The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1871-05-24
DAILY PRESS.
ND.
WEDNESDAY, MAY "a, 1871
New Publiensious.
PORTLAND.

HANDBOOK FOR IMMIGRANTS to the United
states, prepared by the American Social Sci
ence ASSOCIATION, with maps and published
Dy Hurd & Houghton. For sale by Loring,
snort and Harmon. Price 81 cts.
This work contains, in concise form. such
in'orlha'lon as one proposing emigration re-
quIres III order to decide, first, whether he
had better leave his old home, and if so. seq
ond, how to settle himself in a new ona I,
aims not only at guiding Immigrants across
the ocean and into the interior of the United
States, but also at fitting them to become
contented and useful citizens in the land of
their adoption. We have been surprised at
the mass of valuable information contained
IN this book, and can recommend it not only
10 the immigrant, but to all who desire to
have ready at hand in a small compass, accu.
rate statements and statistics concerning the
extent OF the country and of the several states
anb territories, as well as Of the SOIL climate,
resources, laws, railroads, taxation, revenue,
wages and hundred other subjects of gener-
al interest
In THE WORLD.-A sequel TO "Battles at
Home, by Mary g. Darling, with four full
page Illustrations. Published by Horace b.
runef, Boston: For sale by Loring, Short
d Harmon. Price S1.5O.
This is juvenile. It's author established
her reputation in "Battes at Home,n book
which received the appreciation OF
Louisa M. Alcott and other good
judges of juvenile literature. Miss Darling
knows all about boys, and likes 'em, other
wise she couldn't present the public with such
natural and lile-like specimens as are to be
met with in her books. 1t is refreshing to
read in book, Of boys and girls who talk and
act just like our youngsters at home-wbo
are not wise beyond their years, nor so dread
1ully plous as to be too good to live, of young
lolks VINO get into scrapes and then get out
agaln-who being tempted sometimes Weld,
sometimes resist, and are always human. In
TINS book, after supposed interval of six
years, The same characters that took part in
Battles at Home" reappear-G Grandfather,
MIR. q Mrs. Stanley, Lille, Jimmie, Geoffrey.
Arthur and Bob!
The first chapter gives an account of Ar
thurs graduation at sold Harvard" and The
second of Charley and Jimmie's examiDation
for entrance; then follow study talk and an
exciting boat race. We 90 through college
with the boys, get interested in their plans
and studies, their travels, love affairs and va
rlous experiences" reaching the end of the
book with sincere regret that it contains no
more. 1T is cheerful, sensible, practical
book, with no Improbable characters or i'm
possible events, and will add 10 the reputa.
tion OF the writer and the happiness of many
homes.
AMERICAN RELIGION, by John Weiss, Pub
lished by Peterson Brothers, Boston. For
sale by Lo"ing, Short & Harmon.
MIR. Weiss in this volume attempts to give a
statement OF what constitutes American Re
ligion. Probably but a small minority of
Americans would acknowledge that what
Mr.. Weiss describes, is their religion. But he
would reply that he pretends to give not what
it is nominally, but what IL is really. Some
will object that the Christian religion is the
only religion and that tEsre is no such a thing
as "AmeIican Religion" But if the religion
of every nation has something in common
with that of the world it has also much grow
ing out of peculiar national character, situa-
tion and circumstances which is peculiar to
ITSELF The author is one of the most radical
of the rationastic school and denies that
ever there was such thing as a miraculous
| occurrence. His first chapter is on "Rieht
Mental Method" which he defines as "Anti-
supernaturalism." He seeks for God, not in
the marvellous, but in the regular order and
uniform sequence of phenomena. The Di-
vine lmmanence, the active in-being of God
in all phenomena mate, ial and spiritual, is the
keynote to the religious philosophy OF Mr..
Weiss. The whole universe is vital with the
Infinite Presence. "The Supernatural ap .
pears as the ground and efficient cause of uni
formity, gradual successveness, perpetual in-
variability" The divine order OF the uni
verse being adequate to all its emergencies
"irruptons from the invisible are crowded out
| by the sustenance of Law" The author in
the chapter on "a Divine Person" dverges
rom the leadership OF Herbert spencer and
IS strangiy inclined TO eliminate personality
from the idea of God, and to regard the I'm.
seen Power as nothing more than an un-
movable Force. The author dissents from
any such Limitation of the Infinite as is in
volved in ''emptying all consciousness out of
this infinity." Such are the main iundamen-
tai principles OF this religious philosophy
which the author pursues into their various
developments. ANY mere abstract fails how
ever, TO do justice to the work. Those who
have been waiting TO see something positive
from school of thought which has thus far
been chiefly distinguished for iconoclasm, will
find their expectations gratified in this work
and though they may hesitate to follow the
author in all his conclusions they will find ina
his condensed thought, healthful and invigor
ating mental food.
TEN GREAT RELIGIONS. BY James Free
man Clark. Published by James r. Os-
good q Co. Boston. For sale by Hall L.
Davis, SO Exchange st.
The ten great religions are Judaism, Chris
tianity, Buddhism, Brahmani ism, Mahome-
tanism, the religions of Conlucius, of Zoroas-
ter and OF Egypt, Greece and Scandinavia.
The author considers Christianity the uni
versal religion oil humanity, aud all the others
partial approximations to this, and therefore
| merely ethnic and local.
| ba fret eiy oh Mt IF ba
are composed from six articles prepared for
the Atlantic Monthly and published in that
| magazine in 1868. These attracted consider
able attention at the time, and induced the
| author to prepare other chapters. His aim Is
10 enable the reader 10 become acquainted
| with the doctrines and customs of the princi-
| pal religions of the world without having to
consult numerous volumes. Having made
| the study OF these different religions a spec
ialty Tor twenty-five yeals, the author comes
to the task with the results of ripe scholarship
| as well as catholic spirit He is extensive.
| ly know as one OF the most leerned as well
as most religious among the apostles of ra-
tonal Christianity.
| The science OF comparative theology is of re
| cent origin and Its value is by some disputed.
But if the science of religion like every thing
else that has any Just claims to the name OF
science, is an inductive science proceeding by
| oooei '"bioh oho SAPCiAAhchI, anu dPpiOAhho
ting to perfection by bringing together COM
pairing and classifying the concrete religious
| experiences OF individuals and races, coEIpara-
tive theology opens a hopeful field OF investi-
| CATION. The idea that religions views ought
to be held subject to repeated Ievisions and
notifications as the area OF induction is ex-
| tended, will rot be, acceptable to many. But
those who hold contrary view and are suf-
| ficiently modest to be learners will read DIR.
Clark's work with interest and profit.
| Iune Magazines.
Harper for June opens very pleasantly with
a new poem by VIM. Allen Butler, author
Of "Nothing to Wear" The following is the
table of contents for. the royal number begin
ing the forty-third volume, General Average
by the author of "Nothing TO Wear" With
four Illustrations; The New York Custom
House, by T. b. Thorpe, with thirteen illus
tratiens; Along the Florld Reef fifth
Paper,) by j. b. Holder, with eight illustra-
tions: The Hint of Dawn, by Harriet Pres
colt Stafford, an excursion to Watkins Glen,-
Porte Crayon, with ten illustrate )ns, by Porte
Crayen) Anne, Furness, by the author o.
"Mabel's Progress" etc.; A Bohemian House
hold, by Mrs. Frank Mccarthy, the American
Baron, by the author OF the "Dodge Club
etc., with three Illustrations; The aHorror.
of San Domingo" by Berson j. Losing