New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1860-09-08

uo cnhfhcteT oi MI hus1 rs dlfcreot ulplOmsttst
and an accomplished gentleman the volume leaves a
very favorable impression; but 1t gives no decided
Indications of marked intellectual ability.
THE NEW AMERICAN CYCLoPEDIA: APcruLAa DIc.
rrosAEr oy GESKRIL KvowLKDes: Edited BY GsoseH
RIPLEY aud CHARLrs DAM. yolumex Jerusalem
Macferrin. New.YOrk Applet N 4 Co.
Three wears nearly elapsed since the FIRST volume
of this Cy cloI dia YVES issued and two-hrds OF the
entire sees are ALREADY given to the public. SO far as
tbs ,,sscnsl labor ia concerned scarcely more thao
frrb nov remains updone % that the last Volume
NAV b confidently expected 10 the early part OF 1862
Tho.a vbo ,emember-as few who were then in
hus;nes, cap forget The general paralysis OF trade the
or,lsroe If bankruptcy and mercantile di'tress the
slmost total cessation of bookbuyiDg and the gloomy
onn,ebepsicns for he future which marked the Winter
Of 1888. in which the frst volame was iSsuef can
;nst,v estimate the courage aud resources requisite to
perseverance in such an enterprise involving eent
and certain outlay of of Thousands of doaIs TO be
re-, aimed II at ALL ory after the expiration oyears 10
The sale Of work which but attraction of'bepub' can
he expeced TO appreciate and but fraction oftbis fac
ton can afford buy. Yet the fret volume was Issued
in the very criis Of "tbe Panic" and the enterprise
has been steadily and energetcaly prosecuted ever
since, until the editors aud publshprS may now be
fairly congratua ed t7eir ability to see to TIE end
of their arduous undertaking.
Much criticsm has been squandered upon this Ency-
clordis to prove it what it never intended to be "a
rival to the two or three far elaborate and costly
Euro an 80 ks of its cass, which sim TO exhaust all
known souJos of reformation with regard to the of Ter
fields of intellectual activity and conquest No such
exter dvd ard profound essays Astronomy, Chemi,-
try, Light, Metaphysics Mythology Philosophy, and
other recoudte emes are in ended to be given in this
work ss in the Encyclopedia b 'itannics Only such
survey Of any great depart mont of human knowledge
il given in thi, work ss may be compressed within a
few pages and lie who would study ia ther lie referred
to be works wherein what he seeks may be most
readily and certainly obtained. Tnis leaves large
scope for information current topics and terms
which every should understand yet with regard to
some ore Of which almost any one msy be az fault,
and which It il most convenient to have an authority
al hand that viii reaaily and surely elucidae. Iii
undoubtedS true that the contents Of this Cycopedia
are largely Biographical, and that Cote uporary Biog
Ia,h holds leadiI place IN it. But let him wlo
seeks merely information turn to the words Jugger-
nout Junius, KarenS, Koran, Krenllin, LaJarum,
Lace LamaiSn, Leuaat, Lime, Liturgy LHtoraLe,
L'ogds &c, in this volume, and zee if they do not
fud there what they Deed-if in few words. so much
the better; while such themes "a London, Kansas,
Kentucky are treated with the te'se fuIess wsll
as freshpess which leaves nothing to be desired.
. The precious AIT Of Not too much" Is the maiu
requisite IN such work. where there is constant dau-
ger that the few eadioe topics which assigned to
eminent writers, and on which they are naturally
anxious to display their thoroughness Of information
will be permit ed 10 dwarf many and exclade more Of
the tboueard minor subjects whereOn the average
reader will often need hint and which, if not treated
here he cannot "a in the case Of the former class,
readily find elucidsted elsewhere. The Editors OF
the American Cyclopedia bave wisely and thought
fally avoided the danger Of making their work less
useful 81 complete while rendering il more acceptable
ard satisfactory to the favored cultivated few whose
fist is pIespmed 10 make the fortune Of books
and who will naturally judge it rather by its more
lees thorough treatment Of few great themes than
by it's careful and panstaking illustration Of ten thou.
and little ones, none of which makes any figure or
commands aten ion by itself yet any of which, if
omitted, would be vaiDly sought by many iuqnrers,
and would by its absence the completeness Of the
work In spite of much carping not ali of il I'M
prompted by 'private grefs the New American Cyclic
peda has fairly won it's way TO large aud incress-
ing SALE snd to the hearty appreciation of the reading
public. H.G.