strength and energy of the Greek Fauna resemblance more closely followed out in the attitude and character of the head, which is evidently modelled in the antique. Whatever may be our opinion of the truth of this idea of Scheffer, we cannot deny that he has shown himself thoroughly earnest in its expression, and that he has interpreted his thought with admirable directness and simplicity. It is not by any means a popular picture. It is not to be lightly looked at, and passed by without a further thought. As a painting, it is almost worthless and deserves the scantiest praisebut as a deep moral utterance-the sincere expression of a great soul-we have had no such picture offered to us in this city for examination within our recollection. -LOCKWOOD'S Last Judgment is still being exhibited at the Racket Club Building. It is not a great painting by any means, and we are not a little surprised at the universal expression-in the newspapers of approbation of Mr. Lockwood's boldness in choosing such a subject for his first large picture. It seems to us, on the contrary, that such a subject ought to be attempted only by an artist of great learning and matured powers. It is not creditable to any man to undertake a work disproportioned to his powers. We are not accustomed to see beginners in any profession attempting the highest works in that profession. The child must consent to creep before he can hope to walk. Bowlegged infants only testify to the impossility of reconciling ambition with performance at that early stage of life. Mr. Lockwood's picture is all that could have been looked for. It is not original either in conception or arrangement. It is weak in color, and the artist's claims to profound anatomical knowledge sound curiously in the presence of the picture. The notices of the work by the press, with but few exceptions, have deprecated harsh judgment in consideration of the difficulties of the subject and the great size of the picture. But the greater its size and the vaster the subject the greater the necessity of truthful criticism. Mr. Lockwood, in attacking such a theme, has thrown down the gauntlet, and he must not complain if it is taken up. We honestly wish we could praise the picture, but it neither does justice to its subject nor credit to American Art. It is being exquisitely engraved by Mr. Enzing Müller-who is correcting all its faults of drawing and all the blunders in anatomy. No true idea of the execution of the picture can ever be obtained from the engraving-and, indeed, it is not pleasant to think that so fine an engraver as Mr. Müller should be devoting his time to the perpetuating so poor a work. But we believe that the enterprise is a distinguished pecuniary success. And here we may say that the fee universally demanded among us for the privilege of seeing works of Art-twenty-five cents-is entirely too great. The charge should not exceed five, or at the most ten cents, and until our people can see pictures and statues at that rate, we shall find that such exhibitions are only attended by a few persons. Art can never come to be loved by our people until they are made familiar with its productions, and familiar they can never be, until these productions are rendered more accessible by a smaller admission fee. Every boy and girl in our city ought to see often every picture and statue that comes among us. But to bring about this happy result, demands the reduction in the tax to the extent we have indicated. Since the removal of Landseer's picture, Messrs. Williams & Stevens have been exhibiting a picture of great merit by an American artist, resident in our city-Mr. George H. Hall. The picture is called The April Shower. The shower has overtaken three young ladies who are endeavoring to escape the threatened wetting by taking refuge under one umbrella. In the expression of character in each of the girls, Hall has been remarkably successful, and the execution of the picture is careful and admirable. It is not a deep work, has very little moral, and its story is simple; it is a picture to be looked at, enjoyed and taken pleasure in--a beautiful effect of color, and a clear, decided piece of character drawing. Messrs. Williams & Stevens have made a judicious choice in the selection of this picture for exhibition. It is not by one of our best known men, but it is evidently not by one of our least able and conscientious. Mr. Hall must eventually become widely known as an earnest, faithful student-a sincere lover of his work-and one of our few men who paint with conscience, and hold the master's brush. -MR. ROGER'S, a young American who has been six or seven years in Rome, has just returned, bringing with him several works of merit a statue of Ruth, one or two busts of private persons, a statue called The Skater, and another, Love in a Pet. Mr. Rogers's marbles are on exhibition at his studio in the late rooms of the Academy of Design. -MISS HOSMER has recently sent home two busts in marble-Medusa and Daphne, which have attracted much attention in Boston. They are the property of Mrs. Samuel Appleton. -MR. H. K. BROWN is at work upon his Equestrian Statue of Washington, to be executed in bronze, and erected in some one of our public squares. We regret that we have no room at present to say all of Mr. Brown's work that we wish to say, but shall hope to do so next month. -MR. LEUTZE's picture, Washington at Monmouth, is still exhibited in our city, but is to be removed before long. Every one ought to see it, for although far from being a great work, or even one of Leutze's best, it is vigorous and natural, and in its detail and minor groups an admirable picture. -The Crayon, is the title of a new weekly journal in the quarto form, "devoted to the Graphic Arts and the Literature related to them." Edited by W. J. STILLMAN and J. DURAND. The first number appears just as we go to press, and we can only chronicle its advent and cordially wish it the success which so laudable an enterprise deserves. It is in good hands, and will have the best and most judicious co-operation. -The Albion weekly journal presents its subscribers annually with a large engraving. The new one is a very excellent view of Niagara, from the north side of Goat Island, painted by WANDESFORD, and admirably engraved in line by R. HINSHELWOOD. It is one of the best representations of the Horse Shoe Falls: and as a line engraving deserves especial notice. BOOKS RECEIVED. RUTH HALL. By Fanny Fern. New York: Mason Brothers. 12mo., pp. 400. HARRY'S VACATION; or, Philosophy at Home. By William C. Richards. New York: Evans & Dickerson. 12mo., pp. 898. PARLEY'S HOUSEHOLD LIBRARY. New York: E. & H. Fletcher. 8vo., pp. 416. POSITIVE MEDICAL AGENTS; a treatise on alkaloid, resinoid, and concentrated preparations of medical plants. By authority of the American Chemical Institute. New York: B. Keith & Co. 8vo. pp. 299. ELEMENTS OF THE PHILOSOPHY OF THE HUMAN MIND. By Dugald Stewart. Revised and abridged, for the use of colleges and schools. By Francis Bowen. Boston and Cambridge: James Munroe & Co. 12mo., pp. 490. THE UNIVERSE NO DESERT-THE EARTH NO MONOPOLY; preceded by a scientific exposition of the unity of plan in creation. Two volumes in one. Boston and Cambridge: James Munroe & Co. 12mo., pp. 239. AN OFFERING OF SYMPATHY TO THE AFFLICTED; especially to bereaved parents. By Francis Parkman, D.D. New edition, with additions. Boston and Cambridge: James Munroe & Co. 12mo., pp. 259. POEMS. By William Winter. Boston: George W. Briggs & Co. 12mo., pp. 143. A COMPLETE GUIDE TO ORNAMENTAL LEATHER-WORK. With twenty-three cuts. Reprinted from the London edition. Boston and Cambridge: James Munroe & Co. 12mo., pp. 74. MARY AND ELLEN; or the best Thanksgiving. Boston and Cambridge: James Munroe & Co. 12mo., pp. 152. THE LIFE OF HORACE GREELEY. By J. Parton. New BRUSHWOOD, PICKED UP ON THE CONTINENT; or, Last PEBBLES FROM THE LAKE SHORE; or Miscellaneous Poems. By Charles Leland Porter, A. M. Philadelphia: Lippincott, Grambo & Co. 12mo., pp. 239. THE BOAT CLUB; or the Bunkers of Rippleton. A Tale for Boys. By Oliver Optic. Boston: Brown, Bazin & Co. 12mo., pp. 252. HUMANITY IN THE CITY. By the Rev. E. H. Chapin. New York: De Witt & Davenport. 12mo., pp. 252. THE WONDERFUL MIRROR. By the author of "A Visit to the Country," etc. With illustrations. Boston: Crosby, Nichols & Co. THE LIGHT OF THE TEMPLE. By W. R. Strickland, D. D. Cincinnati: J. Ernst. 12mo., pp. 288. THOUGHTS TO HELP AND TO CHEER. Second Series. Boston Crosby, Nichols & Co. 12mo., pp. 229. THE COMPLETE POETICAL WORKS OF WILLIAM COLLINS, THOMAS GRAY, AND OLIVER GOLDSMITH. With biographical sketches and notes. Edited by Epes Sargent. Boston: Phillips, Sampson & Co. 12 mo., pp. 166. In THE POETICAL WORKS OF WILLIAM WORDSWORTH. seven volumes. Boston: Little, Brown & Co. 16mo., pp. about 400 each vol. MERRIE ENGLAND. Travels, descriptions, tales, and historical sketches. By Grace Greenwood. Illustrated. Boston: Ticknor & Fields. 16mo., pp. 261. POEMS, BY ALICE CARY. Boston: Ticknor & Fields. 12mo., pp. 899. ་ PUTNAM'S MONTHLY. I Magazine of Literature, Science, and Art. VOL. V.-MARCH, 1855.-NO. XXVII. THE MORMONS. SHALL UTAH BE ADMITTED INTO THE UNION? seems to be generally expected that, at no very distant period, the Mormons will apply to Congress, to be admitted as an integral part into our Union-as a State of this Federacy of ours. We form the only Confederation that has ever existed with a coherent territory, a country, and that makes at the same time the admission of new members a part of its fundamental policy. The Hanseatic League was a league of scattered communities, whose union, if we may say so, was only on the seas, and in the foreign factories. We are, moreover, the only instance of a confederacy which leaves self-government to its components, and which, nevertheless, has a general government that goes far beyond a common league.* The relation which a State thus bears to the whole, is peculiar and complicated-a relation which must not be lightly treated. It produces problems that cannot be solved by a political formula of a few words, offered by the demagogue or the pettifogging politician, as panaceas are advertised, fit to cure all ills from scrofula and consumption, to melancholy and a fretful temper. The Mormons will knock at our gate, as it is frequently and not inaptly called in the newspapers. Will they find written over it: Positively no Admittance, or will they meet with their peculiar advocates, and, after some wrangling in Congress, which invariably grows more partisan-like the longer it lasts, become one of our sister States? That knocking at the door of the Union, might suggest a scene somewhat of this sort: SCENE: The Gate of the Capitol, at Washington-Inside and Outside of the Gate. The Mormons at the Gate.-Bang, bang, bang! Speaker of the House, from within.Who is there? Who makes this noise? Mormons. We are Latter-Day Saints, sir-Mormons, if you please. Speaker, as before. And what of that? Why such a noise? Mormons. We wish to be admitted; indeed, we want to be; we insist upon it; indeed, the Lord demands it. Speaker, always through the key-hole. -And what sort of people are you? What is your religion, since you speak of the Lord? Several voices from within.-No religion, no religion here! We have nothing to do with religion here. Leader of the Mormon Delegation,Sir, you have no right whatever to care a straw for religion. Religion is all on our side. All we do and say, is religion, but you have nothing to do with it. Obey the Lord, and let us in. But as it * If the reader should insist upon it that the Achæan League furnishes another instance of a federacy, with autonomy of the member States, and a general government so distinct, that Polybius says there was nothing wanting to make the Peloponnesus a polis (a State-city), but an encircling wall, we have no wish to enter into a discussion here, and are willing, for the sake of argument, to restrict our remark in the text to mod. ern confederations. The position thus limited is unassailable, and requires no discussion. VOL. V.--15 |