The Portland daily press., 1868-03-12
Magazines.

w. W '0'th from good authority, was rta any
written oy another and very different M. r,
Mr 0oscheh. The theme of this writer is the
singular paradox now observable in the finan-
cial condition OF Europe. Money in England
Is at two per cent per annup, and on the con-
tneut but little higher; sixty millions sterling
in gold me now piled up in the banks OF Eng
land and France; yet vast failures are frequent
IN both countries; commercial enterprise Is
stagnant, when with money so low it ought
to be most lively; everybody wants to sell and
nobody will buy; all trade is from hand to
mouth, aud as for credit there is no such thing
The picture drawn is striking as it is gloomy;
but the writer, unfortunately, has contented
| himself with setting it before us without at
| tempting to point out the causes or the cure of
the condition of things which he laments.
| Doubtless variety of minor causes, more or
less remote, must be admitted n have had
their effect in bringing about This state OF
| things, but surely the chief one is not far 10
seek when it is considered how vastly beyond
their means European gov 1rnments have been
| living for the last decade, and how inevitable
| is the consequence of that kind of prodigality
| with nations as well as individuals. Here in
America the heavy cost of a terrible war has
compelled us also to greatly exceed our imme-
diate resources, and we are now paying the
same penalty in stagnation of trade and de-
preston of industry. If it is any consolation
! to us to know that other nations are even worse
| off than ourselves we have that amiabe solace
aud also the better one of feeling that our
over-expenditure and consequent embarrass-
ments were forced upon us. They were not
brought about by participation in that rivalry
of fra q on in me- 0f Wi vvhi
the European nations are impoverishing them
selves.
The remaining articles in this number of the
Edinburgh are "Gachard's Don Carlos and
Philip H., Oysters, and the Oyster Fisher
ies;" "Aniou" "Tyndall's Lectures On Sound;'
Liberal Elucltion in England" "Memoirs
of Sir Philip Francis; ""De Fezensac's REQ
objections of the Grand Army" "The Queens
Highland Journal"
BLACKwooD's MAGAZINE, for February, ire
print of the Leonard Scott Publishing Com
panyO contains the conclusion of Brown
lows;'' review of the Memoir of Sir Philip
Francis, with, of course, more discussion of
the "Juniu us" question; some pages of discur-
sive chat by Cornelius ODowd;" an hist ri
cal sketch of Caroline, the Queen of George
H.; an article on Fenianism and the Irish,
and another on the Queen of the High
lands"
The NORTHERN MONTHLY, for March, seems
to have Jagged somewhere on its way, but it 10
welcome at any time. It is a thoroughly ive
magazine; and though we strongly object to
the style and manner of many of its onslaughts
upon the social giants it feels called upon to
fignt we always recognize the earnestness
and the . i'm of the champions.
The present number has two articles, ~The
Farewell of the Fig-Leayes," and "The Ballet
as Social Evil" which will be widely read.
and which are certainly written with vigor
and apparently with an honest purpose but
they are yet almost as Objectionable in them
selves as the abuses they are meant to reform.
They are coarse, extravagant, far too sweeping
in their assertions, and calculated to awaken
the disgust of those whom they do not hit, and
the resentment merely of the class whom they
do. There are certain evils in our social fabric
which it is not well to talk about too CONSTANT
ly or too publicly. To do so is to render the
idea of them dangerously familiar to minds
which are in no danger of taint from the things
themselves. There are remedies which are "a
bad as the diseases they seek to cure.
There are more agreeable articles in this
number, however. Among these we include
a pleasant travellers sketch, by DIR. Charles
Robinson, of "The Corniehe Road;" bio
graphical article upon Commodore Stockton,
by Hon. Joel Parker; another on Benjamin
Lundy, by DR.. Snodgrass; some pleasant gos-
sip by Olive Logan about San Empress on
Skates;' paper on Magazine Literature" by
Charles Lanman, and a variety of other pleas
ant reading.
The MAINE NORMAL IuaeUlI is IarzsiJ-
taken up with recent schemes for subjecting
our common schools to a more efficient super
| vision. The editor gives an account of the
origin of the bill to establish State Board of
Education, and admits in passing that cit had
decided imperfections." Mr.. Dingley's speech
in support of the bill is printed in full, and so
| also are some sensible remarks from the Port
| land Star in opposition to it. Mr.. c. G. Rounds
| suggests that instead of the provision of the
| hill empowering the Board to adopt list of
| text books absolutely for five years, it would
| be better to heve list prepared subject to
revision and amendment at any time, from
| which the local committee should be obliged
| to select the books to be used in their schools
| when from time to time they may decide that
a change is desirable Mr.. A. p Stone, of this
city, expresses some doubt about the useful
ness OF the county superintendents, and would
| prefer a Board of School Commissioners to be
appointed by the Governor and Council, and
to hold office for eight years at least. To this
Board he would commit the appointment Of
superintendent aud of the teachers of the
Normal Schools. These. divergent opinions,
between the covers of single number of one
magazine, show plainly enough that the sub
ject is not yet ripe for legislative action. An
other years discussion will perhaps give us
law worth having, and meanwhile we escape
the discouraging influence Of a crude and un'
unsatisfactory experiment.
Among the other contributors to this num-
ber are Jacob Abbott, N. T. True, W. Warren.
! George L. Brackett and G. B. Stetson. In
the department of Educational Intelligence,
; which is unusually full and interesting, and
we are glad to see some illusions to recent
movements in England.
; Published by Geo. NJ. Gage, Pennington, at
81 so year.