The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1871-08-13

REMARKABLyNE BOOK.


COMING RACE; OR, THE NEW UTOPIA. Re-
nnted from the F2lish edition. New York:
Tancis B. Felt IL Co
o better written more deeply interesting book
n this has appeared in long time. IL contains
losophy lma.ination and satire, poetry, sentl-
ut and wiz The title, ''The Coming Race" is
one whtn IN any way conveys an adequate idea
he booi and IL the author has pictured the only
Utopia which ia possible he mas carefully re-
ned from painting it with Utopan periections.
gives US beautiful picture In a way so delight
so full OF half fun, half earnest, and withal SO
that we cannot refrain from saying, with Black
bd's Magazine that his book is a marvellous
*. 1t will find thousands OF American readers
will be pleased with the vig0r with which it
Is with the problems of the day and the charm
way in which they are portrayed and discussed.
he book was first published by BlackwOod Il
Is, but the author. II not an American, is thor
hiy versed In American AFFAIRS. But he deals
h affairs which are 80 far from beng American
{ he goes into the bowels OF the earth to find
coming race. The descent is q comparatively
one--too easy for the wonders which are found
the subterranean world--through shaft IN
mine and thence by . volcanic assure to the
ID or the vri-ya. An American is the hero of the
bk, even II its author Is not an American, and we
st confess that he was better behaved IN the
country which ne discovered than are many OF
cOuntrymen In foreign parts. Having made
descent into the bowels Of the earth he
Ind himself alone among new species OF
n, and in. country where the sun never
mes. few steps from the place where he
hde his entrance into this wonderful regio was
tity brilliantly illuminated by lamps and he was
ere received and entertained by the commissioner
Light. The lamps were something like those
Gently placed in ashington square, but nobody
Id q patent on Them and, stranger still, no money
Is made out of contracts for lighting up the
ether regions. The men OF that wonderful place
ere like the symbolical images Of genii or demons
seen on Etruscan vases or lmned on the walls Of
Egyptian sepulchres-tall, but not gigantic, and
18th beardless faces singulary beauteOus and tran.
bill in expression. The women were even larger
IAN the men, and in every way their superiors,
assessing greater independence than even Ameri-
IN women possess and marrying in way that Mrs.
anton and Miss Anthony would certainly approve.
hey led an idle. careless life the children dong all
be work and the women all the wooing. hun
req years was the minimum OF existence. and vrl
has the essence Of Life and Of labor OF ease and Of
appness.
Before the discovery OF vril and its application by
beans Of the vrll-sta these people were very much
Ike people above ground. But this potent agency
hanged the whole character OF their thoughts and
s hollow having In the handle several stops, keys
springs, by which Its force can be altered modt-
led or directed SO that by process 1t destroys,
another 1t heals by one II can rend the rock, by
mother dispense the vapOr; by one II afrects
bodies, by another It can exercise q certain nnu.
ence over minds. Our traveller had not been long
the country Of the vriya before he had an OppOr.
UNITY OF testing its powers In his descent
rom the mine he had been wounded and after
ward tainted away. Vril quickly restored him, and
while he in the trance mesmerIc state he not
Pnly learned the language OF the Vrilya, but COM
3municated mis- own tongue to them. What glo-
fious consummaton this would be for us! The pains
pr learning languages would be done away with
Forever If whenever another tongue was to be com.
|municated 1t could be done with vril.
But our readers will naturally ask, what is vri ?
Ht was an all-permeatng nuid. capable Of being
over ali forms OF matter, animate or inanimate 1t
|supplied the lamps which lit up the neither world
with steadler, softer and healthier light than the
tnnammabe materials which had been formerly
used. 1t could reno way through the most
solid substances. 1t could destroy life ana even
overcome armies, at distance OF over
i've hundred miles. "But,' writes our author,
1.-The effects of the alleged discovery Of the TO
arect the more terrible force Of vril were chiefly
markable in their influence upon social polity.n
Al these effects became famiary known and skifulv ad
brought the art of destruction such perfection annu
hs s ss ahs
Shid could SKATER the strongest fortress clcave 1t.
host II army net army and both had command Of this
other effect. bearing social
rent Man was so completely a. the mercy Of each
.nom he encountered being able II so willing to slsy him
ally vanished from political systems and forms Of law
only By force tina! va, srss,
either the Of or the
The vi thus the course Of afew
smons which had fallen limited 70 l!,oSi families:
and .. stated periods sap. population
realm Of ~ own There appeared no nessss.y for any
sufficient nuuber who volunteered to depart.
70
sy SPOKE the same the dialect; gh!
general laws and eistoms and Important bono between
:s Sa A IT, s y
synonymous with cvization and yrl-ya. ssnyIng 'he
the m hem
selves from such Of the Ana - were yet Ia state Of bar
goyernmsn. Of the tribe of vrly. am treating Of va.
apr theory Little
Ta N Of that t the
unity or the ascent through all intervening abyrnths to
thu. fssuoo.n have asres
that 2 benevolent autocracy would insure the best
administration there guarantees for its conuu
1hc OF against its gradual abuse of the powers accorded
IT, This singular community elected therefore single
preme magistrate styled Tur He held his office noninay
Tor fe but he could seldom be induced TO after the
trs Of old age There was indeed in this society
Once. No bonors insignia Of higher rank, assigned
10 H. The supreme magistrate not distinguished from
BY superior habaton On the other
hand. the dulles awarded to him marvellOusly
sasr or intelligence fhcrc being no apprehension.
Of war, there armies TO MAINTAIN; being
40 government of force. there was no police to
appoint and direct What call crime utterly
known to vriya: and there criminal
Justice. The instances Of civil disputes referred
arbitration friends chosen by either decided
u Ne Council OF sagcs which will described later There
we're no lawyers and indeed their laws
conventions for there power to enforce
offender who carried in his stan the power
70 destroy his judges There were customs and regulations
70 ooupa which, for the people had
scitv 6abitnsted themselves: In apJ instance nd
sdua felt compliance hard he Quilted the community
and went There In fact quietly established
amid this much the same compsc, that is found In
our private families in which virtually say 10 any
independent grownP msmeer OF the family whom We re-
Stay according as our habits and
regulations suit dsplease you" But though there we're no
avn such "A we laws, above ground 50 Jaw
Sbservng Obedlepce TO adopted BIZ the community