As far as I am
acquainted," he remarked, "with the writings of Mr. Cooper, they uphold
good sentiments, sustain good morals, and maintain just taste; and after
saying this I have next to add, that all his writings are truly
patriotic and American throughout and throughout." This did not even
reach the respectability of commonplace, and the commonplaces to which
Webster soared in other parts of his speech did not have the poor merit
of being sonorous. Still he looked so majestic and imposing that most of
his audience were profoundly impressed by the justness and value (p. 269)
of his observations. Any failure, however, on his part in the matter of
what he said, was more than made up by the address delivered by Byrant.
It is not very long; it contains a few errors of fact, especially in the
dates; but it is not only the most eloquent tribute that has been paid
to the dead author, it has also remained during all these years the
fullest account of the life he lived, and the work he did.

* * * * *

More than sixty years have gone by since Cooper began to write; more
than thirty since he ceased to live. If his reputation has not
advanced during the period that has passed since his death, it has
certainly not receded. Nor does it seem likely to undergo much change
in the future. The world has pretty well made up its mind as to the
value of his work. The estimate in which it is held will not be
materially raised or lowered by anything which criticism can now
utter. This will itself be criticised for being too obvious; for it
can do little but repeat, with variation of phrase, what has been
constantly said and often better said before. There is, however, now a
chance of its meeting with fairer consideration. The cloud of
depreciation which seems to settle upon the achievement of every man
of letters soon after death, it was Cooper's fortune to encounter
during life. This was partly due to the literary reaction which had
taken place against the form of fiction he adopted, but far more to
the personal animosities he aroused. We are now far enough removed
from the prejudices and passions of his time to take an impartial view
of the man, and to state, without bias for or against him, the
conclusions to which the world has very generally come as to his
merits and defects as a writer.

At the outset it is to be said that Cooper is one of the people's (p. 270)
novelists as opposed to the novelists