New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1856-02-20
NEW PUBLICATIONS.

n Religion and legsatou OF nc i'ie -
manners of the who ~orshiPped 10 the vbderne-s
the First Rustic Altar q Lieefty py V 1a 20 ~
LAUcHL.s DAVIS, OF the bar OF o@un.o'e' i-N''i W -
Eew-Tork: c. scrhner
The bicb.aown and multfarious title of this very
elegantly printed volume Is quite in keeping with
the book itself. A variety OF motives evidently
had a share in its production. We shan enunief-
ate them in the order in which they appear 70 Us
TO have ranged themselves in the authors MIND
The great object of the book evidently is to give
Mr.. Davis an opportunity to display his ZANZIBAR
and minute acquaintance with the old colonial rec
ords of Maryland, and to afford him an opportunity
TO make public some antiquarian data which his
researches have supplied him with ss to the colo
NAL founders of some of the present distinguished
families of that State. This object comes distinctly
out in the concluding biographical sketches OF the
Members OF the Assembly Of l649 which make up
more than third Of the book. So far Mr.. DAVIS
has done good service. This pious labor ia wor.
tby of all commendation: and as the late Rev. Al
exander Young, d. D., of Boston, By two some
what similar antiquarian works on the COLONIES oil
Massachusetts, Bay aud New-PlymOuth, acquired
the title Of the "Od Mortality Of New-England,
90 Mr.. Davis is Justly entitled to be called the
:" Old Mortality of Maryland" This, however, II
we are not much mistaken, is praise with which
Mr.. Davis will BY no means be content. lie evil
IDENTIFY considers himself very fine writer-of his
exhibitions in that line we shall presently
quote some curious specimens-and not only
fne writer, but a philosopher too; and the Sec
old and third objects of bis book appear 10 be
10 give tie world taste of his quality in these two
respects But as there would be but little room
for displays of this sort in mere collection OF rag
mentary antiquarian biographies OF individuals,
with the single exception of Cecilius, the sec
ord Lord Baltimore, exceedingly obscure, ana
indeed for the most part prior to these researches
Of Mr.. Davis. almost totally unknown, he has
seized upon the idea Of throwing central light, as
it were, into his gloomy antiquarian work. ana
opening the way for unlimited corruscations oil
rhetoric and philosophy, by grouping these de-
tacled antiquarian details about central idea OF
great general interest viz: the birth aud early
growth of liberation in Maryland, which Mr.
Davis chooses to represent also as the Day Star,
meaning We suppose the morning star, ana
the exclusive morning star, too, OF American
Freedom. Finally, We have in the impartial
award of merits which our author makes IN this
behalf 10 tie Catholic settlers display on his part
of a truly catholic, liberal and historical spirit.
He who, to use his own words Up. 2O5,) "inherltsa
pure Protestant blood, an unbrOken Protestant
faith, through eight generations from the age OF
Elizabeth 'not hesItating for one moment in
doing justice to the memory of the early Roman
Catholic lawgiyers of Maryland"
Such are the objects of Mr. Dayiss book. Let
us now proceed to consider how he has accom-
plished them
The title of the book and many of the most en-
thusiastic and rhetorical passages in it, seem to
identify liberation with American liberty and yet
Mr. Davis begins with paying this federation
(Which be has selected as the gliding to make his
antiquarian pills go DOWN what possibly he intends
as a compliment, but which, in the existing state
Of public opinion, is, to say the least, rather an
equivoca ole. He informs us Up. ~ that consist
ency on the part of the advocates Of liberation re-
duires them to proclaim THAT Atheism is the proper
fundamental principle of the State" Nay, more,
he informs us that sooner later the advocates of
liberation will make their proclamation of this idea,
to be followed by counter proclamation on the
part OF the friends of the union OF Church and
State, (Who, though they lie low for the present,
are by no extinct that faith is the founda-
ton of ethics that the notion of Church and
State implies a Church Of the same character
that the one is but identical with the other, and
that under more benefcient arrangement of prov
idence higher law of society, aud nobler sys-
TEN of civilization, the identity will be fully and
triumphantly revealed" This proclamation and
counter proclamation, Mr. Davis informs us, will be
followed by a contest probably the most momen-
tous, if not the most bloody which man will be
called upon TO endure;" till the termination of
which contest it will be impossible to find the
central point involved in the great problem of toll
Grafton or 10 grasp in Its
relations; which in plain English means, We sup
pose that at present il is impOssibleto tell whether
federation is good thing or not.
witty English writer has asserted that the
rights Of Englishmen, so much talked about, are
neither more nor less than the right of each indi-
vidual Engshman TO go to the devil in his own way
And from Mr.. DaYs's statement Of the case it
would seem very doubtful whether that American
freedom for having been the Day Star of which be
glorifes bis State of Maryland, may not after all
prove to be a freedom OF much the same sort.
AT all events Mr.. Davis, philosopher though he
be, seems hardly ready to stand up to what he in
siss is the logical result of the idea Of liberation
On the other hand, having made in his first chapter
the foregoing statement of the case, he proceeds in
his second chapter to express his admiration of Ma
hcmet and of lslamsm as " thegrandest and bodest