Daily evening star. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1852-1854, 1853-09-07
Putnam, for September.

The September number of this maya
zine, is strange book, to be issued from
the press of house aspiring to the lead
ing position as American publishers of
standard literature. Its wood cuts, though
exhibiting fair representations of the ap-
pearance of the different noted church
ediices in New York city, are coarse and
clumsy; being, as artistic efforts, hardly
superior to the engravings with which
the pages of the New York Pick are
graced, and infinitely inferior to any or
all of the thousand somewhat similar
pictures which have been published in
the illustrated Ne1rs. However. as mis-
cradle as they are, we are glad to find
them there; inasmuch as they suffice to
palpably explain the fact that, in the
large cities, nearly all the sects and de-
nominations are fast coming to care more
for appearance than for the realities of
Christianity. That is, than for the strict
observance of the personal obligations of
humility, charity and probity in all one
thinks, says and does, which must form
the ground work of the character of the
true Christian. These churches are gor-
geous temples to Mammon, swallowing
up in the cost of their construction mil
lions of dollars, which, properly expended
IN laying the foundation of Christian char
acter in the thousands of homeless and
friendless youth around them, would have
rescued thousands for the future of society,
who must grow up to become worse than
useless to their country. Besides the alb
solute sinking of at least eight-tenths of
their cost, they stand, strong incentives
to the increase of pride, luxury and world
illness in ever thing-positiye hindrances
to the practical application of the pre-
cepts pronounced SO regularly from their
pulpits.
But we have now to deal more espe-
cially with the Magazine. 1t is appa-
rently about to collapse. We draw this
conclusion from the fact that it is becom-
ing mere channel for Speeding broad
cast fash literature, and literature def
Gent in thought, in bad English: this
September number not embracing a sim
gle article, the merits of which are to be
rated above the average of the themes
appearing in (college) undergraduates
monthlies, of which we have several in
this country.
Indeed, there are hundreds of weekly
journals, scattered here, there and every
where, which, in literary point of view,
are superior to the standard to which
Putnam's editors, whoever they may be,
have reduced this magazine, once so full
of promise of real usefulness, We can
not approve of the race these editors are
running with those of the New York Sum
day Atlas, only for the favor of the lovers
of flash reading. Nor of their seeming
eager desire to Guido the conductors of
red-mouthed party sheets, in making
their political opponents look as black as
midnight, in whatever aspect they may
be viewed. Their article upon ''The New
President" in its gross misrepresenta-
ton, bold falsehoods, total ignorance or
perversion of the history of political and
State affairs, outdoes any leader of any
ismatic newspaper in the Union, except
that of Lloyd Garrison himself. The
writer, evidently, is no Wing; but some
rat" from the Democratic camp. For,
while taking care to indirectly proclaim
his horror of Wing principles and prac-
tice, he rates the President soundly for
falling to administer his trust wholly
upon the notions of the new lights vouch-
safed to us in these days. While some of
bis views of the evils of the excrescences
of party politics are just, his assumption
that they are principally consulted in the
administration of the Government of the
United States, is simply ridiculous. The
late Democratic Reui2w, in it's craziest
days, never painted those its conductors
disliked, in colors blacker than those in
which Putnam presents the President and
his constitutional advisers; all of them
being written down inexperienced, fools,
trifcrs and traitors. Indeed, as whole,
this first political demonstration of what
was originally designed to be standard