d in the Democratic Review has published an
unanswerable reply to the attacks upon the American marine by James and
other British historians.

The first novel published by Mr. Cooper after his return to the United
States was _Homeward Bound_. The two generic characters of the book,
however truly they may represent individuals, have no resemblance to
classes. There may be Captain Trucks, and there certainly are Steadfast
Dodges, but the officers of the American merchant service are in no
manner or degree inferior to Europeans of the same pursuits and grade;
and with all the abuses of the freedom of the press here, our newspapers
are not worse than those of Great Britain in the qualities for which Mr.
Cooper arraigns them. The opinions expressed of New-York society in
_Home as Found_ are identical with those in _Notions of the Americans_,
a work almost as much abused for its praise of this country as was _Home
as Found_ for its censure, and most men of refinement and large
observation seem disposed to admit their correctness. This is no doubt
the cause of the feeling it excited, for a _nation_ never gets in a
passion at misrepresentation. It is a miserable country that cannot look
down a falsehood, even from a native.

The next novel was _The Pathfinder_. It is a common opinion that this
work deserves success; more than any Mr. Cooper has written. I have
heard Mr. Cooper say that in his own judgment the claim lay between _The
Pathfinder_ and _The Deerslayer_, but for myself I confess a preference
for the sea novels. Leather Stocking appears to more advantage in _The
Pathfinder_ than in any other book, and in _Deerslayer_ next. In _The
Pathfinder_ we have him presented in the character of a lover, and
brought in contact with such characters as he associates with in no
other stages of his varied history, though they are hardly less
favorites with the author. The scene of the novel being the great fresh
water seas of the interior, sailors, Indians, and hunters, are so
grouped together, that every kind of novel-writing in which he has been
most successful is combined in one complete fiction, one striking
exhibition of his best powers. Had it been written by some unknown
author, probably the country would have hailed him as much superior to
Mr. Cooper.

_Mercedes of Castile_, a Romance of the Days of Columbus, came next. It
may be set down as a failure. The necessity of following facts that had
become familiar, and which ha