The Sun.
London, England, 1853-12-01 00:00:00

LITERATURE.

_
The History of Europe : from the Fall of Napoleon
in 1815 to the Accession of Louis Napoleon, in
1852. Vol. 11. By Sir Archibald Alison, Bart.
Blackwood.

In continuation of his laborious enterprise, the
most industrious of living annalists has here
brought down his luminous and voluminous history
of Europe to 1825, to the downfall of Riego ili
Spain, to the triumph of Pepe in Naples, to the
suppression of revolt in Russia, to the reactidn of
Royalism in France, to the riots in England, the
insurrection in Scotland, and the agrarian dis-
turbances in Ireland—a memorable interval com-
prising occurrences no less important than the
death of Napoleon and theaccessionof Nicholas,
Queen Caroline's trial and George IV.'s Corona-
tion. It is surprising with what remarkable facility
Sir Archibald Alison has here grouped together
facts hitherto so widely scattered. The difficulty at-
tendant upon the narrative of events we all know is
in agreat measure proportioned to their being remote
Speaking or contemporaneous. more plainly, we
would say that it were easier to write an account
of the Heptarchy than a record of the last political
movement. In the former instance fewer autho-
rities have to be consulted, those authorities have
already been weighed in the balance of successive
generations, their statements have been contrasted
with each other, the light of their evidence has
been accumulated, as it were, to a single focus,
and brought to bear upon, the required epoch by
the aid of adroit collation and ingenious commen-
tary. In the latter instance, however, it is alto-
gether different—in the instance, say, of some
recent revolution. There the data have to
be collected together—and collected from what
sources, from sources how numerous, how
questionable, how widely separated ! From files
of newspapers, from volumes of official gazettes,
from cartloads of pamphlets, and memoirs, and
diaries, and orations, and miscellaneous correspon-
dence—from bulletins hotly despatched from the
field of battle, from state papers coldly issued from
the cabinet of statesmen, from the flattery of the
adulator, and the misrepresentation of the satirist,
from the fury of personality, and the enthusiasm of
partisanship, and the din of faction, and the clouds
of prej udice—frora the discussions of Journalism
and the debates of Parliament. It is from sources
as bewildering and multifarious as those here enu-
merated that the modern annalist has to derive his
data when he adventures upon the task of describing
occurrences which are very nearly contemporaneous.
To look for perfect impartiality in any historian
thus situated would be as irrational as it would
be to expect coolness in an observer of some
mighty struggle, standing in the midst of the noise
and the smoke, and the carnage of a cannonade.
The annalist must regard events from a reasonable
distance if he hope to acquire the merit of impar-
tiality, just as the spectator of a battle should be
situated out of reach of what Schiller finely calls—
" The wild grim
if he aspire to watch the
con-
test with anythingself-possession. N
there are other
those of imperturbableindifference. Every•
war-
like conflict,talking of the fight,
the dint dice of the iron game,"
fluctuations of the at all resembling the coolness of
evertheless, be it remembered
advantages to be desired besides
sedateness, or of cold-blooded
individual interested in a
would, of course, listen eagerly to one
who had watched it not from
mountain top, but in immediate proximity

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‘,444)
with the belligerents. rA;;) ' -,4,60110(ti: the
opportunity of leamin this
.10C944* . e_
ralities, characterised ' -iciikr**yiti y,
but of becoming acqual ' fret . to
incidents, colouring the celelit dif: ore
glowing and more vivid Nittellivi-; ould
perceive something more of tU—moilAnto reality
than that implied in the fantastic phrase of a recent
dreamer—

" Tiny Waterloo,
Ants red and blue."

Instead of this, instead of discerning only the out-
line of column and platoon, or the feathering mists,
thrown up by the discharge of ordnance and mus-
ketry—he would obtain a glimpse of personal acts
of heroism, he would catch gleams of the broken
sword or the blood-stained cuirass, he would ob-
serve as it were upon the scroll of history not
merely a diagram of the situation of the opposing
armies, but an animated profusion of illustrations,
a vignette of the drummer-boy, and a silhouette of
the commander-in-chief. So is it with this con-
tinuation of the " History of Europe," by
Alison—annals extending from 1815 to 1852, from
the fall of the first to the accession of the Third
Napoleon. Immediately upon the appearance of
the initial volume of his novel and daring narra-
tive, we took occasion to commend the skill with
which its author had acquitted himself of so many
embarrassing responsibilities. The ability displayed
in this respect by Sir A. Alison from the very
commencement of his enterprise is yet more con-
spicuously revealed, now that we can watch the
course of its development. Naturally enough, as
already intimated, the work is coloured here and
there by its author's personal partialities and poli-
tical predilections. These, however, the intelli-
gent reader can pass over at their right valua-
tion, grateful for the industry which has gone
in search of so many curious and valuable
particulars, by the aid of which each one individu-
ally may estimate the progress made by the re-
spective races of Christendom in the onward march
of civilisation.
As indicative of the interest comprised in the
volume before us, several of the more memorable
incidents therein recounted may be here not in-
aptly enumerated. . . • Turning over the
chapter devoted to the record of events in Russia
and Poland during the ten years which elapsed be-
tween 1815 and 1825, we receive from the hand
of Alison an account of the last illness, the
death, and the funeral of Alexander. We
watch the rise and fall of the enormous re-
volt consequent upon his disappearance. We
recognise the heroic bearing of Nicholas at
the period of his accession. Nay, with all the
wrath inspired at this moment by the flagitious
policy of that most ambitious and audacious poten-
tate, we cannot but accord to him the admiration
which is his due for the conduct displayed by him
immediately on his elevation to the throne of that
terrible and colossal autocracy. The description
given by Sir A. Alison of the character and even of
the personal appearance of the Emperor Nicholas
must be accepted, of course, as favourable over-
much. Yet while we cannot close our eyes to the
exceeding partiality of the writer, we cannot
allow our own lack of sympathy with the Czar
to blind us to the truth of one notable
part of his delineation. " Exemplary," says our
author, when speaking of the Emperor Nicholas,
" exemplary in all the relations of private life, a
faithful husband, an affectionate father, he has ex-
hibited in a brilliant court, and when sur-
rounded by every temptation which life can
offer, the simplicity and affections of patriarchal
life." We must perforce admit the justice of
the panegyric. Turning from Russia to Eng-
land, the reader will find in this second volume
matter for eager perusal in the picturesque descrip-
tions of the Cato Conspiracy, contrived by the
butcher Ings, and the firebrand Thistlewood
—of the trial and troubles of Queen Caroline—of
the bloodshed at Peterloo—and, besides many other
enthralling topics, of the demise and character of
the Marquis of Londonderry, better known as the
celebrated Viscount Castlereagh. The account
given by Alison in chapter ix. of the death and
captivity of Napoleon, though, of course, from the
very nature of the subject, fraught with an irresis-
tible fascination, is, everything considered, one of
the least satisfactory portions of his chequered and
picturesque narrative. The annalist still pertina-
ciously- closes his eyes to the fact that Napoleon
broke the treaty of Fontainbleau only after it
had been broken by the Allied Sovereigns. He re-
ports the old story that the hero's last words were—
" tete d'annee," when the last syllables that fell
from his lips were "Josephine," according to the
evidence of the faithful soldier who closed his eyes,
the late General Count Moutholon. Nay, Sir
Archibald in this division of his labour as an his-
torian appears to flaw his text with a series of
curious contradictions. He condemns Napoleon,
for inasmuch as (cli. ix. p. 365) he allowed his
serenity to be disturbed by his being addressed
with the title of General, as if that were of no sort
of importance whatsover—yet a little later on
(ibid. p. 371) lie asks "where was the necessity of
refusing him the title of Emperor ?" Again, he
speaks of (p. 371) " the littleness evinced by the
English Government" in refusing even certain
" slight gratifications to the fallen hero"—although
in a previous sentence he has spoken of the con-
duct of that Government towards Napoleon (p.
367) as " highly liberal and considerate !" No—
talk as Sir A. Alison may about full justice having
at length been done to the Captive of St. Helena
—it has yet to be infused into the annals penned
by Englishmen. Candour, at least, may neverthe-
less be displayed amongst us in his regard, though
we may never hope to see that dark and
sinister blot ever obliterated from our national
escutcheon. Enough, however, upon this
par-
ticular—a matter to us always of painful
and lamentable retrospection. Enough, more-
over, in reference to the volume under review
in the way of minute carping or detailed emenda-
tion. Although flawed in a variety of directions
from the haste with which its materials have been
compacted together, the historical work submitted
to our criticism must be welcomed as a marvel of
facile ingenuity and of rapid elaboration—a mas-
terly evidence of its author's industry, courage, and
perseverance.

DEPARTURE OF THE AMERICAN MAILS.--Yesterday
forenoon, about eleven o'clock, the United States mail
steam-ship Arctic, Captain James C. Luce, sailed from
the Mersey for New York with the usual bi-weekly
mails for the United States and British North American
provinces ; 95 passengers and a large and valuable cargo
of merchandise on freight.

THE MILITARY AT BLACKBURN.-It appears that the
Secretary of State for the Home Department ha
promptly complied with the request of the authorities of
Blackburn to have a military force stationed there
during the turn-outs, and on Monday a company of the
34th Regiment from Preston marched into the borough,
and have taken up their quarters there.

HOUSE FALLING.—THE LATE APPALLING ACCIDENT
AT PLYMOUTH.—Since our last we learn that one of the
persons injured, a young man, underwent the process of
amputation of the leg, on Sunday last, in the South
Devon Hospital. The operation was found necessary
from the crushed state of the limb. The buildings in
White-lane, adjacent to those removed by Mr. King, in
Southside•street, were pronounced dangerous by the
surveyor, on Friday and Saturday, and were vacated
immediately. On Sunday the east end fell down, and
the residue became precarious, although secured some-
what by props and other appliances.—Plymouth Mail of
yesterday.
FATAL RAILWAY ACCIDENT AT LIVERPOOL—On
Monday night, at half-past eleven o'clock, a dreadful
accident occurred at the Great Howard-street station of
the East Lancashire Railway, which resulted in the
death of the guard of the train, named William Parker,
and a female passenger, named "[lust, residing at Liver-
pool. It appears that the deceased had both arrived at
the usual time, 11.30 p.m., by the luggage train from
re— '
Orrnskirk, and that the engine, after being disen,aved
from the
r owche
ieedhi nigt
haahaempvi
ahead a short
ou
y distance,
was brought on the opposite line, and returned parallel
with the
watraign;onand froin
tached. The deceased had by this time sl been
alightedde-
tached, from
the train, and were in the act of crossing off the line,
when the engine, which had returned
expected, ran over them, and killed them
than was
The bodies presented a most d em on the spot.
man's skull being literally crushedreadfal spectacle, the
features of the face totally obliterated,together, and the
and the woman
had both legs nearly severed from her body. A person
named George Gillester, who was near the deceased at
the ttime of the accident, was knocked down by the
remained insensible for some time.
THE PRESTON STRIKE.—Last night a public meeting;
called by an amalgamated committee of working men.
was held at the 3rtishSchoolr
City-road, to support the Prest-onemo ,erCatoiwvepeezi-room,
struggle with the inillowners, and operatives
consider the
question of inaugurating a trades Parliament ; Mr.
1• Campbell, a working man in the chair. Mr.
Finlen moved the following resolution :—" That
this meeting, after witnessing the numerous failures
that have been too consequent upon sectional and
isolated struggles of the people to maintain a proper
scale of wages, and to achieve the emancipation of
labour, is of opinion that the time is now arrived when
a united mass movement of the working classes, based
upon a national 'organisation, and guided by one direct-
ing body, can alone assure adequate support to the men
now locked out of employment and on strike, and enable
working men, for the future, to free labour from, the
thraldom of capital." Mr. J. B. O'Brien seconded the
resolution, observing, however, that, if fully carried out,
it could not do justice to the working classes. Even
the masters themselves, under the present competitive
system, however well inclined, could not do anything
like justice to the working classes. (Hear, hear.) Still
as
he would like to see a labour parliament tried,
Sti
deal of good might be the result. The resolution e.great
then agreed to, as was also a resolution in wassupport of a
r labour parliament, similar to that recently resolved upon
by a Manchester meeting.