Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1881-03-26
BOOK REVIEWS.

throws many side lights upon the progress of
civilization during that dim and ill-under-
stood period. There can be no doubt that
the era of church-building in the middle ages
which gave the world the most magnificent
specimens of that kind of architecture was
one of genuine though rude piety. 1t was
a time when mems minds, still in the bar
barous condition, demanded tangible symbols
of religion everywhere, and when art, just
awakening from the long trance of the decline
of the Roman Empire and its Eruption Of
savagism, was beginning to express in the
most noble and durable forms that passionate
appreciation of nature which is the soul of
all true refinement. whether in architecture,
painting or sculpture And also in these
times men had not ceased to be
thorough. There was so little indiyidu-
atty developed among the masses yet
that the most important life known
was municipal life, as in the yet remoter
Grecian republics. Men lived not for them
selves, but for their city, and they recognized
the right of the city to demand everything
artifcers and artists devoted themselves
cheerfully to the production of those mar
velous cathedrals and churches whose mas
sive splendor and elaborate finish excite the
wonder and perplexity of generation SO
absorbed in its individual development that
the city and the state have almost ceased to
retain even show of allegiance. The truth
is that the churches of the middle ages were
really built by the people, and expressed gen.
uine popular ideas. They combined thor
oughness and grace in way since unattain-
able. They were strong yet beautiful, daring
and large in conception, yet embracing an
elaboration of detail almost incredible even
to this age of mechanical duplication and
reproduction Mr.. Norton has given an in
teresting series Of pictures of this very pc
culiar state of society, and his book is a
valuable contribution to the history of civil,
ization.
POLITICAL AND LEGAL REMEDIES FOR WAR By
Sheldon Amos, NJ. A. New York: Harper (
Bros. San Francisco: A L. Bancroft & Co.
Mr.. Amos discusses the possibilities in re-
gard to the doing away with war in a very
clear and sober way. He shows that civil
cation, and above all the increase in trans
portation facilities and tie growth of eco
nomic knowledge, have greatly modified the
modes of carrying on war, and he thinks it
fair to assume that at some not very distant
date it may become possible or even neces-
sary to put an end to war altogether. We
confess that we do not agree with our author
in believing that war will ever be stopped by
a mere cold blooded consideration of benefits
and injuries. We think that if it is stopped
at all it will rather be brought to an end by
the invention of destructive agents go ire
mendous that it will be useless to put human
beings into contention with them. Given
a gun capable of destroying an army or
navy at distance of ten or twenty miles,
and you have great advance towards the
establishment of universal peace. In short,
Lord Lyttons idea of the vii force to be
welded by his Coming Race, is firmly
grounded in truth. The possession of ire
mendous and infallible destructive agency
is the one certain means of securing peTma-
nent peace, and we believe that thus, and no
otherwise, will war be finally brought to an
end.
sLAyp LIFE. B Y Alfred Russell Wallace New
York: Harper Bros. San Francisco: A. L.
Bancroft Co.
MIR. Wallace has in this volume pursued
the researches which were carried so far in
his previous work entitled s. The Geographic
cal Distribution of Animals" He discusses
the phenomena and causes of insular faunas
and horas, and includes an attempt to solve
the problems of geological climates. The
book is distinctly contribution in support of
the doctrine of evolution, and as such it viii
be welcomed; but it is more than this. In
several respects it introduces comparatively or
altogether new ideas, such, for example. As
the permanence of the general distribution Of
land and water over the surface of the globe,
theory by no means in accord with that
which has been popularity accepted during
the past thirty years. The nature and fire.
quency of the climatal changes throughout
geological time are considered very fully and
lucidly, and the work aboands with interest
ing speculations and equally interesting de-
auctions from established facts. 1t is suffi-
GENTLY popular in style not to brighten the
lay reader, and it is most valuable addition
to our knowledge of the mutations which the
crust of the earth has undergone since organic
life appeared upon it.
THE EARLY HISTORY OF CHARLES JAMES Fox By
GEORGE TREVFIYAS NJ YORK
Harper & Brothers. San Francisco: A. L. Ban
croft & Co.
Those who read the charming volumes of
the life of Lord Macaulay by his nephew,
Mr.. Trevelyan, do not require to be told that
in this book they have most interesting and
well.written biography. It is however very
much more than that. 1t is in fact scarcely
less than condensed history of the first if |
teen years of the reign of George the Third. |
The author does indeed tell us incidentally !
very much about the early years of Fox. but |
his canvass is filed principally with other !
matters, and the interest he excites is far
more attributable TO them than to the devel |
oplnent of the great orators career. For in |
truth neither fondness nor eulogy can make |
OF Fox's early pubic lie anything more re- |
spectacle than singular display of most
audacious and inscriptions demagogism. To a
powerful and well-furnished intellect, Charles
Fox seems to have joined lack of moral
force which certainly is not surprising
when we reflect upon the character of his
father, Lord Holland. We think, however,
that the chief interest of this biographical
fragment for Americans will consist in its
revelations of the political corruption which
characterized the times written of. Nothing
coald be worse than the condition of morals
in public life during the early yesrs of
George the Thirds reign. The House of
Commons had become mere venal
mob. Members sold their votes almost
openly for any consideration. Great land |