Weekly national intelligencer., 1854-11-25
NATIONAL INTELLIGENCER.
CRITICAL NOTICE.

A6ned Dy HERMAN HOOKER; 1904. LIMO. pp ofo
We have rarely met with volume containing many
striking evidences Of genius aud of profound original
xhought as this before US. The title viii show that is
poshumous publication made up of unfinished sketches
net prepared and elaborated for the press by their gifted
aahor but given they rushed fresh from his eeming
intellect become the bases of future volumes perhaps
each subject touched upon had it been the will Of
Heaven to spare his life few years longer Upon read
ing the Introductory memoir which gives interesting
account of the family connexions and early stdies of the
deceased, rather disposed to regard it
mon obituary notice, speaking Of his extraordinary en-
dowments 10 the usual unmeasurcd terms Of afec
ton friendship But the evidences furnished by what
appears in the volume from his pen fragments
they are than confirm oil that the memoir and
notices Of him suGoined from other respectable
have said Of his profound and varied acqursmens They
exhibit genius that would have made him capable of
the highest achievements both in science and literature
love of study which would have left noing unexpored
that could add to human knewledge and mind deep
ly impressed with the truths Of Divine revelation that he
would have labored hard and doubt not successful
iy in reconcing its principles and history with ad
mitted fact brought light by the researches of physical
science. That such should have been taken from
ms at the early age Of thiryfve is indeed subject of
deep regret not only te his relatives and friends but to
his country to the civilized world for every whose
plastic genixs is capable Of creating and sys
TENS Of philosophy belongs to family country but
TO mankind.
every scrap from this precious Portfolio there will
be found some striking originality of thought, ey
dence of bold and independent spirit shaking off the
irammels of false taste false philosophy and de-
monstrating with the conscious power Of the
beautiful and the trse The last fragment in the volume
more than all excites painful regret that he should have
been snached away before his purpose completed 1t
ID unfinished letter to his friend Dr. McCntock the
editor of the Methodist Quarterly Review in reply to
critical notice which appeared in that periodical NJ.
Auguste Come's Cours de Ploophie Positipe Incom-
plete it is furnishes the only clear simple and in
telgble exposition of NJ Cemtes startling philosophy
that has yet before u.s. and shows that his potent
intellect had been able grasp oil the unexplained truths
of the SYSTEM abstracted from all connexon with the phi
1osopher. Unfortunately NJ Conte is an atheist and
this enough for the fact that of his
critics and commentators have gone their work with
prejudice which blinded them the merits of phcso-
ply in the profound depths of which Mr. Wallace was
enabled to principles and laws which, properly
lyxed developed and explained would furnish the means
by which the whole earth would be brought to acknow
ledge the divine origin and truth of the Scriptures 1t
this discovery which made him boldly and confidently
deny, against NJ. Comte himself that the tendency
f his philosophy towards atheism that according
political of subversve of law and order M agree
with neither" said Mr. Wallace. 81 am conservative
of the conservatiyes and it is upon the positive system
rs applied to morals and politics. that found my conf
denee in the ultimate triumph of sound principles
is lamentaby with all who profess to believe
in the Scriptures and more especially with those whose
business it is to e1pound and duse doctrines to look
upon every thing in philosophy or science not only
with suspicion but with shivering horror, dread,
Of something that must overturn the whole social fabric
and throw the world back upon archaic nfdey or pagan
idoatry Instead of giving themselves the trouble Of
amning the arguments the facts advanced they find it
easier to denounce the logic of the and deny the ex
istence Of the other raise the cry atheist or nfde
against the author and nterdct all true believers
the perusa Of his works and, acting they call them
selves defenders of the faith Mr. Wallace certainly did
not belong to this school of critics. he thought it more
becoming to examine for himself, to follow the good ad
vice Of St. Paul. to sprove all things and to hold fast
that which is good" By this examination and proof he
learned to estimate rightly the Positive Philosophy Of NJ
Comts Of which he thus further his friend Dr.
McCintock:
M Comte's writings ofinestimabe value to those
who know how to what is valuable in them danger
undiscrimnatng minds To derive the fullest be-
net from him, must try him severely and Judge him
fearessy As guide in regard to the philosophy Of phi
losophy he is the enlightened that has appeared
since Bacon. cannot speak of him but in terms of en-
thusiastic He is object of boundless adm-
rAtion and gratitude to But at certain point his
inspiration stops. His illumination extends only through
certain department beyond it, he sees less than the
duest like the Of Balak, whose common sight was
darkened much the eyes his mind were open who
when he stood upon the mountainrock foresaw the a
vent of Messiah and oreknew the countless hosts of the
spiritual Israel yet upon the road hher pushed against
the armed angel of the Lord bndy than the ass he
bestrode.
1--WE have abundant means of judging of M Comte
of he thod 10
he the highest authority in respect to its characteristics
He was not the first to apply eiher science to po-
htcs or to theology 1t had been brought bear upon
history religion and social subjects before he appeared
ana Win resuts eminenty conservative and satisfactory
student OF Bacon and of those great who after him
had taken up and extended the nductive method,
WAS myself engaged in applying it to politics. morals and
spirituality before heard of Comte From the perusel
Of his works have derived unreasonable benefits but
when he comes to fit his method to spiritual affairs be
ciphers entirely and proceed without him upon my own
original and independent As consider that the
religious bearings Of Posveism to be brought right
before it is introduced the public have been long en-
desvorng to elaborate that part the task and to
M. Comtes alterations in respect it. think myseif
able to contribute some slight suggestions towards found
ing the true positive conceptions or the religious subject
and developing IL demonstratiyey and as the results
thus arrived at will be found identical with the system of
the church. both in doctrine and in operation il will fol-
low that the Scripture system revelation The
time is not distant when Christianity will rely entirely u-
ON the positive philosophy for its argumenaive support
That philosophy is destined furnish the demonstration
OF the christian truth and thereby the world"
As we are informed in the memoir that the fragments
contained in this volume do comprise the whole Of the