The Sun.
London, England, 1865-01-05 00:00:00

LITERATURE

La !Razza Negra, del Prof. Philippo Manetta.

Pp. 176. Torino.

In the form of this singularly impressive, and at
times remarkably eloquent, treatise upon the African
race, we have received from the capital of King
Victor Emmanuel, one of the noblest arguments we
have for a long while had the gratification of
perusing, in favour of Negro Emancipation. It is
an argument, brief though its dimensions may be,
of the most comprehensive character. It considers
the Negro Race under its two widely-contrasting
aspects—yonder, at home, upon its native soil—yon-
der, abroad, under the miseries of a remote expatriation
La R,azza Negro, in other words, nel suo stato sel-
vaggio . in Africa, e nella sua duplice condizione di
eniancipata e di schiava in America. Scarcely an
Anthropologist of any eminence, either in the New
Wrorld or the Old, either in Eur Ope or in America,
but has had his pros and cons weighed here carefully,
we might even say with a most conscientious scrupu-
losity, in the balance of his judgment, by the learned
and benevolent author of this earnest brochure.
Professor Manetta comrrehends within his view the
reasonings applied to this momentous theme, that is
in regard to whatever capacity there may or may not
be in the Negro Race for the reception or absorption,
as one may say, by it, as a distinct race, of the
ameliorating influences of all that is nobler in modern
civilisation—our author, we would here remark,
embraces within his view upon this subject the
opinions put forth by almost every traveller of in-
telligence who has been brought, either more
or less directly, into communication with the
Negroes themselves. M. Du Chaillu, Captain
Speke, Eliot Warburton—these with a throng of
other names long since familiar to the readers of
African Travel in this country, will be found re-
ferred to* by Professor Manetta in the course of his
argument, and referred to by him always with an ap-
positeness that sufficiently evidences his own fami-
liarity with their writings. The Negro as an excep-
tional type of Humanity, our author here takes to
pieces, as it were, and examines so to speak in
detail, part by part,- piecemeal ! His trunk—
his extremities—his skull—his very teeth—his brain
—his voice—are the studies set apart, thus, in sepa-
rate sections, by the writer, for minute consideration.
The learned Professor examines the Negro and the
Mulatto, again, quite distinctly the one from the
other. And in scrutinizing the Negro Race in itself
—.he draws a careful distinction between the
various divisions of the Negroes—the Negro
of Brazil, for example, the Negro of Haiti,
the Negro of Cuba, and the Negro of Jamaica: Wil-
lingly do we cling, with Professor Manetta, to the
earnest hope, almost we had said to the inerradi-
cable conviction—that out of all the horrors of the
dreadful war still raging in North America between
the Federals and the Confederates, there will come, for
the long oppressed and long despised race of the
poor Negroes, the holy and priceless boon of their
speedy and lasting Emancipation.

Le Correspondant. No. 111. Charles Dou.niol :

Paris.

As is but right and reasonable—considering who
is the author of it and what is his theme—M. de
Broglie's eloquent discourse, sur La Liberte
Divine et la Liberte numaine—a discourse delivered
by him on the 14th ultimo at Brussels, before the
Societe d'Emulation—leads off the current number
of our distinguished Parisian contemporary Le Cor-
respondant. Appearing, as this discoursee does, in
Le' Correspondant, almost simultaneously with the
publication far and wide all over Europe, in the
public journals, of the translations into various
languages of the Pope's last " Encyclical," M. de
Broglie's argument in regard to Divine Liberty and
Human Liberty, could not by any possibility have ap-
peared more opportunely than it does—in thus coming
forth in its printed form precisely at this juncture.
It demands, as it certainly also deserves, a very
careful and a very • respectful consideration.
And reading it, and bearing in remembrance the
general purport of the Encyclical letter, the
thought naturally comes • back to us--whence ?
who does not remember it ?—about the
wisdom of this world and foolishness. AI.
de Broglie, it will be seen by all those
who may be tempted to turn to his discourse, closes
it with a mot borrowed by him from Bossuet--cette
grande parole, as he calls it, " 0 Dieu, nous consa-
crons votre empire libre et souverain tout ce
quo vous nous avez donne de liberty 1" And so,
speaking in those same sacred words of Bossuet,
Albert de Broglie bids his hearers, and now, of
course, his readers also after them, still to continue
staunch in resting human liberty upon divine liberty.
Other papers of some importance are comprised in
the same livraison. Among these is a thoughtful
article on University Reform, by M. Captier. It
is noticeable also that in this 111th number of Le
CorrespOndant M. Audeval brings to a close his
serial of " Valentine."

The Miscellaneous TVritings of Lord Macaulay.

Part I. Longman and Co.
The issue in a serial form of a popular edition of
the miscellaneous writings of the greatest of Eng-
lish Essayists has now, we rejoice to see, been com-
menced by the Messrs. Longmans. The work will
be completed in four monthly numbers, each at the
price of a shilling. When completed it will bind up
into a single volume, worthy of taking its place by
the side of the People's Edition (already published)
of the immortal Essays,and of the eloquent fragment
of a History soi-disant of England, in reality of
King William 111. The Miscellaneous Writings
lead off with Young Macaulay's contributions to
Knight's Quarterly Magazine. Here, for example,
are " Fragments of a Roman Tale "—a paper
(under date, June, 1823) "On the Royal Society
of Literature"—" Scenes from Athenean Revels"—
" Criticisms on the Principal Italian Writers," &c.
Afterwards--leading off his Earlier Essays (pub-
lished originally in the Edinburgh Review) we have
the whole of his article (dated January, 1828) on
" John Dryden." That one article, as here re-
printed, is worth to the purchaser (even as cheap
periodicals go now) the price of the whole of this
initial part of " The People's Edition of the Miscel-
laneous Writings of Lord Macaulay."

Hymns, Sacred Part-Songs, and other Pieces. Edited
By Frederick Westlake. No. I. Lambert and
Company.
In the form of this shilling monthly publication,we
are delighted, but in no way surprised, to recognise
a re-issue of the Hymns, &c., already published with
great and deserved success by the Messrs. Lambert
and Company.—the whole collection being still,
as formerly, under the able editorship of the same
distinguished Associate of the Royal Academy of
Music, meaning Mr. Frederick Westlake. The
Hymns, &c., as here given, are arranged variously
for two, for three, and for four voices. They are
published with a comprehensive score, or an accom-
paniment, according to pleasure, for the organ or
for the pianoforte. What is chiefly remarkable in
the collection is this—that it is a combination of
really good music with (in a literary as well as in
an ethical sense) really good religious poetry. The
music (composed expressly for this work, says the
.title page) is contributed by various living com-
posers, many of them already of high reputation.
Besides Mr. Westlake himself, we find here, on this
attractive list of composers, musicians as emi-
nent as W. Schulthes, Henry Leslie, J.
F. Barnett, and Herr Meyer Lutz. In
Number One of the collection as now being re-
issued, Mr. Schachner leads off with a noble adap-
tation for four voices, soprano, alto, tenore and
basso, of (in its English form) the Veni Sancte
Spiritus. Then comes the Editor's " Jesus, Creator
of the World," followed by Schulthes' " Majesty
Divine." Besides these, as written expressly for
this collection, there is Lutz's " Light of the Soul,"
Barnett's " Jesusis God," and an Evening Hymn of
singular beauty by Frederick Westlake. Three
other compositions, not written for the work under
notice, yet judiciously comprised within its com-
pass, enhance the value of a first number that
will make all subscribers eager for its successors.

THE DRAMATIC ALMANACK for 1865. By J. W.
Anson--sustains its already high reputation. The
present is the ninth annual publication of it.