New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1889-08-12
NEW PUBLICATIONS.

FERTILIZATION AND ANARCHY. by Herman
Lieb. illustrated. limo. PIP. 33l. Beiiord'
Clarke Co.
The author OF this volume started with good
motive but he has not been altogether successful In
carving II out. In his preface he propounds the
singular assertion that the French Revolution was
NOT brought about by irreliglon, mainly by the
philosophers, or, in fact, by any other external
acencvS In the body OF the book he Is of course COM
neIed 20 show that it brought about by external
agency His aim is to vindicate the Revolution from
the discredt Of the Reign of Terror. and the effort IS
fairly made. The book is not and does not pretend
10 be a history of the Revolution but succnct re-
view in which pains taken to correct false impress
sions prejudice and represent the facts as
the author conceves them to have actually occurred
The attempt however, to relieve the Revolution from
all responsibility for the Terror must always be futile
The two are really too closely connected to be thus
dt.joiucsi Mr.. Iieb himself expresses establishment
and perplexy at the supne submission of all France
10 the small faction Of the TerOrists, and herein be
shows his incapaclty to grasp the significance OF
events.
The ruth is that really wise reformer would
A. any time contemplate even the brieiest period OF
governmental paralysis without taking into account
the certain attempt of the lawless and evil elements
20 take advantage of such interegnum. Now
while there is serious ground for question as 10
the justification for revolt the part of the French
ultimately flowed from the Revolution, It Is not dill
cult 10 demonstrate that most of the evils which IL
brought I'm its directly duo 70 the reckless
ness, incompetence and folly of the men who were
most active in establishing it. Decisions about "Ois'
moroover were active agencies of mischief The
Terror may be traced directly to mlsapprehension OF
chat sounding phrase. " the people, The JacoDin
dcmagogues used that phrase 10 conjurc with from
first 10 last The Girunde, being less reckless ana
moro conscientious than Its foes, destroyed whoh
the victory I'm its hands The masses through
lack Of organization, cOwed by the fanatics ana
criminal classes. The administrative ignorance Oh
the revolutionary assemblies and conventions aggra-
vated all the evils which wero tending TO drive inc
peasantry to desperation. Whatever influence The
Encyclopedias may have had IN preparing the Revo-
luton, they had none in guiding IL after 1t had been
begun.
The Reign Of Terror thus integral part Of the
movement, and conducted as the latter was, II couid
not have been avoided When Force is relied on as
the sole means of rghtng wrongs ID follows Iogcaly
that those who are most thOroughgong in the use OF
force Will TO the front. and that they VIII push
the experiment TO the utmost But it IS no dlscemt
10 the French people that in 1879 they were not n'ed
for self government. They could not have been so
fitted for they had had no experience of freedom FOR
blood needlessly shed there must indeed be some
accountability but it would be unreasonable 10
measure the France of 1894 by the standards we
should apply-say TO the Paris Commune of ISL.
Audaclty the part of the few, passivity on thc
part Of the many, so far 10 explain the Ieror' put
that the same tendencies exist to-day and even In adj
vanced communities, is shown every time whole
tralnfu of passengers robbed by one or two bold
thieves. The interest of selfpeServaon In word,
is stronger the required sentiments OF auusm or
patriotism
Mr. Lieb's volume may be read with profit by those
who have not access the regular histories OF ne
French Revolution. 1t Is written with spirit ana
generally with care though the spelling of names Is
often wrong and French words sometimes sadly
mangled. As 10 the Illustrations, the less said ABOUT
Them the better