execution with the
one as with the other. His paper intimated that Cooper was willing to
transform himself into a baboon for the sake of abusing America, and
that his inordinate ambition prompted him to distance all competitors,
whether the race were fame or shame. It is proper to add that the tone
of the "Mirror" in regard to Cooper was radically changed after the
return of Willis from Europe.

In his Letter Cooper announced publicly, what he had long before said to
his friends, that he had made up his mind to abandon authorship. Such
resolutions are mainly remarkable for the fact that they are never kept.
But the howl of denunciation that immediately arose would never have
suffered him to keep still. From this time dates the beginning of (p. 133)
the long and gallant fight he carried on with the American people.
Gallant it certainly was, whatever may be thought of its wisdom; for it
was essentially the fight of one man against a nation. In politics he
had joined the Democratic party, but with some of their tenets he was
not in the slightest sympathy. He was, for example, a fierce
protectionist, and neglected no opportunity to cover with ridicule the
doctrine of free trade. But though practically standing alone, his
courage never faltered. The storm of obloquy that fell upon him made him
in his turn bitter and unjust in many things he said; but it never once
daunted his spirit or shook his resolution. On the contrary, it almost
seems as if he were aiming at unpopularity; at any rate he could not be
accused of seeking the favor of the public. Its acts he criticised, its
opinions he defied. His literary reputation and the sale of his works
were seriously affected by the course of conduct he pursued and the
hostility it provoked. But he was of that nature that if the certain
result of following the path he had marked out for himself had been the
hatred of the world, he would never have once deviated from it the
breadth of a hair.

He was not a man to remain on the defensive. He at once began
hostilities. His first attempt was unfortunate enough. This was the
satirical novel called "The Monikins," which was published on the 9th of
July, 1835. Of all the works written by Cooper this is most justly
subject to the criticism conveyed in the German idiom, that "it does not
let itself be read." To the immense majority of even the author's
admirers, it has been from the very beginning a sealed book. It is
invariably dangerous