The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1875-02-11

| canQOr Is purify ano CONCESSION Is loVo.
The very initial page Of this teemarkable pro-
duction of Mr.. Harness, glows with The above
enthusiastic invitation to the different members
OF the editorial profession into whose hands
his books are committed, and SO anxious does
he seem that the great depths of criticism should
be broken up and made to toss his literary wait,
at least, on the public attention, that we Cheer
fully contribute our wavelet to the accomplish
ment OF the general result This effort OF MIR. IL.
is perpetrated something after the fashion OF an
allegory. It opens with vague but rhapsod-
ic description of some impossible city in some
transcen ientalIy happy and indescribably pros
porous region, sub coela ct super terra, where all
things civil and political are in high state o
imaginary perfection and general blessedness.
Indeed that joyous region seems to partake
greatly OF the beatifc character of the vision
caught by the dying King Arthur Of the Island
Valley of Avillion; -.
'These bowery hollows crowned with Summers seas,
In which there falls not neither hail nor rain nor any
| Snow
beamed in all its glories upon his fading
sight and made the transit over the chilly di-
viding current, but an ecsIaey OF sublime antlc-
| IpdlIOu. ILLS 1IdSldtt AuhiSPoAoJ3 " A,'FF-
~ located is or aoas, IS to be the abiding place
of the aforesaid Genius of the aforesaid Democ-
racy, (Mr. H. didn't make it appear plainly as
to the time, being too much engaged in meta
phorical and figurative elaboration) but we as
sumo that it was in the past that the ssGeniqs"
was so pleasingly surrounded. The ''Genius'
here envirened by all the insignia of power and
general invincibility, summons three witnesses
| to testify for the prosecution of some nameless
malefactor whom las Mr.. H. again fails to be spe-
| cific) we assume to be the human family in gen
eral. and nobody in particular, aud these wit
nesses are dubbed relatively, Mr.. Bondauto crat,
Mr.. Priest and Mr.. Politician. The Genius pro-
ceeds for these individuals in a manner charac-
teristic of that employed towards this class OF
unfortunates, even in our matter OF fact " orld,
and EFFORTS some very damaging admissions
from them as to what they severally and jointly
designed to perpe6rate on the other members
of their extensive family, and finally
| they exchange the witness box for the crimi-
nails dock, and this same versatile Genius then
summons other witnesses, viz, the Genius OF
Patriotism and other good Genii OF diverse 10
menclature to help fasten the law and the
facts, and finally, the ends of justice are fully
achieved, and amid fluttering OF pinions, robes,
&C., the ghostly, but patriotic convocation ex-
hales in blaze Of sunlight and dewy vapor.-
During the proceedings in court, various and
effactivs treaties On taxation, suffrage, misceg-
| nation constitutional amendments, &C., are
desultorily discharged by the various Genii with
more or less effect. But IS before stated, there is
over all this marvellous writer's central thought,
such glamour OF allegorical and figurative ex-
huberance, that no mind less Bunyan-iike than
that of the author Of 'Pifgrin," could ever
penetrate its hazy indistinctness.
To the youthful student Of political intri-
cacies, however, whose anile mind is best slim
ulated by the peculiar style REFERRED to we com
mend it as valuable horn book, and we will
shelve it away in our library as a sort OF poiiti-
| co-leoal Smother Goose,'' for the edfication
and entertainment Of those who are to live af-
ter we s'have wrapped the drapery OF our couch
about us and laid us down to pleasant Dreams !"
| Tho contents of The British Quarterly Re-
uieao, for January,ius received from fHE LEO
NARD SCOTT PUBLsaING Co., Al Barclay ST.,
New York, are as follows
| 1. Paparchy and Nationality.
! Ii. Cox's History Of Greece.
Ill The Adornmcnt of st. Paui's
w. The Bibles Place in Science of
Religion.
V. Early Christian Inscriptions OF
France.
VI The Greville Memoirs.
VII. Europe and Peace.
| VIII. Erasmus-his Character.
| Contemporary Literature.
The foregoing list of subjects is fresh de-
monstraton of the fact SO often stated, that this
Review, in common with the others of the seri-
es regularly published here, aims to keep its
readers well informed on all matters of public
| interest.
| In the first article the writer shows that the
controversy now wagng in Germany. is ''deep-
ly rooted in the historical! incompatibiity OF the
pretensions of the Papaey with the autonomy
of the State;'' that the conflict was inevitable,
and admits of no evasion or compromise; and
ssupon every ground of Scripture, of reason, OF
society, of history, and of humanity" takes
side with the civil against the ecclesiastical
power, in the struggle for supremacy within
the State.
ss.rhe History of Greece" by G. w. Cox, au-
thor OF 'The Mythology Of the Aryan Nations,
receives much commentator, especially for the
discrimination between true history and mere
legend. The two volumes now published con-
clude the feloponnesan War.
Article Nv is best described in the writer;
own words: ''He has sought to present, in the
data of scriptural religion, great body Of sci
entific facts which must remain positive know
ledge in the department. Of religion, whatever
new knowledge may arise i'll physical science
ssEurope and Peace would have been mer
APPLY entitled Europe Preparing for War;
and for war of terrific proportions. The de
scription of the condition and temper of che ma
lions affords little hope for the contiRuance 0
peace.
The other articles and the extended notice
of Contemporary Literature bripg more topic
to the readers attention than we have room
particularize.
The periodicals reprinted by The LEoNAR
vScoTT PUBLIsHiNa Co. al Barcley Street
N. " are as follows: The London Qxa,Terz,
; Ediaburg, Wesminster, and British Quarter