The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1879-01-13
l. IT + r A L T. II T. .
The Historical Method in Political
Economy.
PROFESSOR ROSCHER'S WORK
A NobIemans Noyel-Lfe-S Saving Guns
Book Notes.

versity of Ieipzig g. From the thirteenth German
edition, with Additional Chapters furnished by the
Author for this first English and American Edition.
Paper Money. international Trade ana the froec
tive system; and Preliminary Essay on the His
torcal Method in Political Economy IRON me
French by l.. Wolowski. The whole translated by
John j. Lalor. A. NJ vols. PIP AGA, ie5 Chicago;
Callahan x Co.. 1878.
The title of this work is photographic that we
are dispensed at from the necessity of giving
anything like inventory of its contents. The value
of the publication a contribution the science Of
political economy might be inferred from the chair
which Professor Roscher holds in of the leading
universities OF Germany also from the permanent
place which has been awarded to this particular
treatise of his i'll the literature OF the Faherland
Translated into the French by NJ. Woowski of the
Institute of France than twenty ago, this
great has before been presented to the Eng
]sh reading public in verDacuar tongue and now,
by a curious coincidence il is simultaneously issued
in an English version by two American publishing
houses-one in this city and in Chicago. If
we have selected the version of Mr.. Lalor for
the purpose bringing this publication to the notice
Of readers it because his translation has had
tie advantage of receiving Professor Roschers care
full revision and because its contents have been aug
mented by several important additions exclusively
furnished by the author to the form which the body
OF his book has received at Mr.. Lalors hand
The diomatic of the work in the original
has made the Office Of the translator easy task but
Mr. Lalor has successfully COPIED with the difficulties
presented by the precise. formal and sometimes
grabbed nomenclature Professor Roscher. 1t must
be admitted that the version still retains in many
places, what Locke would have called "the tang of
the cask from which it is decaned; but these traces
of the German flavor do not at all impair the sub
stantal perspicuity of the present volumes
For the distinctive character of Professor Roschers
treatise political economy must look not
much to its particular doctrines to its specific
method. He is considered among his countrymen
the real founder and principal representative the
historical school" in economical science and if his
pretensions to originality in the application of the
historical method polico- economical problems
may be disputed it is at least certain that other
writer compete with him as an authority
in the skilful use of the method which he has illus
trated and adorned with amplitude of scholarship
that is without rival in the walks of economical lit
erature Relating as he does. all the principles of
political economy the great writers and thinkers
by whom those principles first propounded or
enforced Professor Roscher has. by his foot notes.
made of this work an invaluable index to the whole
body of doctrine embraced within the scope of eco
nomical science and it, Herbert Spencer has argued
Tor rather D'Alembert argued before him), "the
genesis of knowledge in the individual must follow
IN the the genesis of knowledge the
not only the best but the sole sufficient way in
which the truths of political economy can be i'm
parted to the learner in all their completeness and in
all their natural and logical ORDER
This method furnishes a constant corrective against
the allurements of dogmatism and the of
individual opinion. Through all the variations and
conrarietes Of thoughts which have proceeded from
the one the other of these disturbing sources we
may here discern the of perennial doctrine
advancing from age to age in clearer definition
and in fuller content according con-
tributions have from time to time to
swell the volume of economical science. 1t is the
signal glory of the historic method that it not only
reraces the past and ascerans the present position
of economical science. but enables us, Ill certain
lines of thought and discovery project its future
Bishop Butler has remarked in his immortal ANAL
ogy that by observing the course of events in So
ciety we may often discern the play of tendencies
which have not yet been converted into permanent
and universal effects When Professor Fawcett says
that all 1.-THE principles of political economy are
describing tendencies, instead of actual results -
Dr. koscher is quick to perceive that the hist orical
method would give also the theory on which the
evolution of the latter must finally depend; per-
ceiving this truth clearly he does We sur
prscd that he has not given to 1t larger place in
determining what may call the speculative and
philosophical aspects of political economy. The his
torc method is comparatively barren unless lead
e. sound CONGRATULATIONS for future guidance well
as to accurate reductions from the past stages through
which the race has moved ON. reaching its present
altitude questions of economic concern; ;
or, the mathematician would phrase IT,
from the differential clements which mark the
lines of progress in economical opinion, we
should be able if possible. to integrate the for
mula of change which will ultimately conduct the
Al.
conformity with the settled principles Of economical
science. For instance. to illustrate our meaning
under this head would point in conception Of
the historical method to the significant fact that the
drift of economical change among the most enligh-
ened nations of the earth is slowly but steadily
ting in the direction of free trade against the
prevalent but now declining dogmas of protection
Any historical method which does not plastic this
fact is method which too exclusively in the
dead past instead of being quickened by the living
present and drawing inspiration from the pregnant
future. We fear that Professor Roscher cannot be
entirely exempted from the reproach of looking
little too intenty the purely historical aspect Of
ms study. and he has failed in slight degree
to draw from his wide and mastery survey full
measure Of that philosophy which teaches by ex-
simple" But none the less do commend this work
b. all students of the dismal science. Southey so
strangely called it, and which. far from being the
dismal study he supposed, is rather the study which
opens the brightest visions the scholar and phan
thropist. and of which. considered ia the domain Of
practical politics, it is not toe much TO say that it
absolutely holds in its hands the keys of all future
statcsmanship, and hence of the highest political
promotion.
"KELyEBDALE,' NOVEL, BY THE EARL OF
DISARr
The announcement OF a work by this dsting
English noblcman is always received with gratihca-
ton 10y large ci,eaSk of literary admirers In his
former books, The Children of Mature" Beyond
These Voices Sc. he demonstrated the qualities