| South, but all the States which were in se- seems so reasonable that one wonders why cession were not equally affected by the war, any other definition of it has ever prevailed. and several are rapidly recovering from the In our own country the practice proceeds shock. Of Virginia the author has great on precisely the reverse tack. We pay our hopes; but for South Carolina, throughout clergymen, if we pay them at all, not to enwhich the most abject poverty reigns pre-courage them to think and say exactly what cisely where formerly there was the most they think, but in intellectual form and abundant wealth, "there appears to be no substance to walk in the footsteps of their resurrection, except in some new order of predecessors - that is, to suppress all indithings, under which a new set of propri-vidual thought. If they dare to think, or etors will occupy the land, and cultivate it at least venture to enunciate what they with Northern capital, and somewhat in the think, either in the pulpit or in books, we Northern fashion." Things are only a little persecute by prosecuting them, make their less gloomy in Louisiana and Mississippi, lives miserable, and do all in our power to in the latter of which States the plantations ruin them by damaging their clerical repuremain uncultivated from want of capital tation. Regarding the American practice, which nobody will lend the planters, re- Mr. Zincke remarks that "this broad conmembering the act of repudiation which struction of the duty of a clergyman, as a Mississippi perpetrated at the instigation religious teacher, coincides very much with of Mr. Jefferson Davis. Mr. Zincke hav- what I was frequently told, that the broad ing a rather low opinion of the negro race, way of thinking was becoming the common does not think them capable of intelligently way of thinking in almost all the American wielding the franchise; appears to think Churches. With such a religious atmosthat the Freedman's Bureau committed a phere, existing as a daily condition, it was mistake in undertaking to educate the ne- quite natural that Mr. Zincke should hear gro; and expresses the opinion that the even from feminine lips in a mixed comSouthern planters ought to have been al-pany where every one heard the expreslowed to settle with the negroes themselves the labour-and-wages contract, and how it was to be worked. Perhaps so; but with a good memory for the past, it is difficult to imagine the negro getting justice in such a case. Some apprehension appears to have been felt at the South as to the probability of a war of races. This our author thinks improbable, but seems to hold the opinion that the eventual extermination of the negroes, by moral and economical causes, is inevitable." To this also we say, Perhaps; and simply add that, as the comparative durability of races is by no means a settled question, the doomed negro may slightly outlive the date of the doom so prophetically assigned him. 66 66 sion, that "every thinking American was of opinion that religion, if not in conformity with the knowledge and sentiments of the times, was a dead thing." Some opinions of an American bishop regarding the Episcopal Church in the New World are also carefully reported. This dignitary, writes Mr. Zincke, thought that "the Episcopal Church in America was the natural, or at all events now the chief, bond of union between the old country and the United States." That is surely a big as well as a bold statement even for a bishop to make. The Episcopalians, it seems, cherish the recollections of the old country most fondly; while the Churches which are connected with English dissent "are more One is curious to know what Mr. Zincke, or less actuated by feelings, if not of anibeing himself a Churchman, has to say mosity, yet certainly of coldness towards about the Churches in America. He refers the old country." Such a statement might to the subject in many of his paragraphs, have been more true had it been less sweepbut in the first place quotes a remark made ing-the long bow is drawn too close to by an American gentleman which we in this the ear. We are now quite prepared to country might be the better for studying. hear that the Episcopal Church in the New "The way," says this American, in which World is so much respected and so powerwe deal with the clergy here, is to pay ful that it is "more influential in forming them well, and to encourage them to say and guiding public opinion than even the exactly what they think. What we pay Government and Legislature." Of course, them for is not other people's ideas and the members of this powerful Church comopinions these we can find in books-prise the great bulk of "the most refined but their own. We expect them to devote and educated class in the country;" and a reasonable portion of their time, and all those of that class who join it, do so the mental powers they possess, to theo- because "they regard Romanism as a logical study, and then give us the result." religion not for man, but only for women This definition of the duty of a clergyman and children, while they look upon other 46 Churches as having little devotion and less shown enterprise which astonishes even stability." Then we are told that "the nat- Americans themselves." Speaking of the ural and only aristocracy" are the clergy people as a whole, Mr. Zincke says, "The of the different Churches, "but more par- fact is, the Americans are the most reasonticularly of the Episcopal Church," the law-able and teachable people in the world." yers coming next, and the politicians being An Englishman will defy all evidence, and nowhere. Another statement is curious cling to his mistake; but " and interesting. It appears that "the five Yankee States, with the exception of Connecticut, which is the most Episcopal State in the Union, are rapidly becoming Unitarian and Universalist. This in some degree accounts for the equivocal character of their acuteness, and for their singular want of magnanimity." To account for these views, it is sufficient to remind the reader that they are the opinions of an American bishop, not of Mr. Zincke, though the latter gentleman has of course much pleasure in recording them among his paragraphs. 66 prove to the Americans that they are wrong, and the whole people will, as if they were one man, readily abandon their mistake." Being thus open to conviction, they would never go to war with us knowing themselves to be in the wrong." There is therefore hope that Anglo-Saxon blood will never be spilt by Anglo-Saxon swords. With this remark we must commend Mr. Zincke's interesting book to the general reader, for whose information on innumerable American subjects it is admirably adapted. Many interesting remarks on the subject of education occur throughout the volume, which concludes with an excellent chapter on the common schools of America. From The Spectator. THE POSSIBILITIES OF ACCUMULATION. Mr. Zincke writes conscientiously; he is not a caricaturist; and, accepting his statements as simply authentic, one cannot avoid the impression that Americans have passed utterly beyond the pictures of them that travellers were wont veraciously to paint. They do not scramble at dinner at the hotels. A hundred may sit at table, but each guest is served separately; they do THE Parisian papers have been amusing not eat rapidly; they are the reverse of themselves by speculations as to the wealth talkative; they are not inquisitive; "they of the late Baron James Rothschild, which are far more civil and helpful to one an- they estimate variously at sums ranging from other and to strangers than Englishmen £52,000,000 to £80,000,000 sterling. All are;" and those of them who belong to these speculations are probably alike incorgood society are in a very high degree rect, as in the case of a fortune so vast, inquiet and unassuming." Mr. Zincke never vested in so many countries, and dependheard an American use the word "siree " ent on the stability of so many Governfor sir; never heard any one guess; nor ments, even the Legacy Duty Office must was he ever asked to " liquor." Such and remain content with an approximation to a hundred other things may once have the truth. The rumours, however, are calbeen American practices; but they have culated to set men thinking as to the possinow been utterly abandoned. The people bilities of accumulation which have opened are well clothed, well fed, well educated, out of late years, the extent to which it and they speak the English language more might be carried, and the social danger or purely than the English people do at home. benefit of very extreme cases. We doubt For California and its people our author has if the world is quite aware how very great great admiration, and his impression seems the possible accumulations of a single famto be that if Americans are an advanced ily, or, indeed, of a single individual, might and an advancing people, the Californians be. It looks very absurd to most men to are in advance of their countrymen gener- say that a man might accumulate £80,000,ally. "One cannot," he says, become 000, but such a concentration of wealth is acquainted with half a dozen Californians by no means beyond the range of ordinary without seeing that man himself has been possibilities. Our own impression is very improved in this wonder-working region-strong that such things have occurred, that the finest, not only that the Anglo-Saxon some of the Roman nobles can be shown to race, but that any race of man has ever in-have possessed fortunes which represented habited. There is a quickness and deter- as much either of labour or goods as that mination of mind, and a calmness of man-immense sum would now; but that is a ner, a quickness of eye and a cleanness of speculation too deep for this article. We limb about a Californian that you cannot turn to more practical and every-day illusbut notice. They have in a thousand ways trations. It is certain there have recently 66 quite as alluring, for example, as that of managing the statistics of any ordinary kingdom, or keeping down expenditure in What could that man's heir do with that been individuals among us, like the late that great fortunes, startling fortunes, are Mr. Morrison, Mr. Thornton, or Mr. made, the only difference being that as they Crawshay, possessed of from three to seven are usually accumulated by the men who. millions realizable in cash and liable to tax-found them, the process of accumulation only ation, and there is now living at least one becomes geometric when the City man is too whose possessions, if "sold up," would old to reap the full benefit of his world-wide yield ten. Suppose, what has never actu- knowledge. Be it remembered we started ally occurred, we believe, but what it is from a figure lower than we need have very easy to conceive occurring, wealth to done, for there are men worth more, and the amount of, say, six millions descending we have imagined but one man continuously to a young man trained to business, in- applying himself to a task such as thouclined for business, and as competent to sands of men apply themselves to every manage business as, say, the Manager- day- a task quite as enticing as most of General of the Westminster Bank. He those to which men devote themselves, could, if he liked to occupy his whole time and tax his whole energies in accumulation, employ his capital_throughout Europe as that bank does in England, at an average, a hostile House of Commons. say, of about fifteen per cent., or if a very able man, as apt at great averages as Mr. accumulation? The philosophers all say Thornton was, at an even higher figure."Nothing at all," but we doubt very much Give him, however, only ten per cent. as a whether they are right, any more than the fair, steady rate of gain at 30, and at 40 he novelists, several of whom have touched would have, if he spent his compound in- upon the theme. Godwin wrote a long and terest on his own living, £12,000,000, at somewhat tedious story to prove that he 50 £24,000,000, at 60 £48,000,000, and at could accomplish nothing but mischief, but 70 £96,000,000. It may be said even ten his hero, Leon, was rather a goose, and per cent. is too much, but the fact is Godwin wanted to prove some economic that the whole amount might be lent with- theories. Edgar Poe imagined such a man out much exertion to Governments and deliberately surrounding himself with ungreat traders at that rate with security imaginable luxury, in very despair of doing quite good enough for one man's life, and anything else more practical; but Edgar under a system of nearly complete insur- Poe always forgot some of the conditions ance against everything but a general cata- of his problem, and in this story he has overclysm. No doubt, in practice the grand looked the impossibility of purchasing comcheck upon him would be the difficulty of plete pleasure. If Adam ever had toothache, investing his enormous wealth as it ac- Eden wearied him till it was over, and to men crued, a difficulty which would demand an with nothing to achieve ennui is mental toothagency as widely spread as that of a consid- ache. A writer whose story we have not erable government, an agency dealing in seen for twenty years, but whose name was, money in almost every capital of the globe. we think, Urquhart, tried to explain how Americans say that this difficulty worries enormous wealth might be turned into Mr. Astor till he has been heard to say he power; but he assumed impossible condiis nothing but Inspector-General of his own tions, such as that mankind had accepted fortunes. Very good agents can, however, the sacredness of property as an article in be secured by very rich men, the amount their creed, an idea which man has as yet of brain required to govern them would be shown little disposition to adopt. If we hardly greater than that demanded in a mistake not, his hero, old "Crabs," begood Finance Minister, and what with came Premier of federated Europe, by arthouse property in great capitals, banks, fully using, yet concealing, his wealth; his and mortgages outside Europe, where the son turned tyrant and was destroyed, with his secure interest runs high, even that vast army, by a new discovery in electricity. sum might be invested. That a religious These are dreams to divines and philososociety like that of Jesus could form such a phers, but they, though wiser than the novelfund we have no doubt, though as it could ists, limit the action of the rich man too much not directly trade, it would have to content by presupposing that he would wish to be hapitself with lower interest; but the effort py, and talking about apples turning to ashes would not be wholly beyond the power of in his mouth. Very likely he might not wish a man with the head and constitution of, to be happy, and might consider ashes toothsay, Mr. Vanderbilt, or the late King Leo- powder. Men want to fill their lives rather pold, a splendid accumulator, in his way, than to make them happy, and from the or many a less known City man the time of Socrates downwards have found in world sees every day. Indeed, it is thus the greatness of their work quite sufficient compensation for the absence of pleasure. There are fifty-two counties in England. People are very bad, no doubt; but we It would not take two years' income of back ourselves to find a hundred men in a such a fortune as we have hinted at to day who, if certain of thereby extinguish- found a University like that of Edinburgh ing pauperism in England, would endure in every county, with all tuition absolutely gout till they died. Our own impression is gratuitous; and three years of it would add that a man thus wealthy, who set himself the needful succedaneum, eight hundred one great but mensurable task, would bursaries sufficient with rigid economy to really accomplish it, and make himself a keep a student alive. Just think for an decently happy life into the bargain. He instant if there were such Universities how would be worried and pestered, no doubt, in a generation the tone of Englishmen but he would not be more worried and pes- would be changed. A great fortune, not tered than most Prime Ministers; he could greater than many which exist, would keep keep secretaries for his letters, and admit the House of Commons pure by supplying no one unscrutinised within his park gates. funds for every prosecution, would estabThus protected, he could venture on really lish free libraries in every town, would big things of very varied kinds. We will carry out sanitary arrangements in half the say nothing of political power, though he minor boroughs, would render all local hoscould gain that, because political power ac- pitals adequate to the popular need. There quired by money is almost invariably mis- is hardly a limit to the work a really giganused. Still, we should like to ask the suc- tic fortune such as may yet appear among cessor to Mr. Coppock, whoever he is, us could not effect, and that through enterwhether such a man could not by paying prises which would interest able men more the expenses, say, of two hundred working than luxury, or splendour, or the pursuit of candidates, have altered the face of this women, or art, or any of the occupations, Election? whether any man who would bad or indifferent, on which most of the subscribe £2,000 to each county election in makers of money waste their lives. Great Britain, claiming only a veto on can- The power for evil of such a fortune would didates, would not hold enormous political be at least equally great, and in the hands of power? whether finance ministers would a capricious, tyrannical, or secretly insane not quake before a man who could increase man might demand the interference of the or decrease the Bank's Reserve by ten mil- State. We have, for example personally lions at will? Let us confine ourselves to known an instance of very considerable more beneficial uses of wealth. A man as means steadily devoted to the purpose of wealthy as Earl Grosvenor might become ruining a thriving town, each house being could rebuild East London, for instance, bought as it came into the market and rerebuild it on a sound plan, without enor- duced to a ruin, but fortunately such cases mous difficulty, for long before he was half-are within the easy control of the commuway through the Legislature would sweep nity. It would not be necessary to raise legal difficulties from before his path. The the general question of the sacredness of man or government who pulled down East property, but only to pass an Act declaring London, block by block, rebuilt each block that the deliberate use of great wealth on an intelligent plan, and sold each block against the community should be considwith a Parliamentary title, would certainly ered prima facie evidence of lunacy, and not lose more than double the sum Hauss- that the property so used should pass to mann's enemies say he has lost for Paris, trustees for the benefit mainly of the lunanamely, twenty millions, which Paris and tic's successors. It is in this form, howthe State will, they say, have one day to ever, that the right of accumulation will pay. We doubt ourselves if it is half as probably one day come up for judgment, much, but we may let that pass till we es- and in England the resolve of Parliament tablish an Edile with a seat in the Cabi- is sufficiently shown in the celebrated Thelnet, when the Parisian Improvement Fund lusson Act, the only direct blow ever levmay possibly become a matter of vital polit-elled at accumulation, but a very effectual ical interest. Most men, again, have some one. No attempt of the kind has ever, we interest in provincial cities, interest of believe, been made since, and no family habitation, or neighbourhood, or repre- has had the resolution to do what is still sentation, or family connection. Well, legal-form a reserve fund to accumulate there is not a city in Great Britain, Glasgow included, which the expenditure of ten millions or so, directed by a single mind, would not turn into a model muncipality, worthy to be lived in as well as visited. Or take another great object, Education. for a century at compound interest. It is only necessary that three generations should persist in such a course, but Providence has kindly decreed that even three generations should rarely pass among the wealthy without the birth of a fool. CLERKE RYCHARDE AND MAYD MARGARET, 194 | THE VOICES OF NATURE, 226 MONTESPAN-MAINTENON, 256 194 IN MEMORY OF ALEXANDER SELKIRK, 226 MR. CARLYLE AND THE UNIVERSITY OF 256 240 TRANSFUSION OF THE BLOOD, NEW BOOKS: From Robert Carter & Brothers, New York. The following works of Rev. Dr. McCosh, President of the College of New Jersey: 3. THE INTUITION OF THE MIND INDUCTIVELY INVESTIGATED. 4. AN EXAMINATION OF MR. J. S. MILL'S PHILOSOPHY, BEING A DEFENCE OF FUNDAMENTAL TRUTH. PUBLISHED EVERY SATURDAY BY LITTELL & GAY, BOSTON. FOR EIGHT DOLLARS, remitted directly to the Publishers, the LIVING AGE will be punctually forwarded for a year, free of postage. But we do not prepay postage on less than a year, nor where we have to pay commission for forwarding the money. Price of the First Series, in Cloth, 36 volumes, 90 dollars. Any Volume Bound, 3 dollars; Unbound, 2 dollars. The sets, or volumes, will be sent at the expense of the publishers. PREMIUMS FOR CLUBS. For 5 new subscribers ($40.), a sixth copy; or a set of HORNE'S INTRODUCTION TO THE BIBLE, unabridged, in 4 large volumes, cloth, price $10; or any 5 of the back volumes of the LIVING AGE, in numbers, price $10. |