Weekly national intelligencer., 1848-10-28
A NEW WORK ON POLITICAL ECONOMY.

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WIN CoLToN. Octave, PIP. $50. New York !:
A. S. Barnes & Co..
This work cannot fail TO attract attention, as is
always the result of any great effort of the human
mind. 1t is decidedly an effort, and an effort well
sustained. 1t flags not; but rises in spirit and
power, from the opening of the first chapter to the
end Of the last. Nothing but the hard study Of
many years could have gone so profoundly into the
depths OF this great theme nothing but unring re-
search and nice discrimination could have brought
together so many pertinent facts; and nothing but
consummae skill in collocation could have arranged
them for the effect they can hardly fail to produce
with all candid minds. 1t is, indeed, work of
merit and of singular consistency and power
On, every page the hand OF master is stamped.
And the theme was worthy Of the effort. When
great stalks over the earth, over nations and
peoples, with giant strides, subverting truth and
trampling the rights of mankind, it is high and
strong provocaon to virtue and intellect to rise vet
higher and march yet stronger TO arrest such ca
reer of wrong, and to set the world right again. II
is scarcely less than century that the pretensions
of Free Trade have had the service Of the most em
nent talents, since which time they have occupied
the field almost alone. They have had the in
huence 70 raise train of followers and, unnatural
and mortiiying as il may seem, they have succeed
ed in this even on American soil. Numerous Ame-
in:o these ranks, and some Of them are recommend
ed and used III our schools and colleges along with
their masters, Adam Smith, Ricardo, Say, and Nc
Culloch. No American writer, till Mr.. Cotton ap-
peared, had taken these masters in hand and dealt
with them as they deserved. They seem TO have
been looked upon with sort of dread. The verv
boldness OF their preteusons has passed for proof
Of sound doctrine, and the common mind has sue
cumbed, without scrutiny, with serviiiy. But such
career Of error could not be always tolerated. more
especially as il was error Of momentous conse-
quence. Ii was natural and unavoidable that some
mind or minds fitted for the task should be stirred
up to meet the exigency. 1t is evident enough
from The reading OF Mr.. Colon's work. that his
mind has been long and profoundly stirred at the
spectacle; that he has viewed il in all its aspects
and bearings and it will, doubtless, be conceded
in all quarters that he has grasped the theme with
strong hand so strong hat these errorisls so long
erect aud bold, will chance to reel and totter under
the onset, unless some aid of surprising talent shall
speedily come TO their relief. For the present an
parenuy, Mr.. Cotton has cleared the field: and il
is not too much TO say that he occupies strong
position there. There must necessarily be COLI.
sion and rescue, or the argument must be resign
ed to the victor.
At least, it can no longer be said that no Ameri-
can writer has ever come TO this task for the yindi-
er be an apology for putting American youth under
the sole pupageAo Of British Free-Trade theorists,
who, as Mr.. Cotton has shown, were bought up by
British policy 10 put forth their doctrines We do
not see how an American statesman or politician
can do Justice to himself without considering this
argument; nor how general scholar can plume
himself on his acquisitions so long as he is unac-
quainted with this work. There are thousands and
tens Of thousands Of reading and thinking men in
the United States whose interest in this great ques-
ton Of the age is vital, and who, it can hardly be
doubted will fail TO be attracted by the claims Of
this work. This question, indeed, is vital TO all to
every American citizen; and they who cannot af-
ford this most elaborate production will find enough
Of the same facts and doctrines in Mr.. Cotton i
"Rlghts Of Labor" pamphlet published year or
two ago. This latter work is admirably adapted 10
the masses Of the people while that now publish
ed under the title of /" PubAc Economy for The Uni
Ted States, addresses itself especially 10 those
who have time TO read, and whose position in So
ciey renders il more important that they should be
familiar with the entire range Of this subject.