American citizen. [volume] (Butler, Butler County, Pa.) 1863-1872, 1863-12-09
JOHN STUART Mill.

ters OH poiiteai anF soeiai philosophy. In
the science of political economy with which
his two yolumes( isast issued by the Ap-
pletons) are occupied, is without peer in !,
the whole range cfextant authorship, past
or present, with tile single exception of
Adam Smith, the Founder of ae science;
and as an author to be stJdiedby the present
generation Mr.. Milliss course, altogeth-
er superior eyenlto the great man who
made the first sy4matic survey Of this de-
partment Of humh affairs. He esaounds
the science IN itspresent advanced state,
with the aid of fal the lights thrown nnop
1t by writers subequent to Smith, and by
the enlarged commercial and monetary ex-
perience and veiherful industrial develop
ment OF the last twenty-five years--a peri
od infinitely neH fruitful in great events
and economic deYelopment than any that
preceded IT. o. he subjects of currency
ana nnanee' IN pArtieular, the period since
the American AID French revolutions in
instruction, L is a remarkable fact that
almost every breakdown of the finances of
q nation has bofn Immediately followed by
apolltieal revolution. In our own coun-
try the collapse Of the continental money
and of the creft Of the Confederation led
to the formally of our present Constitu-
ton in Fraif G the first revolution was
directly brought about by the failure of the
finances which caused the convoeation of
the States General; the explosion of the
assignats led to the constitution of the year
Ill. and the establishment of the.direeto-
ry. The suspension of the Bank of Eng
land duringland for some time after, the
great Nepoeonic struggle, and the eollos-
sal debt then accumulated, led to a state
of things which threatened the overthrow
of the British government in the year of
distress which followed the pacifcation of
Europe But the British "fnances reser
entirely |roke down, and the government
weatherd the storm. Had it not been,
FhoweveF for tba partial revolution involv-
ed in rforms of Parliament the govern
mcnt w,uld undoubtedly have gone under
Thegreat financial discussions in and
out of Parliament, during those turbulent
asd diitrustful years, threw important light
on currency and kindred topics, and in
conjunction with most fruitful expcri-
cncs- Settled some questions which had
nevcrbefore been so deeply probed.
Our country is suddenly plunged into an
experiment having strong points of re-
semblance to that through which Great
Britain passed in the early part of the CEN
tury. A gigantic debt suddenly accumu-
lated burdensome taxation whose pres
SURE will be more and more felt; violent
change in the monetary system Of the eoun-
try threatening general convulsion and ru-
in at somesfuture and not distant period
thegreat branch of production which has
heotofore furnished the main body of our
exlorts brought to dead stand tho so
eidsystem of the South falling into ruins,
to % either set up anew or replaced by
ney organization Of industry; when we
are confronted by facts and prospects like
th,se, it is obvious that our people and our
pubic men need to proceed on the sound
cstprinciples of economical science Tho
sleider instruction and crude notions
which have hitherto suficed will no longer
anwer the purpose. In a period of gem
er;l health, when only slight ailments oc-
Gu, in his practice, a physician may rub
on after fashion, without much science.
But when the air is full of pestilence, and
foms of new disease new to his neighbor-
hood are breaking out, he can no longer
excuse himself from mastering the most
recent knowledge which bears -,fpoh -iris-
new duties. A similar obligation now lies
on American statesmen and publicsts;
and assuredly there is no way in which
they can so well qualify themselves for tho
ccoromical part of the problem as by
thorough study of Mill
-1>---Se--~e
''YHAT SHE HAND'T DAUGHTER"-
} The 1ourier Sciliano, Of Palermo relates
the FLOWING anecdote, which may -con-
tains useful hint for our own provost
marshlls: can officer in command of
dctatcment having received information
tlat a young conscript had concealed
hmscl'in a villa, proceeded thither, and
stated he object of his visit to the lady
of the house, who Immediately affirmed
that Iewas mistaken, and produced her
two daughters as the only inmates Of the
house, The officer, after minute search
finding no one else, told the lady that one
~ her d,ueshtare t,nat be Tho delinouont