New-York tribune., 1869-06-22
NEW PUBLICATIONS.
,o,,,,,., ,,yeropv on MORALS.

The admirers of Mr. Lecky's former Work, M
,ionalism in Europe" will probably reaa theSo
volumes with feeling of disappointment. In h'o-
merit they are perhaps quite equal to the others
The language flows with the same easy grace; tnero
Is the same felicity in the choice OF words Inc same
,,narbitious elevation and eloqUence OF style tno
same subdued earnestness and temperate enthusiasm
of spirit the same fairness of purpose the sam
wealth of materials the skill IN ther mas" ry
and arrangement. But the subject itself is esS In
terestng in its nature the separate themes az less
exciting; the discussion in safer nes u ore re-
mote from living beliefs and prejudices the war OF
argument rolls away over neutral terrtOf - the IS
Hnes are too complicated TO be generally OllOwed or
understood questions of purely philof optical ma
ture come up frequently and in masses and unless
the reader be somewhat versed in M 5taphysics. he
will find his attention tagging in spi ce of the vivid
ness Of the authors manner. 1t mw { be confessed
too that Mr. Lecby is more sue ,essful as a his
torjan than as a philosopher Had he confined
himself to the history of EurOpei IN morals his WORK
would have been Judged moSe fayOrably than II mas
been But he has felt bound, or the sake OF COM
pleteness to discuss at ength the rva theories
concerning the nature and obligation OF morals INC
first one hundred and siXty-eight pages lhcluuihg
nearly third Part of the first volume are ue-
voted to this discussion respecting the character al"
merits Of the Utiltaran and the Intuitive Schools
-
but il has been pronounced superficial. The Utlta-
ar system IS described and criticised; the lntuitlye
system is described and defended. The polemical
sp is of she gentlest description, but it is present.
and it is felt. The Utilitanan system, as held
bv it's allest modern defenders is not presented
in as favorable light it deserves nor as fully as
intellectual Justice demands and consequently the
objections to it, derived from its presumed nconss-
tenoies and immoral tendencies. will not be regarded
- ,T,,,C
whose last statement of the Utilitaran doctrineat
present the most authoritative statement-is barely
alluded to and not met ALL The Intuitive system,
on the other hand ismOdied in Mr. Leckys statement
by the abandonment of its most keenly assailed posi-
tOns by the sofening of some of its outlines by the
widening of the circuit of its definitions so as to In
clude in their lines several prominent names that be-
long Of right TO the other party, and by somewhat
too easy answer 20 objections of his own framing, If
not of his own raising The general reading public
will not perceive these defects but will glide over
the pages delighted with the apparent clearness,
pleased with the moderation, instructed by the CO.
pous information, and satisfied with what is, on the
whole an intelligent popular account Of long, ardu
Gus. and perplexing controversy. The critic only
VIII demur and will possibly be disposed 10 do less
than justice TO the strictly historical portions of the
work which should be separately judged, and on
their own grounds Indeed the relevancy of the first
chapter to the main purpose OF the work might be
disputed The object of the author being simply
to trace the action of external circumstances on
morals to show what have been the moral types
proposed as ideal in different ages, to what degree
they have been realized in practice, and by what
causes they have been modified impaired, or de
BtrOyed,' the treatment might have been purely
historical and yet adequate especially the authOr
admits that each school has proved in some sense
the corrective at once, and the complement of the
other y that each, when pushed to its extreme re-
suits, produces evils which necesstate the appear
ance of its rival"
Mr.. Lecky ayows distinctly his belief in the
moral progress of mankind a progress wayward,
hard to trace, losing itself apparently in hundreds
of by-ways and dark passages but steady never
theless and marked by certain broad features that
cannot be mistaken. Admitting that innumerable
special agencies. such religious political inst-
tutions, geographical conditions, traditions anti
pathies and affnites, exercise a certain retarding.
accelerating or DETECTING influence, and somewhat
modify the normal progress allowing for the decay
and disappearance of entire orders and types of
virtue confessng that virtues generally considered
of nOblest rank superseded by others of stamp
so inferior as to look ignoble and scarcely to de-
serve the of virtues at all recording faith
fully, as he must and does the decline of the grand
qualities that characterized the heroic ages, mag
nanmity, fortitude enthusiasm devotion, sacrifice,
and the rise In their stead of the economical quail
ties that mark the industrial and commercial period
prudence, caution, thrift, frugality; frankly re-
gretting he avows, the departure of the chvalrc
standards of honor and personal d gnity and keenly
alive 10 the uninspirng nature of honesty. veTacity
and amiabity he still contends that there is such a
thing as q natural history Of morals, defined and
regular order IN which our moral feelings are un.
folded; "Or in other words that there are certain
groups of virtues which spring spontaneously out of
the circumstances and mental conditions of an I'M
civilized people, and that there others which are
the normal and appropriate products of civilization"
Each epoch has its advantages, and each epoch has
its disadvantages. There is no spectacle more
piteous or more horrible to good man than that of
an oppressed nationality writhing in anguish be-
meath a tyrants yoke; but there is no condition in
which passionate self-sacrifce and heroic courage
and the true sentiment of paternity are more grandly
scited and isprobable that the triumph Of liberty
will in these forms not only lessen the moral per-
iIormances, but weaken the moral capacities Of
mankind War is no dOubt fearful evil; but it is
the seed plot of magnanimous virtues which in a
pacific age must withcr and decay "Civilization
has the whole been successful in repressing
crime than IN repressing vice 1t is very favorable
TO the gentler, charitable, and social virtues and
where Slavery does not exist to the industrial yir-
tues and it is the especial nurse of the intellectual
virtues but it is in general not equally favorable to
the production Of self-sacrfce enthusiasm reyer.
ence, OF chastity"
IL viii be understood, at once that Mr. IecIv |
Tepudates the doctrine advanced by Mr. Buckle that
the progress Of mankind toward better social states
rs due TO intellectual causes alone. morals being
essentially stationary the rudest barbariaus being
m that respect as far advanced as Ourselves MapD