New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1865-02-27
mind tfere are observable q series Of e'aesi, simi-
liar periods Now II might be Oonterded that it Is

81 convenient 10 select Eoloe dIstnct Method Oh
,ocs,her series Of toerably hkefacts, for
tho rno.e OF independent observation, and OF dis
ltingnishing them from other series OF smlariy-ai'
lied facts that We may well be thankful to DR.. ORA
ner for the very ingenious division he has suggested
and need not look with an eagles eye into the ef.
rors Of the distribution, especially since no con-
cevable distribution can be exc npt from all imper'
lfeetions. 1t tho same time the extreme import
ance Of tho subject justiAes us In again submitting
that DR.. Draper hes been over.hastly induced to fit
in all the multform facts ofhistory, European Ash
atic and African, into theory suggested, not by
the actual facts Themselves but by other facts, viz
those Of individual human life. For instance, 1t 10
part of the theory that the stages Of inquiry, faith
and reason are Incompatible, because only success
sive. This is not wholly true, even OF an individ'
ual man, still lees of multitude Of men. Inquiry
aud reason, unless their ordinary meaning be inde'
nitely modified are mutual coTelatives, and march
on hand in hand. A man cannot reason without
previous inquiry and the more subtle the reasoning
the more protraoted and anxious the inquiry. Nor
does aman inquire, for the most part except with
view of rec sonng on the basis obtained by his In
riosity, msoallel. inquiry, divorced from correct
reasoning, as among tho Ionic philosophers OF
Greoce but without inquiry there can be no reason
ing whatever Again, the age of Socrates and Plato,
and the period intervening between the Council OF
Nice and the Reformation, are designated eres OF
faith, the era in,erposed between that ofinquiry
and that Of reasoning. Now, as DR.. Draper him
self somewhere says, faith may either imply sub
missye acceptance Of the truth Of anything what
ever without inquiry o. ALL or firm belief in that
which mas stood the test Of rigorous methods oil
proof According to the latter definition, faith
would be the highest attainment Of the era OF rea-
son; according TO tho former, ii would only be
prevalent in tho era of cfedulity. Probably the
word "fsith" is moro strictly confined TO some
thing different from both those conceptions and
nartaking OF each There Is condition of mind
which. on fact being alleged, neither rejects it az
IMPOSSIBLE nor grasps il as certain, but which ae'
knowledgcs It's importance, and, accepting 1t pro-
vsionay, makes it the basis Of immediate action.
This is condition favorable 10 tie construction OF
valuable scientific hypotheses; and maniiestly such
condition Of mind is not distinguishing mark Of
any one era, but may be found to DO conspicuous
feature IN all. In case We should be- demonstrated
with for exposing The ialibliiy of one Arrangement
without having the courage 10 substitute another,
We viii suggest ono of our own. We would dis-
tribute tho normal intellectual history Of a nation
into four epochs, each Of which epochs gathers up
into itself ell the aspects Of those preceding IT,
with the exception Of that of the first. There
would he NJ an era of credulityi ~ an era Of hy-
pothesisi 81 an era Of skepticism and, ~, IN era
Of yeIiGcaton. Faith, defined as We last iniima-
ted, would be found TO characterize indiheren'ly
any or oil of thcso several oTas. The latest ard
most advanced condition OF nation would thus
lind its intellectual men approaching every question
of the day in g spirit of active skepdcism, accom-
panied with due regard for the proper use Of hy-
po,hesis, and, above oil, for the paramount value
of laborious verification.
Tho remaining articlesin this number, comprising
" The Science Of Language" peace in Poland,
d" CircumstaDtal Evidence" whatever is Is
Right" Railway Reform" well sustain the char
acter of this powerful though sometimes audacious
quarterly for originality and independence OF
thought and admirable closTness and ygor OF state
ment and illustration.-The republication OF the
English periodicals by Mesrs. Scott Co. deserves
attention and patronage, although the edition is dis
figured By numerous typographical errors, whether
the result Of printing from imperfect early copies or
incompetent prooi-resdng, Is more than We can de-
eide.