New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1849-07-13

/ sol IHEl, COMMON PLACE BOOK. Edited ty
! b. SON. Law. J9Hy WOOD WATER, D New
YORK Harper Brothers
Tie manner 10 which this book s edited s very
unsatisfactory. sopttey was 10 .ess remarkable
FOR TIE order and method Of bis studies than fo5
bis literary diligence and oonsrieat .o1sness No.
thing was more di,ta,et1l p hm than anything
ike confusion OF obsc0rty Ire hours q the
day Trre accurately Z v.isi into their respective
functions; every subject which he touched took
Symmetrical shape ia his mind nor wss bis vast
ard m1ltiiario1s reading without It's clearly de
, fined divisions ard .aadmsrks.
THIS book, m the contrary. 5 A. outrageous
specimen oi literature in disLsbihe. We find
il difficult u rely upon its authenticity. Il SOU
they actually made excerpts into his common
place books with tbs Promiscuous disorder he
must have lett on record some clue Or index. .
faci itste reference. and 70 give some show at
east Of concinniiy in the subjects. Such q guide
the Editor vas bognd 70 furnish. Bot We nave
nothing Of the kind 10 the present 70 ume. Hence
its utility aud aereeableness are well nigh de-
stroyed IT, consulting It's pages We seem g be
walkire through the sooves Of library. where we
pause before an attractive title, take down the
book 70 pursue the same process with a hundred
others z Sery student knows the enervsted, isn.
glid state Of mind which IS thus produced, spd
does not willingly indulge In such desaltory
habit
But the use Of library ~ this manner has Oh
vious advantages over that OF miscellaneous
commonplace book. We should have some thread
20 the connection Of our thoughts IN the order Of
the subjects and the arrangements Of the volumes
No such aid is found in this collection Of southey'
remains We are launched on tie bound ess sea
Of reading but with no compass to direct orr
course and in fact with port that W. desire to
reach.
The difficulty is aggravated by the very respect
which We cherish for Sonthey. In his peculiar
sphere. we do not know that he has rival IL
English literature Destitute OF profound or ori
ginal eenus-with no professions to science or
philosophy scarcely attaining the highest Fl gifts
Of poetry-he was emnentiy. the scholar, the
man Of letters With a taste naturally refined
aud elegant and car.ousy polished by studous
discipline, devoted to intellectual pursuits both by
necessity aud choice, FAM lar with the rarest pro
duct ons # literature IN sll It's branches and never
losing his desire for acquisition in the enthusia.m
OF production be went through literary career
taatis fail OF interest and instruction, and a faith
fol record Of bis studies would be hardly less At
pactve than that OF Gibbon, or even of Goethe
We should welcome even the sweepngs Of bis
library, If presented in the orderly form without
which they should never be brought before the
public.
We need so 10 farther than the first three or
four pages to show the deficiencies Of which We
complain We have first one or two extracts Of
reieious character from Jeremy Taylor, hard
upon these follows passage on Quaker Dress
by Fotherei.l, then quotations from the iancfu
Berrarfin s., Pierre, Jeremy Tasl0- again. two
Jesuit Fathers on Christian duty. Hume on Amer
lean Independence the Hsreian Miscellany on
Trades. Clarendon on Offices and Privileges aud
extracts from the Behemoth q Hobbies. This is
sample Of the order. or rather the marvellous dis
order. that prevails throughout the volume Nor
are the excerpts in general, OF character either
10 command or reward the attention Of the reader
They were evidently noted down by Southey
with reference 70 some object in his private stu
dies. but have few claims to consideration on &C
C unit of their intrinsic character. A part Of them
lNlttn are quaint anu Nufilues anu Ntfl FhTtiF 10
be met with; but the larger portion are from
books with which every scholar is familiar and
tor others the work is not at all adapted and which
he can find out as easily from the volumes in bis
Library as FROM the entsnsled pages Of the present
work Some Of the most interesting passages are
from Bunyan Hoinshead and Burton, bat it
hardly worth while to reprint them as every con
noisseur in sach matters knows where they are %
be found
We are pleased to meet With several extracts
in this volume, as well as in The Doctor from
the writings of the late venerable DR.. Freeman
OF Boston which though not generally known be
yond a limited sphere, abound in passages OF
trans parent. ex 4uisite English, in which the hae
ness and deicacy OF the thought are equs'led
ouly 10y the simple e'egance OF the expression. l.
Al ADDRESS BEFORE THE AMERICAN PEACE
SOCIETY IN Boston, Nlss p 1919 BY ChtRIrs >UN
NFR Boston TcknoF. Reed n Fields NrF-l Jrs
{ :. Sraucls a Co
Mr.. Sumner does not belong to the class % sen
timental philosophers who think that the evils o.
society are to be diminished by pathetic des,rio-
tion or melting appeals to the passions. Nor S he
one OF the extravagsnt morali,,s who imagine that
you have only 70 arouse mans conscience In or.
Ger 10 lut an END 10 MS VanscresslOns, ana tnni
faithful denunciation called and food Of fiery
vindctive eloQuence, are the most ehectusl means
% accomplish the renovation Of an individual or
Of nations. He does not believe that great So
cial evii can DE set aside by private voluntary
movement snl hence, in his zeal for reform, he
goes back to first principles the collective, unlver
ga action OF which Is essential 70 the improvement
al which he aims.
This Is the character OF the present Discourse
It IS cooi dispAssi0nste, argumentstive review
Of the system of war. addressed % men Of intelli
sence and reflection, ard sustained by formda
be induction O.; historical facts Taking FOR one Of
as mottos the pregnant question OF Benjamin
Franklin, I'VE daily make grest Improvements
natursl, there Is one wish 70 see in moral phi
losoPhy-tbe discovery OF an that would induce
ADD obse nations to settle their disputes without
arst cutting one-snothers throats when Will hu-
nan reason be sufficiently improved 70 see the al
vantsge Of this Mr. Sumner proceeds 70 the as
c ssion OF the subject with the deliberate earnest
ness Of a. advocate who IS confident OF the justice