The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1870-01-08
ERATURE.
Re- VIEW WOF NEW BOOKS.

HISTORY OF AMERICAN SocIALIsMs. BY John
Humphrey Noyes. Published by j. b. Lip
pincott & Co.
This handsorse octave of G7S pages is a
most valuable contribution 10 literature, and
it is well worthy of the perusal not only of
statesmen and political economists, but of all
who wish to be informed with regard to one
of the most interesting and curious phases of
modern civilization. 1t is certain that social
ism is not understood even by those who
profess to be leaders of public opinion, while
the mass of the public know absolutely moth
ing about the real aims and theories of the
class of reformers to which Mr.. Noyes be-
longs. To write the history of socialism par
ticular qualifications are necessary, and these
the author of this work appears to possess in
a high degree AS the founder of the Oneida
Community, he represents marked phase
of socialistic development, and his book
shows that he has made socialism in all its
phases an object of sincere and earnest
thought and careful study. His style is ele-
CANT and forcible, and his discussion of the
reasons for SO many socialistic failures shows
that, unlike many of his brethren, he is not
insensible to the logic of facts.
A large amount of the material for this
work, we are informed, was obtained from the
hitherto unpublished manuscripts of Scotch
man by the name of A. j. Macdonald, who
proposed to publish work similar to this.
He did not get farther than writing his pre-
face when he died of the cholera, leaving his
undigested materials for the use of some
| future historian. These materials Mr.. Noyes
EoC Oh insl
record the work is perhaps as complete as it
could be made. In perusing this book it is
not difficult to determine why socialism has
been and ever must be practical failure,
and how all such experiments as those re-
corded fail to make any impression on society
at large. Ii is the old story of the difference
between theory and practice, and the impossi-
| bility of changing human nature by any arbi-
trary system.
There has been large grain of truth at the
bottom of all these experiments to better the
condition of mankind, and this is recognized
every day by practical business men, but the
trouble is that, when dealing with morals,
the socialistic philosophers for the most part
totally ignore the very qualities that are most
| inherent in the nature of men and women:
they run counter to the natural course of
social development, and although they may
succeed in maintaining a few scattered com
munities, they never will either advance or
impede materially the progress of civilization.
From Turner Brothers q Co. we have re-
ceived 'Lady Byron Vindicated," by Mrs.
Harriet Beecher Stowe. Published by Fields,
Osgood & Co. We have already referred to
this work and set before our readers the
most important portions of it, SO that it ie
only necessary to announce the fact of its
publication.
Messrs. Fields, Osgool & Co. also publish
1.-The Adventures of Caleb Williams, by Viii
liam Goodwin. This powerful novel has been
out of print for great number of years, and
it is probably unknown, except by reputation,
to large number of readers of the present
generation. 1t is issued at the present time
on account of the references to it in Mrs.
Stoves book, but ii is we'll worthy of peru
sal on its own account.
Turner a. Co. also send as 'Mirthfulness
and it's Excters; or, Rational Laughter and
it's Promoters" by b. F. Clark. Published
by Lee Shepard. The author, or rather
compiler, of this book is a clergyman, who at
the age Of siXiy-ope found himself obliged tC