Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1844-04-05
BROWNSON'S QUARTERLY REVIEW.

Mr.. Brownson has been long known to the
public as a bold and vigorous writer, and the
present work, so far, fully susans the reputation
which he had previously acquired. Mr.. b. is
one of the few metaphysical writer's, who is
able to make himself clearly understood by or
binary readers. This fact may be regarded as
proof that he is a shallow thinker by those who
consider a me'aphysicians profundv to be in
rerseiy proportional to his ability to make him
self understood. But this is not our rule Of
Judging On the contrary we have been moro
than half disposed to reverse it, and to consider
PERSONS thoughts to be deep and clear in d.
rect proportion to the cearness and force with
which they can present them to the minds Of
others. Or, in other words, we are disposed 10
think tina, those, who cannot express their meta
physical notions clearly, have no clear meta
physical notions Many persons having enter
ed the margin Of the ocean OF metaphysics, and
having stirred up the sediment of the shallow
waters sufficiently to blind their own eyes and
to couceal themselves from the sight of the by
ISLANDERS, imagine to themselves, and make the
gaping multitude believe, that they have plum
]
our pen to write dissertation upon metaphysics.
Far be that from us. Our object is simply TO
direct attention to Mr.. B. and his Review. Mr.
b. is son OF our own state, and one, of whose
talents we have reason to be proud and We
are glad TO perceive, by an article in the April
number of his Review, that he himself eXults
in having drawn his first breath among our
] I'm. ho l. nf
graduate" from my own mothers chimney
corner, where pursued my studies BY the light
of pine knots las he facctiousy replied to q
gentleman who inquired of him respecting his
Alma Mater,
In 1888, Mr.. Brownson commenced the Bos-
ion Quarterly Review, which was continued
five years, and, as We learn from the introduce
ton to the present work, nearly all the ARTICLES
in it were the production OF his own pen, At
the close of 1912, he was induced to discontinue
the Boston Quarterly Review, and TO write as
an independent contributor to the Democratic
Review published in New York; bu, finding
that his opinions were not in accordance with
those Of the Editor and the mass of the readers
of that periodical at the close of the year 1913
he relinquished his conneXion With it, and in
January last issued the first number of the pre-
sent work, bearing his own name.
In the two numbers of Brownson's Quarterly
Review, which are before the public, all tie
principal articles are from Mr. BIS own pen, and
are written with his usual ability, originality
and independence, and we have read the great
err part of them with deep interest. Not that
we admit the correctness of all of Mr. BIS views
far from it. But we admire his clear and
manly style and vigorous thought, and we find
much to approve in his views OF the principles
of civil government and of the church. His
exposition of Demagoguism and OF the dangers
to be apprehended from party machinery are
deserving the most serious eons'd"ration' AND
also tina, distinction, which he so clearly points