The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1875-07-17


nltv to form a general idea OF the character
Gen. Sherman's book, though more cFitlca
notice of It may be more acceptable to such a.
have not yet read it. The book was mainly writ
ten of course, as q contribution to correct MS
tory of the events Of the war of the rebellion IN
which Gen. S. was personally engaged ana
which he had, of all men, the most intimate know
edge; but it is opened with several Introductory
chapters, in which the author relates his carry
experiences as an officer in the regular army III
tse South and California; where he witnessed
the extraordinary events that attended the sci
zure of that region by our forces, the discovery
of gold, etc The fever seems to have seAeu
our author himself for we find him sctllihS
down in San Francisco as banker, Il venture
which seems not to have proved fortunate, LOT
| he next essays the role of farmer, then Il law
yer, and Mt last, at the opening OF the reDeiIoh'
we find him at the head OF military academy
in Louisiana. Forecastng the tar'reachihS
results of the rebellion, he leaves the South ana
lands at st. Louis There, after refusing sundry
minor civil positions under the government, he
offers his services Internationally IN the army,
and is appointed Colonel of a regiment OF reg
ulars" He took part in the first battle OF Bun
Run" and then went west to serve under Gen,
Robert Anderson in organizing the Union army
in Kentucky lie alludcs candidly and chaTita'
bly, to the storm Of newspaper ridiculc which he
brought down upon himself for telling the author
| tiles at Washington that he needed 10000 men
for defense and 100000 for offensive operations
in Kentucky; and then proceeds to give stir
ring history of the campaign that ended in Civ
ing the Union armies control Of the great rivers
Of the West. Nothing IS more attractive III his
book than the calm way in which, in this mighty
campaign, he distributes the praise and blame to
leaders on both sides as lie considers it due.
Thomas is "slow but sure; Burnside, "too easy;
Mower, "a bold fighter; the rebel Johnson, a
"rcal military genius, etc. His history Of events
around Chattanooga Is like living them over
again; and of course no other writer can give,
as lie does, the reasons and considerations that
decided him to undertake his great march to the
sea, or can narratc the stirring events that ac-
companied it with more vivid or graphic pen.
As TO his terms with Gen. Johnston, on his sur
render to Sherman, in reference to which he be-
came involved in such an angry controversy with
Secretary Stanton, Gen. 5. naturally deyotcS
some space to his own yindcation, which he APP
parcntly establishes fully, by showing that he
bat acted in literal obedience to instructions
from Lincoln and Grant. To the history proper,
he appcnds few concluding chapters on the
lessons of the war, urging change Of cur pres
cnt system of bureau and staff departments, and
insists on the total independence of the army in
the field from any and every outside dictaton
except from its own chief at Washington. The
book throughout is interesting, plain spoken,
manly in tone, ana eminently characteristic Of
its great author.
TIE INExpEDIENcY or AN IRREDEEMABLE PA.
PER CURRENCY. Being an Abridgement of the
Chapters from "The Principles of Political
Economy" on Money and Credit, by j. Stuart
Mill Henry l.. Hinton IL Co, New York; Jan
sen, McCurg ~ Co.. Chicago.
This is pamphlet of some 80 pages, in con
venient form for popular reading and reference
and embraces the outlines of the famous chap
tiers indicated the great English economist. 1t
is the remark of Bonamy Price, in one of his lee
lures, that "a centrifugal force is ever acting on
some large section of society," which makes it
forget all that it has learned, and draws it back
into the darkness of ignorance" This force
seems to be acting with amazing energy in this
country just now. The irrcclamable yiciousncss
and unmitigatcd evils of an irredccmablc paper
currency have for century, at least, been so
fully accepted as settled beyond further need
of discussion, that anything like n grave defense
of such a currency may be said to have disap-
pcared from English literature, until, within the
last few years, u school of smatterers, profound
I,yt1,
teachings of history, have attempted to revive a
folly which former ages had again and again eX-
ploded. The chapters from j. Stuart Mill, of
which We have SO handy Il compendium in the
pamphlet before Us, subject the viciousness of
the irredcemabc paper money deluson to the
crucial ordeal of a mathematical demonstration.
The pamphlet is timely and its wide circulation
our country threatened overwhelming calami
ty.
THE CHARACTER AND LOGICAL METHOD or Pc.
LITICAL ECoNoMl, BY j, f. Cairnes, Emeritus
Professor of Political Economy in University
College, London, etc. Harper ~ Bro, New
York; Jansen, McClurg " Co., Chicago.
OF the recognized sciences to-day none per-
haps is more unsettled in its fundamental prin.
ciplcs than that Of political economy. Since
the immortal treatise Of Adam Smith, the most
successful effort to formulate the science was
that Of John Stuart Mill; but his death left the
work far from completed, and now Professor
Cairncs, who took up the work where Mill left
oil, is also, as late cable dispatches inform us,
arrested in md-carccr and translated to the
spirit world. In the volume before US, which is
given as the ripe fruit Of twenty-five years of
study and reflection, the author deals mainly
with the cost Of production and Of value rs de-
termued by cost and it is in this department
that he is agreed to have rendered the IN st sig
nal service to the progress Of economic science.
In the present deranged state Of industry in this
country, and confusion Of tongues in regard TO
questions of tariff, currency and banking, the
study Of political economy becomes patriotic
duty, and writings like those OF J. Stuart Mil
and Professor Cairnes, aiiording a little solid
ground to stand upon, are especially TO be sought