The Portland daily press., 1877-01-06
MagaZine Notices.

With the January number the North Anseri-
can Recieao enters on 6 new series, under new
management. Instead of quarterly, it will
hereafter be bi-monthly, appearing on the
first of January. March, May, July, Septem-
Der and November. Instead of $500 year
the subscription will be but $780,
Its publishers announce that the scope of the
Review will be enlarged under the new man.
agement, so as to embrace as far as possible all
mportant topics that interest, or ought to
interest, thoughtful minds. The political, in
dustrial, economic, financial, social education
al, literary, scientific, philosophical, and moral
questions that engage the attention of the
Amercau public, will be discussed BY writer's
competent to treat them thoroughly and 10
command confidence. The Review is perfectly
untrammeled; it is not the organ of any party
OF sect or clique, or even of its own editors
The laost vigorous thinkers, the most judiclous
critics, the broadest scholars, the best trained
minds of the day, will address the public
through its pages, not as advocates of pet theo-
res, but as judges summing up facts and theo-
res in the light Of the best intelligence.
Current topics will be more considered than
heretofore; the living issues Of the day will be
discussed while they are living, and in the hope
of shaping them to salutary results. The wis
est craftsmanship and philosophy will be
pressed into the service Of the Review, to treat
fifty the practical questions that concern the
well being of society, and the right conduct of
government. 1t is not intended that these
questions shall be treated so abstrusely and
subtly as to interest only philosophers and
statesmen, but so clearly and practically as to
enlist the hearty interest of all intelligent
readers.
The first number of the new series Is good
earnest that the promises of the publishers will
be carried cut. In appearance the Review has
but little changed, she only difference being
that it is less bulky, y,-contaning fewer pages
and in consequence much better proportiened
and more easy to handle. The papers 10 addi-
tion to the reviews of current literature are six
in number. The substance of the opening srti-
Gle, Points in American Politics, by Richard Il.
Dana, jr., has already been given in these
columns. The article contains many striking
aud valuable suggestions in regard to the cleo
toral system, though it is written 10 q despair
ing vein which is both unpleasant aud uncslled
for. The second article of the number is re-
view of Daniel Deronda, by Edwin P. Whip
epigram, has been established in the position of
first critic of America. Mr.. Whipple holds
| that Daniel Deronda shows a palpable advance
| on the previous works of George Eliot. Dan
| iel appears to him lone of the noblest aud most
| original characters among the heroes imagined
| by poets, dramatsts, and novelists," Mordecai
| is "wonderful delineatiou." Mrah is ''as ex.
| quisite creation. endowed with simplicity Of
character which is as forcible as it is simple"
| In short only the strongest phrases can express
| Mr.. Wbipple's admiration of the book.
e. Gryzanowski contributes careful critical
paper, charmingly written, on Richard Wsg-
| ner's Theories of Music, in which he is chary
neither of praise nor blame, and in which he
concludes that 'without giving up any of the
recognized and time-honoied forms Of music
| we can afford to hail the advent OF the
| new form of musical drama as a welcome
| and ever necessary addition to the resources OF
| the art" E. S. Nadal has just, careful and
/ discriminating review OF Bret Harte's work
| and style. While recognizing in Mr.. Hsrte
marked genius, and believing that he has pro-
| duced works which are as certain as any of his
/ time and country to be read in the future Mr.
Nadal does not hesitate to visit his faults with
severe criticism. The Triumph of Darwinism,
by John Fiske, is an entertaining summing up
of the progress which the theory of natural
selection has made in scientific acceptance and
| popular favor in twenty years, as well as q
| statement of the doctrine and the proofs now
brought forward in support of it. Mr.. Flsks
claims that the Darwinlan hypothesis may now
fairly be regarded as one of the established
i he ~
Mr.. E. L. Godkin, editor Of the Nation, Is .
timely paper, compreheDsively and entertain
! ingly treating the oldest existing problem In