New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1857-08-13
FROM BOSTON.


You DO Injustice, o TRIBUNE Of the People,
TO the projectors of our new Boston magazine,
when You accuee them of announcing it's advent
with great flourish Of trumpets-with brass
band and crimson banners-in short, with much
preliminary putting. Messrs. Phillips, Sampson &
Co. have bad the enterprise in contemplation Tor
long time, and for elk months past have bean en-
gagged in extensive ard active preparation for it
snder the closest secrecy 1t was their intention
not to announce ituntilsll their arrangements wee
completed: but as the making of these arrange
mcnts involved the communication Of more or less
Of their intentions to number Of literary men in
different parts Of the country the secret has psrtsy
leaked out though by no contriyance or cOnnivance
of the publishers. Nothing am assured, has yet
been published on the subject OF their ustgatlon or
by their consent. Aud much that has appeared
concerning it--as for example, about its name, its
editor and its contributors, is mere conjecture. 1t
will not be called The Norihern Magazine, though
hope aud believe it will be truly Northern in sent
rent that if will represent and elnbOdy on the high
est plane ofour literature that North which Mr. Web.
ster described ard advocated in his speech at Marsh
field in l-4-: "a Moth strong III opinion ard united
Gin action against Slavery" Our maya
zpes, hitherto have been too exclusively
literary. The great mass Of the people
care little for mere literature, and what they want
of that they get in books or in the weekly news,
papers A magazine, to succeed on the scale OF
success that publishers require, must look for
support beyond the merely literary class or the
class that care for literature as an end and not as an
adjunct. Throughout the Northern States there Is
great body of intelligent, thoughtful, wel-todo men
who like tolerably solid reading on matters that
interest them and ale OF practical USE The immense
success of TIE WEEKLY TRIBUNE shows that TIE
WEEKLY TRIBUNE crcu)atcs as it does, l suspect
not merely because you give the news fresher and
more fully than others dO-not because you furnish
cheapy large amount OF merely agreeable reading
but primarily because 1t commands the political
sympathy and confidence OF "A great and intelligent
party who take it not for news-nOt for merely
agreeable reading-but because they find in it what
sccords with and justifes and strengthens their
opinions on matters il which they deeply and
permanently Interested. There not people
enough in this country deeply and permanently
interested III mere literature TO sustain merely
literary magazine on scale OF circulation That
would make IT an object for great publisher to
devote himself to il.
Eut literature and politics may be 20 combined
as in the ca &c of THE IRlBl NE) that the success OF
the mixture will be certain. The literary class
have no objection TO reading pcli'icsl matter II it
he well written and up to their standard oil tholsht
and expression. And the politicians themselves
always prefer well-written politics to ill-wrtteD
when they can get them, though they are not 10 be
taken in by mere elegance OF style and rhetorical
skill One great difficulty which the new maya
zme will encounter will be the scarcity OF writers
who combine political knowledge and high Literary
skill. No srtihce Of style no command of express
sion can deceive the political public about the real
value Of articles on political topics. They deteet
instantly the pretcIdcr through all bis DISCUSSES and
Ike Freemas sons, can tell whether or not he has
been initiatcl. and what degrees he has taken
Now, Tor some reason other, the literary class
in this country, as general thing has fallen very
absurdly and unfortunately into sOrt oil contempt
for politics. You not uplfequentiy md authors
of considerable distinction, who actually pride
Themselves on their ignorance OF public affairs, and
on carving their Indifference so ftr as to
| have never given a vote nor attended
| public meeting With strange Inconsistency
| these same men VIII devote years of letient and
| toscmc study To Greek and Roman, or Italian or
spanish politics none o which ~ their best cpochs
culIacd ours in grandeur Of results, IN magnitude 0i
agencies in historic interest, in the intellectual
| nature .i the contests. The politics of past ages
| have been, for the most part, determined III mon
arches BY the character caprice OF an iildiYld-
ual or by the intrigue. of few courtcrs; in rcpub
lies by personal ntrisues, or By popular violence.
The extent Of this country, aud the magnitude OF
The electoral body, mllifes with merely local cIcep
lions both personal intrigue and mob violence. Our
elections are determined, our policy is guided, right
or wrong by influencing the sentiments AMI the rea-
son of the people: not by birth, by money, nor by
force but by intellectual agencies such as they are.
| In the Greek and Italian republics, the rabble ID
| tbc capital, halt the time, decided the course OF
| Affairs which during much OF the other half, was
decided BY maneuveIeIs and cOnsprator.. Yet men
OF the highest literary order did not didan to mln-
gle in the politics of these rowdy and comparatively
retv States. of which Rome alone was really OF any
historic importance, though the Athenans, through
| their literature and art, have continued almost 10
this day 10 impress upon the world an exaggerated
notion OF their political consequence. Ptthagora-,
Uerodo,u.. Sociates Plsto Xenophon, Tuc, dlide~,
Demos,henc,, Cicero, Petrarch and Dante, 10 name
| ne hers were all ir,ere.tcd IN pohucs, and most
of ihem active and exI crt politicians. IL Is IN this
country alone that for TIE FIRST time i'll history the
literary class de>pise polite though never before
were the pcliics ot any nation so great and noble
! in their nature, or powerfully affected by tue
| pen, instead Of by the sword the purse or the
torguc. And, beyond tle strictly literary class the
same strange and unprecedented Indifference to pub
lie Affairs exists 10 considerable degree among the
A.! whole class OF educated men. Nowhere else in the
world has ouch phenomenon ever manifested It.
sell. Nowhere else have the natual leaders If Inc
| People voluntarily abandoned their post.
To return To- the new msgs zine. 4 singular mis-
| hap has beisllen il before IFS birth. An American
who cane passenger in the steamer Persia, lost in
,onr city, biz trunk containing manuscripts for the
| irst number, from RuskiD, Mrs Ga.kil Ruiini
(,le author Of Doctor Antonio), aud other distin-
eui.hcd writer's. Vigorous search il, Of course,
being made for it, and il " ii probably be found;
but if should not, the consequences viii be very
awkward indeed.
Prof FELTON, continues 10 carry the warfare
against Spirituslsm with great ardor. 1t IS delight
al 10 witness in these latter days, such .hivalrOus
,r,,u.issm. lie aeyotes himself IKE a true hniyt: