broken, another and another was discovered with an imperfect and diseased condition of of better temper and of keener edge; unex- that social world of which we form a part; pected aid came often from around, sometimes from above; as defeat and despair darkened the horizon in one quarter, hope dawned upon it from another; till, thanks to our forefathers, who were made of sterner stuff, cast in a more stalwart mould, and gifted with a singler eye, than we who had our birth amid milder antecedents; thanks to the goodly fellowship of our reformers and the noble army of our martyrs, we have now no impediments to our future progress save such as our own imperfections may create for us, such as may be heaped upon our path by indistinctness of vision, infirmity of purpose, or a halting and enfeebled will. with pains and evils appalling in their magnitude, baffling in their subtlety, perplexing in their complications, and demanding far more clear insight and unerring judgment than even purity of purpose or commanding energy of will. This conflict may be said to date from the first French Revolution; and it has been increasing in intensity ever since, till it has now reached to a vividness and solemnity of interest which surpasses and overshadows the attractions of all other topics. Socialism, Communism, Saint Simonism, Fourierism, Chartism, are among the indications of its progress. Gradually it has drawn all classes and orders of men into its ranks. The student in his library, the statesman in his cabinet, the merchant at his desk, the artisan at his loom, the peasant at his plough, are all, in their several departments, working at the same problem, intent upon the same thought. It has enlisted and consecrated science; it has merged or superseded ordinary politics, or has given them a holier purpose and a deeper meaning; it pierces through every organ of the periodic press; it colors all the lighter literature of the day, provides fiction with its richest characters and its most dramatic scenes, and breathes into poetry an earnestness and a dignity to But we have now to trim our lamp and gird on our armor for a final work, which cannot be put by, and which must not be negligently done. The last battle of civilisation is the severest; the last problem the knottiest to solve. Out of all the multitudinous ingredients and influences of the past; out of the conquest of nature and the victory of freedom; out of the blending and intermixture of all previous forms of polity and modifications of humanity, has arisen a complex order of society, of which the disorders and anomalies are as complex as its own structure. We are now summoned to the combat, not with material difficulties, which the last age was a stranger. nor yet with oppressors nor with priests, but | [Westminster Review. Chronicle of Passing Events. resources of its conductors are employed to furnish to their subscribers the CHEAPEST GOOD MAGAZINE in the United States. FRIENDS of "Holden" and the "Dollar!" it bears date. The number of pages has We find the names of many thousands of been increased from 48 to 56, and the best you upon the subscription books, almost from the beginning of the enterprise, and it is a natural wish that they should still keep company with their favorite "Monthly." The present number is sent to the subFrom various causes it happened during the scribers of "Holden and "The Dollar," past year, that, although there was no neg- with the hope that every one, without an lect in essentials, there was an occasional exception, will renew his or her subscription delay in the issue of the number. With its by remitting to us at once the dollar for the union with the North American Miscellany year. On our part no pains will be spared and the publication of the Magazine in the to satisfy all reasonable expectations, and to present form, it was the pride and deter-attach our subscribers to us as our friends. mination of the proprietors that it should Our subscribers will perceive that we appear promptly for the month on which have considerably enlarged the size of our The advantages to be derived will be in page, so that the amount of matter each month will far exceed that furnished in any calculable-talent that has been dormant other magazine at the same price. As to the character of the articles inserted we leave them to speak for themselves. Our design is to supply reading of the first class in a literary point of view, and entirely unexceptionable in its moral tone. -We are permitted, by the courtesy of A. A. SLOVER, Esq., of Yorkville, N. Y., to give in this number a lecture, of whose merits we need not speak; it will be, without doubt, as generally appreciated by our readers, as it was by those who heard it when delivered before the Library Association of that place. We shall endeavor to obtain other equally acceptable productions of the same pen, for future issues. will be brought out, and in almost every village there will be found minds that are well fitted to shine in the intellectual world. Many a youth of promise has been lost to the world for want of an opportunity of making his débût. We would gladly enlarge on this subject, but must defer it at present; yet we would urge the young men especially to act in this matter immediately-through the spring and summer a library could be collected and kept in circulation, and by the fall things will be in a train to commence a course of lectures. We shall be happy to afford any assistance, without charge, in selecting and forwarding books; and when the season arrives, in delivering lectures at such parts of the country as can be reached by railroad or steamboat with facility. But more anon. We gather from the Tribune the following account of our artists now in Europe: Crawford is busy in Rome upon his Washington Monument for the State of Virginia. He has finished, in plaster, a bas-relief of the arms of the State. The figure of Patrick Henry is completed, and that of Jefferson is already far advanced. The bas-relief has all the grace and beauty for which all his works in that kind are distinguished. The figure of Patrick Henry receives the admiration of all the foreign artists in Rome. One old Italian sculptor speaks of it as the finest figure since the days of Thorwaldsen. Jefferson is represented severe, stately, and thoughtful; his foot upon the broken chain, his arms folded, and holding in one hand the Declaration of Independence. By the way, as we have a large circulation throughout the country, we cannot do our subscribers a greater service than to allude to associations for the purpose of encouraging the pursuit of knowledge. In our last number we gave the outline of a new organisation for furnishing libraries and other facilities of study-the "Society of the Iron Man,” but the same object may be obtained in many other ways. A few years back, Lyceums were established very generally throughout the country, and some of them are still in successful operation. Such societies have for their object, the gathering of a library, which is open, sometimes in connection with a reading-room, to the members; providing philosophical apparatus and a cabinet of minerals, etc., if possible; procuring lecturers in the winter season, either from among their own members or from other sources; and perhaps diversifying the course by the introduction of a few judiciously conducted discussions on subjects of interest-religion and politics always excepted. To attain these ends, the machinery need not be complicated-a the simpler the better, in this as in all A few energetic, intelligent men can accomplish the whole, and soon draw the influence of the place over to their ef cases. fort. Mozier is engaged upon his Pocahontas, and is rapidly progressing in the art. Richard Greenough, younger brother of Horatio who is now in this country, superintending the erection of his national group at Washington-has just finished, in plaster, figure representing Pharaoh's Daughter finding Moses. He has in clay a Cupid warming an Icicle. Bartholomew, who left America about a year since, has completed a marble monument to go to Hartford, and a bas-relief of Homer led by the Genius of Poetry. The last is a very classical composition, well sent in the ensuing spring upon a new expedition in search of Sir John Franklin. modelled and carefully finished. In plaster he has a bas-relief of Numa Pompilius at the fountain of Egeria, and a statue of the Genius of Music. As a companion to the latter, he is now sketching in clay a Genius of Poetry. These latter will be commissioned by an eminent artist in Rome. Rogers, another young artist, has recently arrived in Rome from Florence, bringing with him a figure of Ruth, and a Cupid breaking his bow. Powell, still in Paris, has nearly completed his large picture for the Capitol, of De Soto discovering the Mississippi. We learn that it will be exhibited in New-York during the ensuing spring, with other pictures by the same hand. It contains sixty figures of various sizes, and in the costume of the Middle Ages. The Paris correspondent of the Philadelphia Ledger mentions that a portrait of De Soto was lately sent to the artist from Spain, and that the fancy head very much resembles the original portrait ! The society of Hicksite Quakers of NewYork city have resolved to give $25,000 to the Orthodox Quakers, that being one-half of the funds on hand when the Society of Friends separated in 1828. During the year 1851 there was expended in the support of public schools in N. Y. the sum of $416,519 84, and the average attendance of scholars was 40,600 per day. The expenses of the year 1852 are estimated at $505,452 57. -The State of New-Jersey appropriated during the past year $250,857 for the support of common schools. There are 1612 school districts in the State, where children are instructed an average of nine months in the year. There are 145,529 children in the State between the ages of 6 and 18 years, of whom only 88,810 attend school. - The whole number of Common Schools in Pennsylvania is 9303; of male scholars, 247,494; females, 206,238; average number to each school, 47. The cost of teaching each scholar, per month, is 43 cents. The amount of school tax levied last year was $914,376 96. Mr. Cass, the Chargé at Rome, has been informed by his Holiness the Pope, that he has made up his mind to present a block of marble from the Temple of Peace, with the inscription," ROME TO AMERICA." A block Biela's comet was rent in twain in Nofrom such a temple, and with such an in-vember, 1845. The two pieces were seen scription, may be considered a voice from both in Europe and America. the ruins of once imperial Rome, that larger and brighter than the other, and side peace alone can save the rising Republican by side they retired into the distant regions Empire in America from the sad fate of of space, in the same path the unbroken the ancient but now fallen mistress of the comet would have pursued. world. -The Parisian painter, Chavenard, has already completed twenty of the fifty great pictures illustrative of the progress and development of the race, which he was commissioned by Ledru Rollin, when Secretary of the Interior, to paint for the Pantheon. They are 15 by 11 feet, and highly praised. But now that the Pantheon is a church again, what shall be done with them? One was The whole number of signatures to the Temperance petitions which have been presented to the Legislature of New-York, to the present time, are said to amount to 300,000. up A despatch has been received from an officer of the army stationed in New Mexico, stating that an extensive and rich silver mine has been discovered on the public lands in the vicinity of Port Fillmore, in that year 1851 were $6897; expenditures, $6454, leaving a balance in the treasury of $540. Upwards of $3000 were given to the American Anti-slavery Society. Henry Grinnell, Esq., of N. Y., has Territory. presented a memorial to Congress, request--The annual meeting of the Massachusetts ing that the Government will be pleased to Anti-Slavery Society (Garrisonian order) accept, without compensation, his two ves- commenced its session in Boston, on Wedsels, the Advance and Rescue, for the ser-nesday. The receipts of the vice to which they have been dedicated by him, and that Congress may authorise a propeller and store-ship, each of from three hundred to five hundred tons burden, to be purchased, which may be done at small cost, and that the whole may be put in complete condition for the purpose, and manned with not exceeding one hundred officers and men, all told, of the ordinary naval force, and -A Mr. Rutter,of Brighton, England, has constructed an electrical machine, of great delicacy, and made the discovery that its motion is stopped by all substances capable of producing death. If this story is true, another wonderful invention is to bless the world. A steam ploughing machine is now in exhibition in this city. It is intended to plough twelve furrows, and perform the operation of ploughing, sowing, and harrowing, simultaneously. A notice posted in the saloon of the Theatre Français warns the public not to talk politics as they walk up and down. whole time Louis Bonaparte has been here, he has not only taken no official notice of them, but has not even had the decent civility to send them invitations to his soirées. By this conduct, as much, perhaps, as by his political proceedings, he has made nearly the whole literary body hostile to him: and, singular to state, the most eminent writers of the country-Lamartine, Lamennais, Beranger, Hugo, Janin, Sue, Dumas, and we may, I think, safely add, Thiers,--are personally and politically among his bitterest adversaries." Accounts from Spain state that an attempt had been made on the life of the Queen. On the 2d of Feb. she took her first airing since her confinement, and was on - A long expected book, the Life of her way to the church of De Allocha, to be Margaret Fuller Ossoli, by Ralph Waldo churched, when the regicide, a priest, stab- Emerson and William Henry Channing, bed her in the side with a poinard. He has appeared having been delayed only to was arrested. The last accounts state that allow of its previous publication in England. the Queen was progressing favorably. It contains copious extracts from her writ-Leutze's picture of Washington Cross-ings and correspondence. 2651. The greatest number are at Berlin, 129; Leipsic, 145; Vienna, 52; Stutt there were only 31 booksellers and pubgardt, 50; Frankfort, 36. A century ago lishers at Leipsic, and 6 at Berlin, and only 350 in all Germany. ing the Delaware, has been sold. The -The number of booksellers and publishowner receives $10,000 for the painting. ers in Germany (including Bohemia) is -During the past year, the Library of Harvard University has received the addition of 1616 volumes, and 1539 pamphlets. Nearly one-half of these were donations from individuals. The purchase of Professor Jacobi's Mathematical Library, of Berlin, by Mr. George Bond, for the College, is Lord Lyttleton, is presented as a new can-Thomas Lyttleton, son of the first mentioned as a very important acquisition, didate for the authorship of the Junius as this Library was considered one of the Letters in the London Quarterly. He was most complete private collections in Europe. twenty-four years old when the letters first -Mr. Elliot Warburton, who was one of commenced, and entered Parliament and the passengers on board the lost steamer evinced wonderful abilities seven years after. Amazon, prior to the sailing of that vessel The Reviewer shows that in moral characpublished a new novel called "Darien; or ter, intellectual abilities, personal relations, the Merchant Prince," in which are related and in the general tone of his character, the incidents connected with two shipwrecks, Lord Lyttleton was precisely the person upand also the awful occurrence of a ship on on whom the suspicion of the authorship of fire. Mr. Warburton had insured his life" Junius" should justly fall. for £10,000 previous to sailing in the Amazon, - A number of literary persons of both sexes, in the United States, have united in Mr. George W. Curtis has completed a gift to Mary Cowden Clarke, the author a second volume of oriental travel, forming the sequel to the Nile Notes of a Howadji, which will shortly appear in print. It will be called, as we hear, The Howadjian Syria. of the Concordance to Shakspeare, and of the Girlhood of Shakspeare's Heroines. The present is an elegant library-chair, of rosewood, with a writing-desk attached. A portrait of Shakspeare, carved in ivory, and masks of tragedy and comedy, are among the ornaments. Daniel Webster headed the list of subscribers. -The Paris correspondent of the Literary Gazette remarks that no ruling power in France has ever treated literary men with so much disrespect as Louis Napoleon. A curious English version of St. John's "King Louis XVIII. patronised them roy- Gospel has been discovered in Archbishop ally-Charles X. pensioned them liberally-Tennison's library, at London. It is supposed Louis Philippe gave them titles and decorato date from the twelfth or thirteenth centions freely, and was glad to have them at tury. his receptions-the princes, his sons, showed - The loss of the Amazon was attended them all possible attentions; but during the with no more regretted circumstance than the death of Mr. Elliot Warburton. His ca- | teresting volumes, which we have read with reer in literature has been unusually brief. the highest satisfaction, and with the consciousIt is only a few years since "The Crescent ness of having much that is valuable added to our stock of information. Nor would we atand the Cross" attracted universal applause; 'Hochelaga" followed presently after; and last year gave us his "Memoirs of Horace Walpole," and the story of "Darien." 66 Lamartine's "History of the Restoration" is not allowed to be advertised for sale, of its hostility to the memory of the Emperor. in consequence - The Aztecs are attracting much attention--and deservedly so. The well-worth seeing cosmoramic views by Prof. Sattler are again on exhibition in New York. BOOK NOTICES. Nicaragua; its People, Scenery, Monuments, tempt to do so in the pages of a journal. The work deserves and will receive a more elaborate notice in our quarterly periodicals. Our object is to direct attention to it. Its perusal, we are confident, will equally gratify the scholar, the intelligent merchant, the politician who is studying the important relations that are arising between us and our sister nation of this continent, and the reader for amusement, whose taste is elevated above works of mere fiction. Salander and the Dragon; a Romance of the The above is the title of a very beautiful allegory, written with the intention of showing "the sin of uttering or of lending ear to the unkind word or insinuation—a sin which may justly be esteemed as a root of bitterness." Its author is well known to the reading public, from his contributions to The Knickerbocker, This generation is destined to see the happy | Evergreen, and other periodicals. His style is solution of a mighty problem-the establish- very chaste and beautiful, having running ment of easy and rapid communications be-through it an under-current of humor which tween the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. By shows his just appreciation of nice wit. There means of railroads and canals not only will also breathes in his writings the true spirit of passengers be transferred without fatigue or a Christian. In the work before us, he not danger, and bulky articles of freight be con- only gives us many moral lessons, clothed in veyed at a small expense in the course of a a pleasant readable form, but he also gives us few hours from the one to the other, but in all a narrative which we follow with a great deal probability ships and steamers, without un- of interest. We feel assured that no one can loading their freight or landing their passen- close the book after perusal, without thinking gers, will find a passage through the isthmus that the hour he has occupied in reading it that divides these waters. The consequences has been well spent. that are to follow from this entire change of the course of trade between the East and the West, the most experienced merchant or the The Knickerbocker.-This favorite periodimost sagacious statesman would hardly ven- cal does not seem to have reduced in merit ture to predict. This however is certain, that on account of the reduction in price. The none of all the nations of the earth has as February number is one of the best we have deep and broad an interest in it as ourselves. ever read. Its twenty-six articles are all On this account we are anxious to receive original and all good." As for its Editor's from competent persons information concern- Table, every one knows what that is; the very ing the physical conformation of Central Ame- sight of its type is enough to drive away sor rica-its rivers and valleys, lakes and harbors; row, and the mingled tributary smiles and and also the present political and social con- tears we pay as we skim over its pages, have dition of its inhabitants, and how far they are become such a matter of monthly occurrence sufficiently intelligent and enterprising to un- that it is hardly worth speaking of them. We derstand and forward the prospects above are glad to hear, in the words of the Editor, alluded to. In relation to Nicaragua, all, and that his audience has increased some six thoueven more than we conld have anticipated, has sand, and we hope it will continue to go on been accomplished by Mr. Squier. No travel- increasing. It is the patron and friend of ler from this country has possessed so great American literary talent, and as such, every facilities for obtaining information upon these one who desires the advancement of his points as this gentleman, and no one could country's literary glory cannot do better than more industriously and successfully have used become a subscriber. The Knickerbocker is those facilities. We have not space to give a published by Mr. Samuel Hueston, 139 Nasstatement of what may be found in these in-sau-street. |