The Saint Paul globe., 1897-10-03
Books - : :

S~~@~-N~-~~-~~N~~ ~N~~-~~~~~~~~~S~~%~~-~N~O~
Prof. Borden P Browne, in his pre-
face 10 Theory of Thought and knoWl-
edge gives in few words the aim OF
his book and the path that leads to it
srrhis work does rot aim to give an
elaborate system Of philosophy. but
only to expcund and recommend a GER
tain way of looking at the problems
of thought and knowledge. If we get
the right point Of view, we can see Tor
ourselves without waiting to be told.
There are certain fundamental pr1n-
ciples which underlie the problems III
question, and the aim has been to bring
them to light The things which migh'
be said are numberless, but having due
regard to the shortness of life it has
seemed to me that the discussion o.
the principles is more profitable at
present than the bulkiest collection of
details. Besides, we have them al
ready. The root thought of the work
is that thought is an organic activity
which unfolds from without. Persons
on the sense plane perpetually seek To
build up thought from without by tho
mechanical juxtaposition and associa-
ton of sense Impressions This. is the
perennial source of that unthinkfn3
thinking which tends to deprive
thought of all authority and finally to
dissolve it into a shadow of phySica,
mechanism. This improbable and
sometimes pernicious externalism can
be overcome only by an insight into
the activity and organic unity Of
thought itself. When this insight is
reached, not a few crude and even
gross fancies which underlie popular
speculation in this field disappear of
themselves, and the entire problem as
sumes a different aspect knowledge
is no longer something originating out
side of the mind possibly in the nerves
and passed along ready made into the
mind. 1t is rather something built up
by the mind within itself in accord
ance with principles inherent in the
mental nature" THE Theory OF
Thought and knowledge" is divided
into two parts; conception, judgment
and inference is treated in the first
part, and in the second are handled such
subjects as realism, skepticism md
idealism. Prof. Browne is an independ-
ent thinker and a fOrceful writer. and
his work will be Of interest to all read
ers to whom is given a desire to un-
derstand the theories of thought
tC'The Theory of Thought and knowledge" I"
by Borden P. Browne. Harper and Bros,
New York. For sale by the st. Paul Book
and Stationery companyD
The writer of 'The Life of General
Grant" issued in the Great Commander
series, is James Grant Wilson, whose
association with Grant and with the
Grant family has been of the character
to make a new biography of our great
leader by him a matter of Importance
MIR. James Grant Wilson met Gen.
Grant at Cairo, ILL.,, in the summer of
1861, and the friendship then begun
covered a quarter of a century He
served under him at Vicksburg and
elsewhere, and had every opportunity
to understand Grants views and move
mentS. Mr.. Wilson has written this
biography of his friend dispassiOnately
and with candor; he makes no state
ments that he cannot back up with
good authority, and contributes to war
literature number Of documents of in
t6rest and Importance. Mr.. Wilson,
owing to his own service, has been able
to consult a war diary containing
many conversations and incidents OF
his service, and has also had access
to letters from Generals FRANKLIN,
Reynolds, LOngstreet and French. III
addition to these, he publishes a Series
OF letters sent during the war by the
great commander to his faithful sffferd,
the Hon. e. B. fWashburn, of Illinois,
Which he considers Of perhaps greater
historical value than any others Of that
time. They refer to such famous bat
tlefelds as Fort Donelson, Shiloh. Cor
inth, Iuka, Ffcksburg, Chattanooga and
the Wilderness. For the first time
there appears in print a fac-simile of
Gen. Grants appointment as lieutenant
general, signed by President Lincoln.
The book, like the other volumes Of
this series, is charmingly bound ana
contains a reliable steel engraving of
Gen Grant.
('General Grant" by James Grant Wilson
Great Commanders Series. D, Appleton &
Co., New York. For sale by The st. Paul
Book and Stationery company.)
Dreams Of Today" is number OF
fragments which makes a Whole of no
great power or Importance We re-
member reading some Of these same
fragments, when they pretended to be
nothing more, with considerable salts
faction in what we considered. at the
time. their subtlety and intensity; now
nfteen Such fragments, WOrmWOOd
every one of them, joined loosely to-
gether by a little cheap optimism,
strike is in an entirely different light.
They are oppressive without being i'm
piessive. Though they leave bitter
taste in ones mouth, it is not the tonic
bitterness that compensates for itself
with freshened appetite for life Per-
cival Pollard writes with occasional
force, some insight and Imagination
and a style which we are pleased to
be able to call peculiar; but 264 pages
of him reveal abysmal depths of in
anity and bathos that are suffocatine,
and one emergeS from them into the
upper air and light of day with a sigh
OF relief. 1t is no surprise to us that
Mrs. Gertrude Atherton is raising her
voice in emotional tribute to Percival
Pollard, but we really wish that she
would refrain from coupling with him,
in equal terms of praise, Ambrose
Fierce, who may, indeed be grue-
some and morbid, but certainly has
vilility and originality. Mrs. Ath-
ertOn's praise should be written In the