New-York tribune., 1873-01-21
LITERARY LETTERS.
BOSTON NOTES.

"oLD AND NEW FOR FEBRUARY-NEw BOSTON
| JOHN QUINCY ADAMS ABOUT THOMAS JET
FERsON-MRs. GREENOUGH ABOUT THE EVIL
THAT Is IN THE woRLD-MR. PUTNAM AND
| ONE OF HIS NOVELS.
| IPRoM REGULAR CORRESPONDENT oP THg rRIBUsgl
Boston, Jan. 1S.-In the Introduction to Old
and Eep for February Mr. Hale sketches briefly the
plan and the advantages OF the New Boston," which s
to rise the spot where ruins yet smoking
This New Boston 20 be built five avenues radating
nearly like the sticks OF fan which has been opened
enough to make a quarter-circle These avenues
| converge, 30 that they all enter into the square
around the PostO1ice. The new Chauncyst., paraiei
with,Washington-st., nearly southwest thehe"
Pearl-st runs nearly southeast; Devonshirest, Fed
eral-st., and Congressst. the three SUCKS o'
| the fan between. BY this plan you can go up from
every point the shore by what is practically the
shortest line You need never walk In the sun unless
you choose the shade unless you choose This new
arrangement is believed. will offer the greatest posi-
BILE advantages the speedy and easy transaction OF
busness and the hopeful imagination OF Mr. Haze sees
such future prosperity in store for us as VIII prove our
great calamity have been great blessing in disguise
magnificent illumination, lighting the way to future
| glory. Amen.
As Mr. James Parton. by his popular papers in The
Atlantic has created fresh interest in the life ana
character of Thomas Jefferson, old and Nen, by
| way OF flying a kite the breeze. prints a
letter written TO the editor OF The North American
Reve by John Quincy Adams in $780, and never before
published In this letter Mr.. Adams says that Jefersons
in religion and politics were not of that harmless
class which may be encountered with equlv0ca oppos
ton, hesitatng dissent Examination is one thing
rejection Of all human authority is another. Mr. JeHer
son examined much less than he rejected He never
examined the evidences Of Christianity He rejected 1t
| as an imposture. What he by examination was
treating Bible like Tooke's Pantheon-studying all
the fashionable atheists OF the aud never looking
into the writers in favor Of Christianity There is good
deal of shrewd wisdom in Mr. Adamss remark that " lie
who recommends TO young man total rejection oil
human authority in the pursuit OF his inquiries
after religious truth ought, il not in modesty
at least consistency to include his own author
/ ity with tho rest" 1t is not an infrequent
attitude for the Apostles OF Free Thought though doubt
less they assume ousy, to-day in everything
but actual words to say, Reject all traditions, II you
would be wise, and believe only Me-"
In this forthcoming number the Rev James Martneau
gives us second part of his admirable paper on Ut
itariansm" Ellis Gray tells brief tale, with the title
OF Allegro" Theodore Bacon writes about The Rail-
roads-servants Masters" and Mrs. Greenough re-
and concludes interesting and tragic story OF
"Pythonia" which had the appearance OF being some
what abruptly finished in the last number In 1t she
touches the old problem of the existence OF Eyi-a
question that the thought upon
it Of every young person who thinks at all must DO well
come. she makes one of her characters say;
"The all-nfolding Spirit contains within His own
all active principles therefore, sin can be but the
| working OF good did we but rightly understand IT,
abhor and reject that frghtfu doctrine that the created
can be stronger for evil than the Creator for good Ine
great ends OF Omnipoence concerning US are equally
WORKED through actions, whether they be called
bind but evil we are not Evil, as a force, not,
cannot exist. Ia affirming 1t. We deny God
She also suggests theory Of capital punishment
which shall recognize those oenses-suDter and darker
than any against life and propertywhich strike at the
soul itself She asks and with reason, whether the
murderer OF fe's happiness, the destroyer Of faith
hope and love- harmful to the interests Of society
than some poor wretch who, in outburs Of senseess
rage drunken fury, cuts short life Of no more useful
than his own.
Miss sara A. Clarke tells brightly the story OF "A
Roman Lawsuit; :" Mr.. Hale goes on with his Ups and
Downs" and Mr.. Perkins contributes valuable paper
on The French spohation Claims" 1.-THE Examiner"
opens with few personal "reminiscences OF some OF the
dead have gone to the majority in 1872 Among
these Mr. George r. Putnam the publisher, Is spoken OF
In strain OF afectonate eulogy One anecdote, which
illustrates Mr.. Putnam's business conscience-a con-
science almost fine and delicate for this commercial
| worlds the following:
He had let himself be talked into publishing Ger
tain novel; the author who was no doubt honest enough
in his fooshness, having yanqushed the reluctance and
resistance of the veteran who knew all the time ne had
no business submit. but who was only too kindly IN
acquiescing requests OF others. He was too un-
| suspicious TO watch sharply enough, moreover MI,
Author shrewdy managed to crowd the BOOK thrOugh
the press before publisher knew much about 1t, and
il with extravagant title at It's heal Win
two equally illbaptZed books promised at It's tl
by the same author close at hand and as Tor the
story itself-well, "The GuDmaker Of Moscow" was
masterpiece 10 IT, aid The Bloody Butcher OF Bung-
town was IT'S own brother. / never saw more ds-
eusted man than Mr.. Putnam; and l confess that,
In INV mild way drew his attention 70 the nature OF
the occurrence He said little possible though he
looked "A great deal. lie was wise afterward II ne had
not been before and certainly he did what never
knew TO be done by any other publisher 10 repair
the error He could not suppress the book,
for il was not his own; but not only dlu
he refrain from pushing it as publisher pushes
the book he believes IN, bur he went 10 WORK
and procured Just (hat Is. an unfayoraOeD review 10
he written his publication, and printed II III his
own magazine. The second and third OF the series were
never issued possibly they yet In the non-wrtten
preGxistence Of the authors great mind; and almost
certainly the author knows ne Is a nne writer and
frghtfully abused man.
BY this slight difference Of opinion between author and
publisher am reminded Of letter saw the other day
"A verItabe leter-in which disappointment In love,
and consequent disappointment with life were elo-
ouently set forth as why the firm to whom the
epise was addressed would be the most stony
OF pagans they refused profered novel And after
ALL they did refuse the monsters Go to! Are we not
even to have an opportunity to bewail our broken
hearts in the OF the public L. N.
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