Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1853-10-22
NATIONAL INTELLIGENCER.
NOTES ON NEW BOOKS.

YTRoRY OF PoIITIcs An Inquiry into the Foun-
&aaions Of Governments, and the Causes and Progress
a2 Political Revolutions. by RICHARD HILDRETH, au.
Choir Of The History of the United States Of Ameri
ca" Sc New York: Harper Brother, 1858.
This book, the author informs us, was composed
substantially as it now appears, about twelve years
ago, and is especially commended to the attention
al sach critics as have complained that his History
IF de United States has no philosophy in it, BY
which latter remark we suppose it is to be under
stood that whatever deficiency Of PHILOSOPHY
snay be imputed to his History the present treatise
ar least is full Of it. We have never felt disposed to
<-andemn the historical writings Of Mr.. HILDRETH
because they lack philosophical appreciation Of the
Facts which form the suhect-mattcr Of his nara
tive We can generally afford to dispense with the
%philosophy" if we have the facts fully and fairly
stated and if Mr. Hldreth is SO consdcrate Of the
xReics expressed by such critics have complained
LAzt his history has no philosophy in it as to pub
sAd edfcation, we hope in turn that he will next
devote a special treatise to meet the demands OF
such as have complained about the facts themselves
aS stated in his History.
The present work having been detained from the
Supri0satar of its author for space longer even
an that which is dictated by the old Horatian pre-
spt we had supposed it to contain the close pack.
sd essence of matured study and reflection but
if Is very clear that the sprighty author has not
easrrected with much "phlegm . the pages which
twelve years ago he evidently wrote i" with fury"
nc arc rather disposed to opine that those critics
WHO found no philosophy in the History will find
init poor amends for it in the Theory Of Politics.
Fresh as VIC are from the perusal Of GERvINUs's
caent work on the philosophy of political history
a work whose merits we took occasion to discuss but
rsscently-we have perhaps been the more struck
av the absence of a wide induction and profound
philosophy in the American author as compared
with the German, and that too while arriving at
7Ie same general results.
Ii seems to us that Mr. Hildreth has formed to
himself but very inadequate idea of the difficulties
Hpcadont to the preparation of philosophical trea
Use on Politics. There is French thinker, Nj.
-Anguste Comte, between whom and Mr.. Hildreth
Bc are disposed to imagine sympathy on many
pants but who would certainly teach him that the sci
of politics demanded for its exposition the keenest
and widest possible experience of facts obtain
al from the history Of the past gathered from actual
observation Of the present. There is compexty about
an social and political phenomena which has hitherto
Bael all attempts to reduce them into SCIENCE properly
called The grand aim Of science is the discovery of
Eaxs; and through this discovery the attainment of fore
n and the power OF thereby acting nature 'Scence
whence foresght-foresight, whence action: such says
amte is the simple formula which expresses in the SIM
Hea manner the relation Of science and art Now
IS Is remarkable fact that precisely those sciences which
are the most exact at the time conrersant with
a,ts the farthes removed from the sphere Of human
nnFy and power that is, those sciences which confer
the cearest and foresight are those which
SIR eas; subserye his action while those which could
Ausr eectuay subserye his action are not sufficiently
p}Efectel to afford him the requisite foresight Astro
n Tie science which treats Of objects the farthes
al,
se exact Of all sciences it gives US the power to
aSct results with perfect exactitude and in the remo
Ct faturity We write astronomical calendar for
cGtres come, and deseribe the perturbaons Of pla
ctS and satellites with unerring accuracy. edi-
cae and in politics, two sciences which into the
osest relations with individual social fe how
unsettled their Fundamental principles While
s<sronomy enables predict the motions Of the
their courses" the science Of medicine does
enable predict the condition Of body for single
beyond each pulsaton Of the heart that srs the
h5noI within In the the science is perfect
6t the knowledge it conveys relates department be-
yaad reach In the other the science is con-
rsaat with objects that home to the = business
and bosoms" Of men, but then il is imperfect in its
~ and too limited in its range to furnish that knowledge
vSGSch it most to know. The fact that
is thus impoent regard the objects whose laws
discover and that he is ignorant and dependant in
rard 10 the objects nearest himself and with which he
most intimately connected composes at the gran
.izw and the mesnness Of his being
When we wish says VI Comte, to value with pre-.
zs5on the most simple qualities Of iictag being
6r example its density, Of that OF Of its
principal parts its temperature the force Of its internal
circulation, the proportion Of amcdiate elements that
snspose its solids its fluids the quantity Of oxygen
which il consumes in given time the OF its ABSORB
ssons and continued exhalaons &c, and still the
Of its muscular powers the intensity Of its inn
rcssons &c. il is needul not only, is evident, to
rrzs for each OF these results many observations
,e species and Of varieties in each species
need farther TO the changes, not nconsider
able which this quantity experiences in passing from
individual TO another and in reference TO the ind
sf according to its age its state Of health disease
ttJis4egnal disposition and the circumstances Of all kinds
rad these necessarily changing, under the influence Of
1srh IL finds itself placed is tie IN stU higher
ro vt social phenomena, rhch pyessata pet greater
SInorfion and consequently get greater Uaria5neSs
. IhSt which engenders this irregular variability Of
te effect IS the great number Of different agents deter
uSfntng ut the same time the phenomena and from
which u results in these most complicated phenomena
rhat there arc not two precisely alike This null
GPicy OF agents. Ia fne renders the effects as irregu-
Lziy variable as II every had been subjected
zsy precise condition
TIE fact contained in this last statement explains the
rzpsss5ility Of reducing sociology" a. Conte terms
a 10 sceuce for every spposes that those
pso0emena which it studies removed from the dis
ard obey solely those conditions of existence which we
aai laws, how this be predcated respecting
phenomena which nrinscay and inevitably subject
~ all the mutations Of time, place, and circumstance
pSradded to those which spring from the mind Of man