New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1850-11-13
NEW PUBLICATIONS.
Bowen and his BIundcrs-Ths North American
Review Reviewed.

votes an article 10 the examination of the ,1orth
American Review on the Hungarian War IN
which the position of Mr.. Bowen, in regard TO
that question, is placed in light that by no
means enviable. We do not hesitate to use the
aame Of the author of the articles in the North
American, for although appearing under the shlelo
Of anonymous writing, he has aYowed them as us
ewn on more than one occasion, and has indeed
given them the sanction of his signature before
3he public
II will be. recoIected that Mr.. Bowen undertook
% Give his countrymen different view Of the
Hungarian struggle, from that which had been
generally received in America, and which had ex-
cited the deepest sympathy for the Magyar cause
He protested, after a faithful and profound study
Of the subject, to have arrived at conclusions in
the highest degree unfayorable both to the patriot
ism and the good faith of Kossuth and his devot-
ed compatriots. In second paper, written to
sustain the accusations of the first he boldly
challenges investigation, puts the airs OF an IN
tellectua conqueror, and from the absence OF a
formal refutation claims that his positions i'm
pregnable
Mr.. Bowen, as it will appear in the sequel, was
premature in his selfcongratulations. He has met
with an opponent in the writer of the Examiner
article, who handles him with great suavity of
manner but with deadly purpose to effect his
demolition. The attempt has been completely
successful Mr.. Bowen's blunders, inconsistent
cies and false reasonings are so unrelentingly ex
posed as to deprive his statements when support
ed only by his own assertions, Of all validity for
the future. A few specimens of the merceas
criticism Of the Examiner may edify our readers
If they have taste for literary surgery, they can
find a plenty of cases in the original article.
The Examiner first notices the authorities re-
lied on by Mr.. Bowen. The first OF these whose
title is placed at the head of his article, and which
he acknowledges as one OF the chief sources from
which bis inform alton is drawn, is valuable
work by NJ. de Gerando. But after this pretense
Of appealing to a good authority, Bowen does not
refer to it in a single instance Not fact, nor an
opinion which he advances can claim the sanction
Of Nj. de Gerando. Still worse, the greater part
Of Bowen's assertions are expressly contradcted
by de Gerandes statements. But he gives us no
intimation of any such diversity ofopinion From
all that he informs u.s. we arc led to infer that he
is sustained by de Gerapdo: He coyertly uses
ealumnies against the Hangarians. SO much for
Bowens good faith
Then for the authorities on which he actually re-
lies He made great parade OF the labor ana re-
search expended on the preparation OF his article
He warned the public against trusting to intelll-
gence, filtered through French and German
newspapers" and "colored with the views oil
those who wrote with the intent OF affecting pub
lie opinion." After such braying OF trumpets
where does this Reviewer bring up! In the col
umns of French Review distinguished for its
partizan character and its notorious unfairness
toward the Hungarians. The articles on this
subject in the Review abound in vague declama-
nation and in general accusations, which are by
no means substantated by the facts alleged IN
their support Mr.. Bowen has transferred these
apocrypha statements to his own pages, merely
modifying them at pleasure to suit his own pur-
noses, He has given a definite shape to the airy
visions of the Review, translated intlmatlons into
asecrted It's, and when his authorities run out.
supplied their failures by his own conjcctures.
Not that he always sticks to the conclusions OF his
masters They reproach the IIungarians in terms
suited to the meridian of the reaction in France,
Bowen modifes them in accordance with public
feeling in this country. The French writers com
plain of the Magyars as democrats and radicals
With them Kossuth is democrat OF the new
revolutionary school, who has not feared to
overthrow the whole political and social state OF
his country, to realize dreams Of universal equa
lity more chimercal in Hungary than any where
eIsen With Bowen, on the contrary, the Mag
yars are aristocrats and ultra.conservatlves. Kos
suth and his compeers were defenders " oil their
antQuated feudal institutions and their unjust ant
excessive privileges as an order and race against
the invasion of the liberal ideas and the retorma
tory spirit of the nineteenth century.
Thus much as q little outside skirmishing on the
mart Of the Examiner. Before coming to the heart
of the subject the writer gives few oif.hand cha
racterizatons of the merits of the article in the
North American, which prepares us for the muir
derous work which is tc.lollow "There is hardly
sensence in the article in which an error is moi
either expressed or implied; in many portions o
it, error is so interviewer with error, that the
baffied critic turns from the task OF retutaton as
from the entrance to an inextrcable labyrinth.
"These errors pervade every part of the article
and are almost as numerous in that portion whicf
relates to that period OF Hungarian history Whlct
are most familiar to the general reader as in those
whose investigation requires certain degree o
hazard"
In single paragraph relating to we'll known
period of Hungarian history, the E9amtner show!
up the following rather serious slips
Speaking OF the Union Of Hungary with Austria
after the battle of Mohacsin 1926, Mr. Bowen re
marks that Hungary made choice, so long as he
monarchy remained elective, OF the Emperor o
Austria for her king Now it happens that durin!
the period that the Hungarian monarchy remaine'
elective, there were no Emperors of Austria no
indeed, for more than hundred years afterwarc