The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1869-10-16
LITERATURE.
Reviews or New Books.


work the before us. il one Of those anomalies
hardly pardonable In this age Of advanced enghten
ment and general progress. That 20 miserably SELF
ish, audaci0usly dishonest theory a. that Of
protection should nnd defenders among others than
the few men personally interested In enSichlue
themselves at the expense OF their neighbors, y In
itself wonderful exhibition OF the powerful soph-
isms OF such theory. 1t u proof how influential
can become the specious arguments OF l0giciaus
who assuming the name OF political economists,
actually convince men, not born tdots-men en-
lowed with all their faculties-that the true path to
national power and prosperity L. to be found IN
stealing from the consumer for the benefit Of the
producer.
With the first series of these Assays on Political
economy" many readers Of the HgRALD are doubt
less already familiar. They were published soms
zen years ago by Messrs Putnam Son, OF this city.
Az In France, Germany and Great Britain, they ~
tracted considerable attention for the vigorous man
ner N which they demolished eli the arguments Of
the 'protecronists" The remaining se ries are for
the first time published here. They will undoubtedly
exercis0a powerful and beneficial influence 4 ne
book be widely circulated, Is we trust it will BE-
There u nothing III 1t applying 20 France that does
not apply directly to this country: large class IN
knowledge In what constitute. true political eco
nomy; this condltion Is that OF darkness.
n. Bastat cannot be charged with partially In the
discussion Of his subject There " no sophism en-
ployed by the advocates Of protection that he does
most favorable and most powerful light He admits
the deceivng property Of SUCH sopnism. He shows
ceeds merciessly to dissect and lay It
bare. He seeks TO prove, and he does
production to attack the foundations Of all trade:
second that 1t is not true chat tue labor OF one coun
favored c in third that even were this the
protective duties cannot equailze the facilities
these conditions as much as possible, and NTH InaS
the countries which are tue least favored by nature
are those which profit most y q
through his essays He clearly proves thai even
where with free trade the lmportations exceed the
expectation, the country need not be Impoverished
thereby. the STYLE too, iu which he tears down the
fabric Of protection is admirable. BY means Of
invests usually dry subject with the interest Of
o romance. He writes for the masses, and that
intellect must be extraordinarily obtuse which fails
to grasp with cearness all the propositions laid
in these essays It Is not purpose TO write
attention to the merits Of che work before u.s.
or all objections which have been urged against
exhibits Its repuslve cowardics Ia this country it
covers before q virtual monopoly for the attainment
Its true coiors ana we are glad that the opponents
Of protection have published these essays IN their
@ oT e m 81 No
years will pass by before the tar1 Wall be the ALL
absorbing political question which WIZ make Rresl.
advancing rapidly OF late towards the erection OF
Chinese wall between US and foreign trade That
competition which under the low tariff OF former
days quickened our energies, extended our indus.
tries gave scope and variety to our products and
hurried forward III the march OF civilization, u
fast giving way to a stagnatlon which Is the pre-
cursor OF national deterioration. We hold this
which lives through protecIon is that most
fatal TO national prosperity, inas in g It
liant and cannot depend upon Its own resources
There v no limit TO protect0n, and as we grow
free, or ali viii inevitably require 70 Be nursed in
hOthouses. 1t Is something astonishing tnat all
Protective Ct tariff Which is IMPOSED for the pur
pose Of preserving the baIance OF trade between Us
and foreign nations Is the ABSOLUTE cause OF our I'M
lions for the past nine years. should the reader de-
sire TO ascertain how thus "a, we refer him 70 NJ
Bastjas's ESSAYS on Political Economy which We
heartily commend as emb0dying the true principles
whose exercise will Individually lead TO nati0nai
prosperity. His arguments cannot be controverted
by sophistry; they are founded upon the sound
est theories, which have been put III practice in
France since he gave them to the world, with 9
success so Overwhelming annihtlate the party Of
protection IN the French empire.
ARMS AND ARdoR. In Antiquity and the Middle
Ages. Also Descriptive Notice Of Modern
Weapons. TRANSLATED from the French OF n. p.
IacomDe. by Charles Boatell, Al. A. New York:
ID. Appleton Co.
The placing OF this book in q library OF wonder q,
is a blunder. There is certainly nothing wonderful
about the contents. But while we cannot agree TO Its
being placed In category of marvellous subject,
willingly praise 1t as thoroughly instructive aud
entertaining work. 1t Is, really. history OF ofeu-
sive and defensive weapons from the earliest ages
to the present day. The account Of the "weapOns
OF the stone age is naturally limited but what there
Is Of 1t Is most curious aud interesting record OF
the used in pre-. historic days. When the author
enters the ''age OF bronze" his work becomes more
complete, more graphic aud more exhaustive. With
bic rersoicuity he gives thorough history
OF the arms and armor', used by the Assyr ans the
Greeks, the Gauls, The Romans and other ancient
historic nations Coming 10 later days we have
not less perfect history oil the arms and armor
EurnH4 (ynT14L1an
era TO the transition period when the discovery OF
gunpowder gradually brought about change In the
style OF defensive and offensive weapons. The tenth
chapter is written by the translator, and Is confined
to history OF "Arms and Armor In England" The
last chapter gives very full account OF artillery
and small arms and the notes at the end OF tho
book valuable for reference. Throughout the
wood, admirably executed and illustrating the sub
lect. As might be expected, the style In which the
OF the author mas been immense and he has given
the reader the benefit Of 1t without wearying hun
with dry details and authorities To teach us what
our ancestors fought win, and what they protected
themselves with and to teach this IN the most agree
able form, was his object. we cannot conceive any
person in the least interested IN history who can
fail to find IN this book source or the lveest In
terest. We confess TO having become so deeply
interested in its perusal few nights ago as TO sud-
denly discover the ignt OF morning stealing in
through the window, when the time had passed 0y
o agreeaby that " hardly seemed an hour.
JESRiSs's HANDY LEXICON. BY Jabez Jenkins.
Philadelphia: Claxson, Remsen Hafelfnger.
Have you, oh reader. ever sat at the breakfasts
table, reading your newspaper and become sud
denly conscious that too-erudte Reporter had.
in the article to winch your attention directed,
INDUCED IN the OF words beyond your ordinary
comprehension Have you never shuddered to learn
that some sacrile yious wretch had contemeratea .
sacred edtdce by his graceless presence or, per-
liape you may have been called upon to rel dice 1t
the exundaton III the land, without, at the moment
remembering the exact meaning OF what you are
called upon to rejoice Tor. As, In few words, gen.
tie reader, you doubtless have been moro than once
the victim or anothcr's pomp0us style OF writing, Is
will be c0nsolatory to to learn that the little
lexicon before enables you to conveniently ascer
tam the meaning OF every word for which you at
fault. IL Is indeed, q 'handy lex1conn for the
numerous "JenKiasesn and their multifarioua
readers; and, Win all seriousness, We recommend
1t TO the public being In all respects practical
useful and ruost onvenlent little book Of reference