The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1881-08-20
LITERATURE.
Books,

Price $l5O.
II was fortunate circumstance loi 10 '"S.o'
tina, the publication Of the novel OF d. dagheur'
an an attempt, under the attractive gafo oi nc
ton TO portray the inward workings ana "a
,:,,a,. NJ Russian nihilism, should be so closely
followed BY the assassination OF the car. ~
was such an actual foreshadowlLg CT the event
and apology for 1t in advance as al once 10 Nv
tract the widest attention and bring the novel In
IN general quest not only among French readers
lint IN secure for it translation into most Faro
ne.n languages The first English edition mas
been brought out in this country by jansen NC
Clurg & Co., OF Chicago, as above, In superb
volume OF 366 pages.
The aim OF the author, who is no less thoF'
ouphly in the secrets Of than he is in sympathy
with the nihists, is so manifestly to present
their case in the best light, that he can hardiy
be held accountable for what the more critleal
would call constant disregard OF the cannons OF
fiction, for 1t lie uAdehiable that simply as anovei
the construction Is often crude and and ungain.
w. At the same time, 1t is equally undenaoie
that he has presented book of thrilling inter
est from the opening to the closing chapter.
Regarded, then, in the light OF tract rather
than as q novel, the book to most American read
ers will be revelation. Is 1t really true that nj
hilism, which in this country has been generally
regarded as little else than organized assassina'
ton, is truly patriotic, meritorious, deiehSioie
organization? Instead of being made up from
the dregs and rough-scutf OF society, which IN
most countries contain what are called the crim-
na classes Is II true that the nihilsts OF Russ Ia
are mostly men and women OF good family who
from the highest motives OF humanity and pa
trotlsm, have abandoned homes, friends, lot
tame and a legitimate career, and accepted the
fate of outlaws and hunted enemies OF the gov
eminent?
What ia the condition OF RUSSIA OF Its eigh-
" millions OF people sixty millions are serfs, the
other twenty millions constituting the nobility
or upper classes. II Is true the seris nave Deeh
liberated, but their condition Is really as helpless
and abiect to. day as ever. 1t Is TO infnsc INTO
''~ --"~~ ~--A -~- ".1 = "f'
IL OF vitality, ambition and intelligence that these
self sacrificing men and women, NJ. Gagneur as.
sures us, have placed themselves face to face In
A death struggle with the most uncomprising ty-
ranny on earth. In this light, to borrow the Ian
euage of Wendell Phillips nihlism becomes a
righteous and honorable resistance Of peo-
nile crushed under ar iron rule. 1t Is evidence
of life When order reigns In Warsaw 1t Is
spiritual death. Nihillsm is the last weapon OF
victims choked and manacled beyond all other re-
sIstapce. 1t is crushed humanity's only means OF
making the oppressor tremble." Wendell Phillips
In this may have given way triilc to his inveter-
ate tendency to 'slosh over, but the book before
us. as q truthful dellneation OF the real motive
ard inside workings Of nihllism, will give the
reader at least new views and IA better compre-
hension OF the subject than he will be likely to
gather from the newspapers.
MEMOIRS OF PRINCE MErTERNioH. Edited by
Prince Richard Metternich Translated by Mrs.
Alexander Napier. 2 vols New York: Harper
IL Bros. Chicago. Jansen, McCluIg q 20.
Ottawa: Osman & Hapeman. Price -.
No period In the history Of Europe will COM
pare In interest with that dating from l79s to
1915. It includes the terrific scenes OF the French
revolution and the upheavas OF the Napoleonc
wars, from the initial campaign in Italy to the
grand catastrophe at Waterloo. Books, 1t is true,
have been written without number about that
period but the events are yet so recent-iee!
ings, prejudices and animosities so alert, open
sores 80 automatically pride and reputation
so largely invoved-that much OF the best mate
rial for an impartial and exhaustive history OF the
period Is still inaccessible. No contribution o
material for such hstoryhowever, can be more
important than these Memoirs, now first pub
lished, twenty years after the authors death
Napoleon his generals and soldiers on one side
and the allies on the other, were indeed the bril-
liant figures that cavorted and dazzled on thu
81 b,t tbo trb Nv intellect
that moved the hgures-the real players OF tn
game-were the diplomats, of whom Metternicl
aud Tallyrand were the chief. IN reading the SO
called histories one Is constantly stumbling up
on the most puzzllng conundrums-why this
why that? How simple are many OF the repute
grand combinations OF Napoleon or the allies II
the light OF the revelation oftbese pages Instea
OF the tiusei, glare and blare on the Brilliant
lighted stage like other histories they give us til
movements behind the curtain-show us, In
word, the wires by which the puppets were pr
in notion The sturdy old chancellor, while re
vealing himself In his unaffected narrative O
the unbending foe of popular rights and tn
champion to bigotry OF the divine right of king
nevertheless descendants us ruthlessly in rega'
to many awful majesties, and the imaginary IL
tellectual grandeur OF scores Of really very ord
nary men.
SHORT HISTORY OF THE ENGLISH CoLoNIl
IN AMERICA. BY Henry Cabot Lodge Ne
York: Harper q Brothers. Chicago: Janse
McClurg u Co. Ottawa: Osman & Hapema
Price So.
Having made the history Of the English col
MES in America, previous to their first NOV
ment towards united action in the STAMP a
congress OF 1905" the subject Of series Of lie
lures before the Lowell Institute in Boston, Il
author afterwards revised and presented the IL
lures in The form OF the compact book before I
As the colonies, before the date indicated, we
really as distinct communities as II located
different sides OF the ocean, every attempt heI
fofore 10 write their history "a n connect