Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1886-03-27
NEW PUBLICATIONS,

Icaria is q chapter in the history-of
Communism. 1t is by Albert Shaw, Phi. |
D., is published by G. P. Putnam's Sons, /
New York and London, and is for sale by /
4. L. Bancroft ~ Co, San Francisco. We /
have not space in which to notice this adj
mirable monograph as it deserves. We |
it TO all readers who have the |
slightest desire to inquire into Communism. |
\ great deal has been written on the sub !
ject, but nothing more direct or incisiye
than this. 1t is a study of facts in history, !
not mere speculation. The origin and
history of single Communistic enterprise
is in this volume exhausted. The purpose
of the author was that single one and no
more. He begins with the genesis of the
scheme, follows on its unfortunate and
varied career, and gives life-like picture
of its internal, social and political organ
ism, showing what are, in actual expe-
rience, the difficulties which Communis-
tic society encounters, and what manner of
men the enterprise enhsts. The lcarian
movement began with Elenne CADET in
France in 1910; to-day, in southwest Iowa,
a forlorn-looking hamlet of a dozen cot
tages grouped about larger wooden build
ing is the humble survival of movement
that thirty years ago numbered its adj
herents by the hundreds of thousands.
The CADET party first chose Texas for their
promised land. The advanced guard of SO
picked men left France in February, 174S.
CADET believed these pioneers were to re-
generate the human race. They settled in
Texas, after many difficulties were over
come, but within four months they re-
treated to Louisiana in Il deplorable condi-
ton, although a second body had come out
from France to reinforce them. There
finally gathered at New Orleans some 400
of the colonists, and among them CADET
himself. The second location was made at
Nauyoo, where the Icarians succeeded the
Mormons and occupied their property. Up
to 1858 the colony was measurably pros
porous and the inhabitants had doubled.
But the internal economy OF the COM
munists developed weakness and dis
sensions arose, and finally the
community broke asunder violently
and finally portion settled at
Cheltenham, near St. Louis. The colony
grew and prospered, and was apparently
happy. But within two years, on the re-
formation of the political and social con-
stitution, the group fell apart again, and it
was formally dissolved. Prior to this,
however, forty-two persons had left the
group. The Nauvoo contingent struggled
on a few wears, and then removed to Iowa,
locating in Adams county, where the
branch of the Icarians prospered and ac-
QulTtu property, anu S-ASM III VIC tSAcSlll Ol
the Iowans. But in 1873 the community
was wrecked on the rock of disagreeing
opinions as to what is true communism A
new faction went off, settled near by, re.
| organized in what is known as New Icaria,
where the community still maintains its
peculiar existence-one in many respects
attractive and rational. But the fateful
disagreement as to methods of govern
ment sent off from New Icaria in 1881
a group TO California i'll 1881 and it located
in Sonoma county, near Cloverdale, aud
still exists there. The New lcarians in
Iowa arranged. in 1SS3-S4, to Join the Cali
fornia branch as soon as the Iowa property
could be disposed of. The new title of the
California group is Icaria-Speranza, intend
ed to perpeteate the memories of CADET
and LerouX, who respectively gave those
names to ideal communities. A closing
chapter of this deeply interesting history is
devoted to glances at some kindred social
experiments. Mr.. Shaw has conferred a
benefit on his fellow men by this simple
concise history, which has illustrative
value disproportionate to the mere numer-
zeal importance Of the Icarians.
Mechanics and Faith. a Study of Spirit
ual Truth in Nature" is the title of an oc-
tavo volume by Charles Talbot Porter.
published by G. z. Putnam's Sons, New
York and London, and for sale by a L.
Bancroft & Co., San Francisco. He con-
siders matter as force itself manifested in
endless diversity of adaptation to our ma
ture and wants This conception Of iden-
THY of matter with force he regards as fun
damental in true philosophy. Force,
truth, beauty and love he ranks as the four
spiritual realities which, in their unity,
interpenetrate, if, indeed, they do not
constitute all material forms of being.
| Love he designates as the single primary
reality, and force, truth and beauty, in ma
ture, are the manifestations or expressions
of love. These spiritual realities are re-
vealed directly to the spirit of man, while
| the forms within which they are contained
are made known to him through his physi-
cal organs of perception" Our perceptions,
he holds, are first those through which We
are made aware of the existence of mate
rial forms of being, and secondly. those
through which we are made aware of spir-
itual realities which are manifested to us
through theseform or by which these forms
are 10 us sensible of expression. If these
spiritual realities exist they must be appre-
hended by all. equally at least with physi-
cal forms, which then appear only as the
media of their expression adapted to our
partial and superficial conclusions. - By
recognition of these truths, he holds, the
mind becomes able to perceive the har-
mony that exists between reason and faith ;"
In this volume he aims to show this har-
mony by aid primarily of mechanical sci
ence and the anaogies it affords. In the
introduction of this book, and which we
estimate as one that will awaken very con-
siderable interest, owing to the novel and
forcible method of reasoning employed, the
author defines his effort TO be to show the
existence of such relation between me-
chanics and faith-between faith and any
| reality indeed-as demonstrates that every
| thing has been adapted to promote the
growth of faith in the soul of man; that
while mechanical science deals with mat
ter, it is not itself material, but is spiritual
| i'll all its influences, and is therefore cor
receive of visionary speculations. Hence
| he concludes it is admirably adapted to
meet the fallacies of materialism. We are
so impressed by the novelty and strength
| of Mr.. Porters methods OF proof TO estab-
| lish truth that we shall treat his philoso-
| ply at a subsequent date more extensively.
From Cassell & Co., New York, and c.
s. Houghton, Sacramento, we have four
more Of the volumes of CaSselfS National
Library, edited by Professor Henry Morley
| This library is composed of small volumes
pocket companions. indeed-of about
! 200 pages each, in clear type, loaded, thus
| rendering them easy to the eye. They are
issued weekly at $ per year or 10 cents a
volume They will embrace standard
works, and thus place it within the ability
of any man for an insignificant sum TO
secure a great variety of choice books. The
scheme is novel and commendable, and
will certainly become most popular one.
| The volumes issued to date are seven in
number. as follows: = The Complete
Angler" by Isaak Walton; The Man OF
Feeling" by Henry Mackenzie; The Ri
vals' and "School for Scandal" comedies,
BY Sheridan Sermons on the Card and
Other DiscourseS, by Bishop Hugh Lati-
mer, Chaplain to King Henry VIII.
Childe Harold" by Lord Byron My
Ten Years Imprisonment by Silvio Pell-
leo; The Autobiography of Benjamin
Franklin = " The History of Europe dur
ing the Middle Ages by Henry Hallam.
The Magazine of Art" (Cassell & Co.,
New York and London) for April, has for
its frontispiece Susi. head painted by
Franz Defregger; Styled. Surrey" by
Basil Champneys, with seven illustra-
tons; Franz Defregger," by Helen Zim-
mera, with a portrait and two engravings
"A Chapter on Fireplaces.' by j. H
Pollen, with five illustrations; poems
and pictures, with drawing
by Boucher by Cosmo Monk
house and I. b. Wrigman The Romance
\ of 4 RI IL Nantb IF hi u Mal.1