The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1858-11-25
HE r. VIE Nv A..

Washington, D.. C
The leading article in this number goes pref
ty thoroughly into the social and political con-
it handles without gloves.
The article on Travel during the last half
century is generous defence of the intrepid
and selfsacri6cing Travellers who have so
greatly enlarged the boundaries ofhuman knowl
edge.
Other and very interesting themes are dis
cussed in this radical Review, with its usual
independence.
History of Frederick the Second, called Frederick the
Great. BY Thomas Carlyle In four volumes Vol 3
New York Harper Brothers. 1s5s. For sale by
Taylor Marry, Washington d. c.
We spoke of the first volume of this work
last week, and while mentioning that Frederick
himself does not appear for more than half of
the book in its peculiar historical character, we
inadvertently neglected to refer to the personal
sketch of the old man before his death, and his
characteristics, strongly drawn by the author,
with which it opens, and few incidents scat
tered along as an introduction, of some twelve
or sixteen pages, ending with the infant Just
entered on life
The present volume contains the remaining
period of what Carlyle calls Frederick's APP
premiership" by all accounts a pretty hard
one, and ends with the death of the old King,
whose portrait in full is furnished. 1t is just
such singular collection as Carlyle, and hard
ly any one but he, could have sifted out of the
heap of rubbish that promised nothing but dis
gust to look at or stir up There is little in
such material itself, but by drawing in from
things that seem remote enough, he contrives
to make even so dull a portion of subject in
teresting. Never thinking of concealing his
own bias, and with trenchant blade striking
at any opinion he cares not to sympathize with,
yet he states with the same blunt irankness
facts as they are either way. While Macaulay
embellishes by carefullypainted portraits of in
dvidualS, our author dashes in a graphic stroke
or two, and says, as it were, that's he" as to
some one named, and is off again at IA railroad
speed on his track, till at another turn he
seizes yet another and another, and throws in
among you.
To take up such book, it looks as if the
author had no plau and yet he adheres rigidly
to it, till he has carried it through. The work
must have cost him great research. But the
mastery of his power is no doubt reserved for
the two remaining volumes, when the Frederick
is to come forth "A Kingdom for stage,
Princes to act, and Monarchs to behold the
swelling scene -" hmselfin the part of Mars
Meanwhile, by re-reading of the developed
events, the future train of causes and results
may be all the better seen. The work is grow
ing in nterest-we wait to see what it will be.
The History of Prostitution Its Extent Causes, and FL
fects throughout the World Being Official Report
the Board of the Aims House Governors Of the City Of
New York BY William W Sanger, NJ d., Resident
Physician, Blackwells Island &c New York Har-
per & Brothers. 1855. For sale by Taylor Maury,
Washington, ID. C.
1t is a task of some difficulty to treat of such
a subject so as not trench on the proprieties
and decorum Of life, in a book that is finally to
be read by various classes. DIR. Sanger, how
ever, has succeeded well in tho undertaking.
The evils portrayed are Of enormous magnitude,
but the language and style Of illustration are
satisfactory. SO far as we know, the present
volume is the first one of considerable size in
English which has been devoted to the develop
ment Of the influence and progress of the evil
in question historically. Several works have
been written within few years in the French
and German, among which Dufour aud Parent
Duchaet stand prominent. The latter of these,
in two volumes, is the fullest storehouse of facts
on the subject, and which any writer must con
suit at every step. We presume DR., Sanger
has based his volume as to its earlier portion
/. e., except in this cOuntry-bn Duchalet; but
we have not that work to refer TO Just now at
our command We were however, somewhat
surprised to find no reference to any ofthe French
and other foreign authors, till the topic is con
sidered in reference to France DIR. Sanger states
that his manuscripts, containing extracts, refer
ences, &c, burnt at the Quarantine fire, re-
Gently; rough draught, which had been sent up
to the city, only being saved, has furnished the
material of this volume; a fact which may ac-
count the omissions we have noticed. The por-
ton relating to this country is original, and be-
cause of its relations, too, the most important
by far of the whole 1t is book which ought
to be examined by every board of municipal
authority, every philanthropist who exercises
an influence in making or executing the laws,
and not few of the Christian community, who
are called on to cooperate in the removal Of
vice and prohigacy from our land
Portions of the volume could have been well
omitted or condensed; and we notice, now and
them unguarded or loose statements as to his
torical facts of general nature, as for instance,
when DIR. S. says the early Christians " for
many centuries, the early Christian congrega-
tons met under circumstances of great difficult
ty." The words we have italicsed seem to ig-
more the fact that, with the exception of the
periods of persecution the Christian communi
ties were wide, and hourishng, and public, after
the first century. We have noticed some other
equally at random from close accuracy.
ANOTHER SPEECH FROM Mr.. DOUGLAs.-The
political friends of Mr.. Douglas gave him a
brilliant reception at Chicago on the 18th inst
His speech ON the occasion, though jubant in
the extreme, is tempered with administration
for the fallen foe. This is proper enough con
sdering that the "abolition faction" over
which he has gained so glorious a triumph,
polled four OF five thousand votes more than
its conquerors.
"KmyArPING IN KANsAs.-Wiihin the last
seven days, two fendish attempts have been
made to kidnap free colored men residing at