The Project Gutenberg EBook of Miles Wallingford, by James Fenimore Cooper

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Title: Miles Wallingford
Sequel to "Afloat and Ashore"

Author: James Fenimore Cooper

Release Date: February 23, 2004 [EBook #11243]

Language: English

Character set encoding: ASCII

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MILES WALLINGFORD

Sequel to Afloat and Ashore.

By J. Fenimore Cooper.

1863.

Preface

The conclusion of this tale requires but little preface. Many persons may
think that there is too much of an old man's despondency in a few of the
opinions of this portion of the work; but, after sixty, it is seldom we
view the things of this world _en beau_. There are certain political
allusions, very few in number, but pretty strong in language, that the
signs of the times fully justify, in the editor's judgment; though he does
not profess to give his own sentiments in this work, so much as those of
the subject of the narrative himself. "The anti-rent combination," for
instance, will prove, according to the editor's conjectures, to be one of
two things in this community--the commencement of a dire revolution, or
the commencement of a return to the sounder notions and juster principles
that prevailed among us thirty years since, than certainly prevail to-day.
There is one favourable symptom discoverable in the deep-seated disease
that pervades the social system: men dare, and do, deal more honestly and
frankly with the condition of society in this country, than was done a few
years since. This right, one that ought to be most dear to every freeman,
has been recovered only by painful sacrifices and a stern resolution; but
recovered it has been, in some measure; and, were the pens of the country
true to their owners' privileges, we should soon come to a just view of
the sacred nature of private character, as well as the target-like
vulnerability of public follies and public vice. It is certain that, for a
series of dangerous years, notions just the reverse of this have prevailed
among us, gradually rendering the American press equally the vehicle of
the most atrocious personal calumny, a