JOHN STUART MILL. 337 



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 but may be considered as superseded by the article written for the 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 " Disserta- 

 tions." The number concludes with a short but energetic review of 

 the Parliamentary session just concluded. It is of the tone and char- 

 acter 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 truck- 

 ling 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 West- 

 minster." It appeared in April, 183C. 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 charlatcmerie, 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 

 vol. xv. 22 



