The Fruits and Fruit Trees of America. By A. J. Downing. The Autobiography of a Rationalist; or Life, Correspondence, The Life of the Rev. Joseph Blanco White, written by himself, with portions of his Correspondence; edited by John Hamilton Thom. Puritanism; or a Churchman's Defense against its aspersions, by an appeal to its own History. By Thomas W. Coit, D. D., Rector of Trinity Church, New Rochelle, N. Y., and a Member of the New The History of the First Church, Charlestown, in Nine Lectures, A Harmony of the Four Gospels in Greek, according to the Text of Hahn. Newly arranged with explanatory Notes, by Edward Rob- inson, D. D., LL. D.-Overture for Christian Union; submitted for the consideration of the Evangelical denominations in the Uni- ted States.-The Comparative Importance of Foreign and Domestic Missions; including statistics of education, philanthropy, crime, &c. in Albany. A Discourse preached Jan. 7, 1846; by Rev. Hen- History of the Westminster Assembly of Divines. By the Rev. W. M. Hetherington, author of the "History of the Church of Scot- Lectures on the Evidences of Christianity, before the Lowell Insti- tute, January, 1844; by Mark Hopkins, D. D., President of Wil- Slavery Discussed in Occasional Essays, by Leonard Bacon, D. D.— Tracy's Memoir of the Life of Jeremiah Evarts.-Typee, a Resi- dence in the Marquesas, by Herman Melvill.—Congregationalism and Methodism, by Rev. Z. B. Hawley.-Barnes' Plea for West- ern Colleges.-Unconscious Influence, a Sermon, by Dr. Bushnell. -The Witness of the Spirit, by Frederick A. Ross.-American Discourses on the Missionary Enterprize.-Glimpses of the Dark Ages.-Essays of John Foster.-Lovell's School Books.-John Bun- yan's "Jerusalem Sinner Saved," &c.-Duncan's Sacred Philoso- phy of the Seasons-Spring.-Holmes' Poems.-Ollendorff's New Method of learning French, by J. L. Jewett.-Authenticity and In- spiration of the Bible, by the Author of "Bagster's Comprehensive Bible."-Bridges on the Christian Ministry.-Reports of the Super- intendent and Commissioner of Common Schools for Connecticut. A Discourse delivered at the installation of Rev. David Fosdick, as pastor of the Hollis street church, Boston, March 3d, 1846. By Geo. Putnam. Together with the charge, right hand of fellowship, and Journal of Proceedings of the Right Worthy Grand Lodge of the In- dependent Order of Odd-Fellows, of the United States of America, and Jurisdiction thereunto belonging, from its formation, February, 1821, to the close of the annual session 1843, together with statistical Tables, showing the progress of the Order; and Notes explanatory of Literary Notices, The Mystical Presence. A vindication of the Reformed or Calvinistic ERRATA. THE NEW ENGLANDER. No. XIII. JANUARY, 1846. HON. ROGER MINOTT SHERMAN. THE death of this distinguished man, spread a peculiar sensation throughout the wide sphere of his fame. The death of all worthy men is indeed lamented as far as their character is known, and their influence felt. This grief deepens and extends itself, in proportion to the importance of the stations they have worthily filled, the good they have accomplished, the fair fame they have won. But beyond the sacred enclosure of private friendship, these feelings quickly give way to the conviction that others will soon be raised up to fill their places; that the wheels of society will move onward without material hindrances, and not want fit instruments for propelling them forward in their proper course. But there is an order of men, "few and far between," whose departure diffuses a degree of sorrow, which is not fully assuaged by such reflections. They are the men of real greatness, whose equals we rarely see, and who, in their generation, shine as suns amid the lesser lights of the intellectual sky. Others may arise in their place, to be the leaders and supports of the people, the strong pillars and ornaments of the church and the state. But every really great man has qualities, or a comVOL. IV. 1 bination of qualities, which are pecu. liarly his own: which are singular, unique, inimitable, and shed about him a sort of luster and fragrance, which is altogether unrivaled. They who have been wont to admire this "individuality of genius," look in vain for any thing twin to it in any other person, however eminent or peerless in his own way; and when it vanishes, they are disconsolate in their grief, never expecting to behold again the same com. bination of intellectual and moral qualities. Judge Sherman was one of that sort of men, whose death has widely diffused this species of sorrow. Although we may see his equals or superiors, yet we do not expect again to see greatness in the same shape and aspects, exhibiting the same hues and proportions in every part, the same principles, manners and habits, in a like majestic and venerable person. As it is our instinct, in such a case, to perpetuate the external figure in such a faint image as art can impress upon the lifeless canvass, so we endeavor to give a posthumous duration to his intellectual and moral greatness, by sketching its features to the best of our ability, in definite and enduring records. The feeling that such a |