New-York daily tribune., 1858-04-16
NEW PUBLICATIONS.

Tle mastery position Of Mr.. Carey 10 the &C.,
spec Of political economy, hss been a''Ainea no
ku BY the clearness, simplicity, and foroe OF Ms
eIpositons, than by the originality aid I'M Pof'uioo
sf Ais discoyeries. Antcipstiog by several years
a. r,.n.h ..orom;,. Bsstiat, in the announcement:
az the pripep,es with which the name OF TIE is'ter
u Identified, be was the fret 20 es''oh'H INC ''"'
according 20 which social met.ora''oh If gua'aU'e
Nv the DC yers Of nature and the course OF history
A, philosophical writer, Mr. Carey is remarkaeie
A, The union Of comprebensiVe geberahzotons with
. copous induction Of facts. HIS research Of prin-
sp,es never leads him TO the neglect of detals; nor
h his accumulation Of finstsnces ever at the expense
n universal truth. He iS doubtless, intent on tie
investigation Of laws, as the Appropriate aim Of SCI
ce, but no passion for theory seduces him into the
region Of pure speculation. His mind IS no lees
historical than philosophical and had he not chosen
she severer branch in which his studies have borne
such excellent fruit, he would have attained 90 emf
peDt rank among the historians from whom the III
oratuIe of our country has received such siguai
Illustration. Mr.. Carey has won the iDfrequent
palm Of truly original writer. HE achievements
b science the direct result OF personal d,seov-
cries. Few works Of modern times contain so much
novelty without taint Of paradox, as thcse which
bear his name He has not only brought to light a
mass Of previously unnotced facts but has verified
their significance ascertained the law Of which they
are the exponent and assigned them their relative
position as elements Of economic science. But biz
originality 10 not the growth Of unacqualn:ance with
the sbors Of bis pre- decessors, nor of Indifference
10 their bearings. The comparative value Of former
0eores is never lost sight of, and their connection
with his 6wn never fails of scientific recognition In
point Of style, Mr. Carey is almost as agreeable as
Adam Smith; far more so than the generality OF
writer's who have succeeded that prime authority;
while in weight and richness of instruction, he hss
few peers in any department Of composition His
scurse of reasoning 10 presented in an attractive
rm, iDasn uch it gives the reader the conscious
Iess Of progress; something gained at every step;
he is never made to return upon himself; and at
d. end Of the hour devoted to the argument, lie
finds not only grounds Of conviction but sense of
mental enrichment and exhilsrati9n. Tie love of
truth 10 moro conspicuous in the writings of Mr.
Carey than the desire Of Triumph. He inspires the
reader with the highest confidence in bis intellectual
regtitude. This trait adds new charm to hiS
xeyle, and is, doubtless, one secret of his power
ever the most intelligent inqurers.
In the present volume, which is the first Of
large work, Mr.. Carey hays down the main princi-
pies Of his economic system, combining the results
Of his former Investigations in their natural order,
which lie usually the reverse Of the order of dis
eOvery with his more recent successes, and en-
abhDs the student of political economy to estimate
the importance Of bis contributions to the elucda
lion Of the science.
The cardinal feature of Mr.. Csrey's system as
from that Of Nautilus, Ricardo, Say |
md other modern economists, is the suficency of
he natural forces of the universe 10 sustain in
definite increase of population. The fallacy of the
opposite opinion is founded on mistaken view of
he process of settlement in the course of civiliza-
ion. 1t has been supposed by the schools of econ
,mists, who believe that population tends 10 outrun
he means of subsistence, and hence that large
portion Of the race is destined by its very constit-
ION to inevitable want AMI misery, that the work
pf cultivation has everywhere commenced on rich
soils, with large returns to labor, while with the
growth of population and wealth, recourse has been
lad to poorer Soils with constantly decreasing |
return. This il the prevailing theory of the most
eminent political economists Of Europe. Mr.. Carey |
however, maintains that the truth is precisely the
reverse. To the elucdation of this point, and Of |
tAe inferences derived from it, he devotes no ncon
siderable portion Of his work.
As the subject is one of no less interest than |
novelty, we call the attention of readers to |
sEght exposition Of the theory of Mr. Carey on
which he founds system. oisiming to be new
discovery in economical science
To bring the subject within A narrow compass /
tase the case oi single individual and his descend
AQtt laced upon an island and observe the natural
process Of cultivation. In the commencement ol |
his task, he has neither ax nor spade. He works
alone He can take his pick of the land without
5ear Of rival claims. But the soils around hun
which would pay best for work put on them are
beyond the reach OF his resources. They are COW
cred with huge trees that he cannot fell or they are
gyamps that be cannot drain. Even to pass
through them in their present condition, is no joke
The first ia tangled mass OF roots and stumps, de-
csying logs and underbrusb, which dsfes locomo-
ton; on the other he sinks knee-deep at every step
The atmosphere is only pestileut congregation OF
vapors; unwholesome fogs settle on the lowlands;
and the dense foliage of the woods prevents the
circulation of the air. He has no ax, and if he had
one he could hardly it on the poisonous thicket
without losing his life. With the rank vegetation,
before he eeuld clear single acre portion of il
would be again so oyergrown that he would have to
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