Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1873-08-13
BOOK NOTICES.


OLD ROME AND NEW ITALY. BY Emilio Caste
lar, Author Of sThe Republican Movement in
Europe now publishing in Harper's Adga-
zine. Translated by Mrs. Arthur Arnold
New York: Harper s. Brothers, Publishers.
The American mind rejoices over the re-
action which has thrown off the rigid dog
matism and severe discipline f our earlier
days. But simultaneous with this inspiring
freedom from old theological letters, comes
9 laxity of morals both public and private, a
wide spread worship of pelf and Pleasure,
which alarms every patriot. Earnest minds
are trying TO solve the problem of attaining
morals without any dogmatic basis; while
OR Mormon friends are content with all
dogma and no morals. Old fogies are not
sanguine of the experiment; they say, as
well expect the ripe corn without the sup.
port of the ungSinly stalk, as look for NOR
ais without the sustena:ce of positive re-
ligion. The problem is mighty one, and
the conditions for its impartial solution are
very favorable in this country, if we
are but discreet enough to keep up
our traditional distinction between religion
and politics. With this proviso, the world
never afforded q fairer field for the
effort. In Europe not so: there thousand
fragments of the ages of faith tangle togeth-
err the threads of the religious and the po-
litical life; the State is either the handmade
or the domineering master of the Church;
and density of population forces the ques-
tion of religion Gas means of contenting
the poor masses) into the very domain of
political economy. all the evils depicted
by the unrelenting Malthus are upon them,
intensified by the maintenance of
huge military establishments which would
astound the first Napoleon. This century,
which has so multiplied mans capacities
by subduing the powers of nature and
making machines do the work of millions,
has also piled up more public debts and sad
died them on the ecple, than all the pre-
vicus fifty centuries of history. In the
hope of sharing the spoils, cunning capital
lists have feed the Revolution in its protean
shapes; Tut now they begin to understand
that these public debts ranging into the
thousands of billions, will never be paid;
and they understand further that the con-
tinued payment of the bare lnterfs must
depend in the future on the general diffu-
sion among the masses of an upright, I'M
swerving honesty. Unless the public morals
are maintained, Reputation is inevitable.
Thus We may expect soon
to see all the money changers and
property holders make common cause with
the clerical party and the rnonarchists in IA
vor of order and religion. They will make
common cry with Robespierre, off there Is
no God, We must make one.o
The work before Us, written by prom
inent Spanish republican and free -thinker,
gives us many glimpses from his standpoint
into the nature of the struggle, interpreted
with incidents of travel and historic retro
spelts. According to the scientific fashion
of the age, he recognizes paganism and
| christianity as only varying moods of hu-
man thought, while his enthusiasm for art
fines morefood in the former thanin the lat
| ter. His explanation OF the progress oil
early christianity is that ''the sensuality Of
the Roman Empire, operating on the con
science, brought forth the too spiritual reac-
ton Of christianity and converted a world
of epicureans into world Of monks" This
book is very readable, aud in his jokes about
the clergy the author does not hesitate to
quote Boccaccio. The translation by Mrs.
Arnold is admirable.
For sale by w. 7. Berry & Co.
WIT AND WISDOM OF GEORGE ELIOT. Boston:
Roberts Brothers.
The Numerous admirers of this gifted
authoress-one of the purest of our days
and by many esteemed the successor OF
Charlotte Bronte-will hail with pleasure
the publication of this handy duodecimo.
As the name indicates, it is a compilation
of the pithiest passages from her seven
clever novels, including Middlemarch. 1T
possesses the merit-very desirable in such
compends-of giving the context sufficiently
copioUs FIR the full understanding OF each
passage, and the volume closes with an
ample index, by means of which its varied
contents are rapidly brought into requisition,
For sale by a. Setliff,