with expression and language; and these are the most honest aristocratic truths which are noble and serviceable for the poet.

But to think that all which is peculiarly experienced in the deepest hearts should be expressed with a charming simplicity! Yet why do I utter this to you who must have read it already! He who among the young men of the day has experienced misfortune under a troop of reviewers, now, when he reads this work, will not throw away his pen, abjuring all critics and criticism, will not, on account of it, set himself down like a quietist in the contemplation of himself-from which nothing springs. For here the holy fountains are flowing and fertilizing sensibility pure from the throne of nature.

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BROCARDICON.

Art is a mediator of the inexpressible, therefore it appears like madness to wish to reproduce it by words; yet while we labor at it, the understanding gains great advantage, which again is also profitable to the exercising powers.

Having long regarded the speedy and early settlement of the entire region, watered by the Mississippi and its tributaries, as the surest means of cementing more firmly the union of the States now composing our confederacy, no event of the present year has afforded us a higher degree of gratification than the treaty of "Traverse des Sioux," By this treaty, the area of civilization has been extended over a region of country containing about thirty-three thousand square miles: a territory larger than that of Ireland, and capable of sustaining 10,000,000 inhabitants.

Those who have had an opportunity of seeing the valley of the Minnesota, (St. Peters,) describe it as being eminently fertile, and more beautiful than any other part of the earth they have ever beheld. These qualities, combined with a climate of undoubted salubrity, constitute attractions which cannot fail to draw to Minnesota a tide of emigration even greater, perhaps, than that which peopled Wisconsin and Iowa,

A few years will add another State to those west of the Mississippi, and the time is rapidly approaching when the inhabitants of this great valley will possess the power of controlling the policy of the nation. This result is regarded as certain and near, by intelligent minds in all parts of the Union; yet, few in any part of the country have contemplated the effects which the settlement of the region west of the Mississippi is calculated to produce in respect to the industrial pursuits and commerce of the nation.

In the early settlement of the Atlantic coast, it was natural that the commerce of the interior should take the direction of the waters flowing from the Allegheny range, and that commercial depots should be established at or near the mouths of the principal streams. And the coasting trade affording the only commercial

highway between the Northern and Southern States, a system of trade was established conforming to the geographical conformation and hydrography of that region. So far as these States are concerned, this system is natural and convenient; but it is obvious that it cannot be extended across the mountains, into the basin of the Mississippi, without violating some of the fundamental principles of commerce. It was impossible, however, for the inhabitants west of the mountains to build up a commercial system of their own, independent of that on the Atlantic, until the natural resources of the country should be developed, and manufactures and the mechanic arts encouraged and established. Hence, the Atlantic system has gradually extended westward with the progressive movements of civilization; and now embraces the most remote settlements.

The inconvenience of this system greatly retards the prosperity of the new States and Territories; for as each successive settlement is more remote from the commercial centre, the inconvenience and cost of making their exchanges are greater in proportion to those incurred by the intermediate States; and, consequently, the profits of their labor proportionably less.

It is scarcely possible, in the nature of things, to establish a perfectly distinct system of commerce for the Valley of the Mississippi, until the whole region between the river and the Rocky Mountains shall have been opened to settlement; but every addition to the territory already opened tends materially to change our commercial relations with the Eastern States. In a commercial point of view, the Mississippi river cccupies a relation to the eastern slope of the Rocky Mountains similar to that which the Atlantic coast bears to the Allegheny range; and, consequently, the commerce of the region west of the Mississippi will flow to the most convenient points on this river, where the commodities from every part of the country will be deposited for distribution and consumption.

We have treated this subject more at large in previous articles published in the Western Journal, and only recur to it now in connexion with the Sioux Treaty for the purpose of impressing upon the minds of our readers the importance of removing the obstructions to the navigation of the Mississippi, and of projecting their schemes of public improvement with reference to the system of commerce which we have endeavored to sketch.

The trade of the Upper Mississippi, and its tributaries, must be carried on principally with the South. The vegetable products of Minnesota are in all respects similar to those of New England; and the climate also being similar, it would be difficult to assign a good reason why all kinds of commodities manufactured at Lowell should not be produced, at as little cost, at the Falls of the St. Anthony. And we predict that before the close of the present century, the cotton and woolen fabrics of New England will