The New York herald., 1870-10-12
National Intellectual DcveIopmcnt-Rcvicws
and Their Influence.

and Their Influence.
In the growth or revival of literary excel
lence and intellectual power among nations in
modern times tho reviews perform an impor-
tant part. They are, indeed, peculiar phase
Of our modern civilization and progress. They
contain in themselves q particular kind of pc
riodical literature, highly critical artistic.
classic and philosophical. More than that
they reflect the intellectual activity Of the
times in political movements, In philosophical
and scientific research. In works of imagina-
tion, in art, In social Improvement and in lite
rary achievements. Although they have been
in existence less than three quarters of CEN
tury their influence in the intellectual devel-
opment Of the world has been very great-yes,
much greater than mankind at large perceive.
From the first and all through they have ag-
gregated the intelligence, culture, classic
scholarship and erudition of the first minds.
In fact, through their superior ability, origi-
nality and power they have been at the same
time both the correctors Of literary taste and
the creators Of literature In the several
countries where they have been established
The daily newspaper-the press, as that term
is generally understood nowadays-is the
mirror Of current events and ideas. The
weekly journals and other periodicals sum-
marize the matter Of the dailies, chiefly for
country readers. But the reviews dissect,
analyze and speculate upon events and all in
teilectual movements In comprehensive man
ner. In certain sense they constitute the
primary school of thinkers, and mature
ideas for writers on every subject.
By way of illustration we may notice the
contemporary growth Of literature in Great
Britain and the United States with the reviews,
and especially with the great quarterlies. The
quarterly reviews may be compared to the
heavy effective siege guns or heavy artillery
Of an army, and the smaller reviews and other
periodical literature to the musketry. The
father Of all in Eaglish-speaking countries is
the E6jnburg Reoiew. This kind of literature
is, indeed, the special property of the English
speaking race. 1t has been initiated or fol-
lowed TO some extent in other civilized coun-
tries, but it remains still specially of Great
Britain and America. The Edinbuyg Review
sprang into existence at time of great mental
activity in Europe and when England was
leading the nations of that Continent The
great French revolution at the close of the last
century had upheaved the whole framework of
political society and social life. That and the
wars which followed were but terrible strug-
gle between old ideas and systems and the new
ones. The liberal and progressive men re-
ceived nothing as er c0tAedra, but reduced
everything to the test of philosophy. This
was so not only with regard to political ques-
tions, but to literary pretensions and matters of
taste as well. 1t was peculiarly an eclectic
and searching age. Nothing had been seen
like it before. The Edsn6urg Rsoicw, for
example, which was started by few active
trenchant literary censor. Although there had
been in Great Britain and France, and even in
some other countries of Europe, periodicals of
a character similar to this, the Edin5urg
Rcoieeo was the starting point of the highest
order Of serial literature, of which it at once
raised the standard by the style and critical
ability of it's articles.
In the year 1902 Francis jeffrey and a few
young associates Of marked ability, all Of
whom were whigs formed the plan for start
ing the Edsm6arg Reoieo. Prominent among
these were Sydney Smith, Brougham CATER
wards Lord Brougham) and Horner. This
able serial was hailed by the liberal party as
the dawn Of brighter day, and by thought
full men, Indifferent to party, as an organ of
the highest order for the fearless discussion of
every matter worthy of investigation. 1t was
particularly characterized by merciless attacks
on the literary pretensions Of writer's Of that
day, and was not unfrequently too severe and
unjust. It had the effect, consequently, of
killing off mere literary pretenders, of improv-
ing and elevating the style of others through
it's searching criticism, and Of creating new
school of writers and authors. Savage as
were the attacks on Moore, Byron, Words
worth, Southey, Coleridge and others, these
writer's were really indebted to the assaults
for much Of the literary excellence they
attained afterwards. More than that the
EdinJurg RecieU gave rise to rivals-the
Quarterly ReoieO, tory organ, which had
for it's contributors Walter Scott, Lockhart,
Clifford, Colerldge Croker and Southey
the Westminster Reoiew, at a later day,
for which Bowring and Mill wrote; the
Eclectic ReoSew, religious and political
organ combined, among the writers Of
which were Adam Clarke and Robert Hall.
Other reviews and magazines of like char
acter followed, which aggregated . great deal
Of the learning and ability Of the country.
We claim, therefore, for the Ediza6urg ReoieO
the high character Of creator, in great
measure, of the literature of the British Isles
since the commencement Of the present
century. The poets, essayists, critics, histo-