Page:Popular Science Monthly Volume 15.djvu/351

 He closes the number with a political article on the measures of the Government for the session—among others, the Irish Church and the Municipal Corporations bills. His text seems to be that the statesmen of the generation are good in destroying, but bad in construction; and he says that the remark applies to all the Whig reforms, and most of all to Lord Brougham's law reforms.

In the third number (July, 1835) Mill reviewed De Tocqueville's book, which had then appeared—the review extending to forty-five pages. It was a very full account of the book, with copious extracts, but may be considered as superseded by the article written for the "Edinburgh Review" in 1840, which is reprinted in the "Dissertations." The number concludes with a short but energetic review of the Parliamentary session just concluded. It is of the tone and character of all his political writings in those years; a retrospect of recent achievements, with a view of the present position and declaration of the one thing needful for it—a leader. He bitterly complains of the absence of a man of action, and asks: "Why does not Mr. Grote exert himself? There is not a man in Parliament who could do so much, or who is more thoroughly the people's friend. . . . O'Connell is the only figure that stands erect." The Liberal press is too much given to truckling to the Ministry. The bull must be taken by the horns; the Tories must be awakened by the apparition of a House of Lords Amendment Bill.

In the fourth number (January, 1836) he had an article entitled "State of Society in America," reviewing a number of books of American travels, and following up the article on De Tocqueville. It is occupied with an attempt to connect the features of American society with the industrial position and political constitution of the country. It may be called one of his minor sociological studies.

The fifth number is the first of the union of the "London" with the old "Westminster," hereafter called "The London and Westminster." It appeared in April, 1836. Mill contributes to it his article on "Civilization," contained in the "Dissertations," and a short political article on the "State of Politics in 1836." I never felt quite satisfied with the article on "Civilization." The definition given at the outset seemed inadequate; and the remainder of the article is principally one of his many attacks on the vicious tendencies of the time. He regards as consequences of our civilization, the decay of individual energy, the weakening of the influence of superior minds, the growth of charlatanerie, and the diminished efficacy of public opinion, and insists on some remedies for the evils; winding up with an attack on the universities. To my mind these topics should have been detached from any theory of civilization, or any attempt to extol the past at the cost of the present. The political article is a survey of the measures pending in Parliament. He is very much excited, as his father was, about the spoiling of the country with unnecessary