342 THE POPULAR SCIENCE MONTHLY. 



is open to remark. A conservative philosophy may be, he says, an 

 absurdity, but it is calculated to drive out still worse absurdities. To 

 cut the matter short, he hopes from it, not the conversion of Conser- 

 vatives into Liberals, but the adoption of " one liberal opinion after 

 another as a part of Conservatism itself." Surely this is spreading 

 the snare in the sight of the bird. We may ask whether, after forty 

 years' trial, the Conservative philosophy of Coleridge has really borne 

 such fruits ; or whether the adoption of Liberal opinions by Conser- 

 vatives has had anything to do with philosophical consistency. Did 

 Mr. Gladstone's conversion follow, in any degree, from Coleridge's 

 philosophy ? 



Be this as it may, these two articles made a temporary alienation 

 between Mill and his old associates, and planted in their minds a pain- 

 ful misgiving as to his adherence to their principles or to any prin- 

 ciples. There is, in the " Logic," an extract from the " Coleridge " ar- 

 ticle, on the essential conditions of stability in any society. One of 

 these conditions is, that there be something that is settled, and not to 

 be called in question. Grote never ceased to convert this remark into 

 an expression for the standing intolerance of society toward unpopu- 

 lar opinions. 



From these two articles it is a natural transition to remark gener- 

 ally upon his principle in conducting the " Review " from first to last. 

 He aimed at a wider comprehension than had ever been allowed be- 

 fore in any periodical representing a sect. He sought out fresh and 

 vigorous thinking, and did not expect a literal adherence to his own 

 opinions. The " Review " abounds in editorial caveats, attached to 

 the articles. His principle of seeing partial truth in opposite sides 

 was carried out in this form. He respected real ability when combined 

 with sincerity ; and, as an editor, he never refused a reading to an 

 offered contribution ; in fact, he delighted in the perusal of young au- 

 thors' essays. 



It was a noble experiment to endeavor to combine opposites and to 

 maintain a perpetual attitude of sympathy with hostile opinions. A 

 dissertation would be well expended in inquiring into its results. For 

 the present, I remark that, as real opposition can not be smoothed 

 down, we must still go on the old track of counter-argumentation ; 

 while every honest truth-seeker endeavors to do justice to the case of 

 an opponent. The watchword in these days of the " Review " was, 

 "Sympathize in order to learn." That doctrine, preached by Goethe 

 and echoed by Carlyle, was in everybody's mouth, and had its fling. 



Mill's account of the management of the " Review," first as held by 

 Molesworth, and afterward by himself, leaves uncertainties on various 

 interesting points. He was at first sole editor, it appears, without be- 

 ing the avowed editor ; he does not say what this exactly meant. In 

 point of fact, he rather supervised than edited the " Review." The 



