PUBLISHERS NOTE. 



THIS work was stereotyped and printed in this city in 1875, 

 but allowed to remain in sheets till now, for various reasons, 

 among which was the dullness in the Book Trade and in busi- 

 ness generally. An edition, however, was published in Great 

 Britain from duplicates of the plates. All of the subjects treated 

 are of a permanent nature and interest, even including John 

 Stuart Mill as a representative man. The book has gained 

 greatly by the delay, inasmuch as it now contains an Appen- 

 dix of Comments on British Criticisms, and in further eluci- 

 dation of the questions discussed. 



The work was set up in its present form for reasons satis- 

 factory to the author. The only part of it that has appeared 

 anywhere before is about twenty-six pages, published in London, 

 in Land and Water and Notes and Queries, as explained at the 

 bottom of each article ; and an Appeal to the Scottish Clergy 

 (similarly marked), which was distributed privately in 1871. 



The Publisher cannot help remarking that, in his opinion, 

 justice has not apparently been done to this book in Great 

 Britain; as if the evidence gathered in America were not suffi- 

 cient to satisfy the Press there, or, it may be, because it in- 

 terferes with, or sets aside, its ideas regarding the matters and 

 persons under investigation. 



NEW YORK, August 15, 1878. 



""7 f 1> H'**' f-y -- 



