The Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1837-1845, 1843-11-20


Il is notAan ax6sxa istBsiaK andsas; till
excuse of ignorance, upon what ground be claim
the title of an honest historian His apoogist, the
newspaper to which wa have referred, says that this
part of his work merely episode We admit
that in physical Importance the American bears
no comp arlson with the war ensuing from the Frenct
| revolution. In those wars millions of men were
engaged, millions OF men were slaughtered, thrones
\ demolished and new thrones erected, to be
demolished III turn, cities sacked popuous king
doms desolaed and old institutions swept away
like forests before a hurricane. But after all this
mischief accomplished, what was the result
The restoration Of desposm to every portion of Con-
tneDtal Europe, and the of the English ogar.
chy from destruction, to reign more herceIy and vim
dclively than ever.
Napoleon was arrested in his march to the conquest
of Europe, but liberty gained nothing, or very little
| The rights OF man came out OF that contest re-
eved from scarcely single fetter. Hence how
great in physical results, the of the French
Revolution did not produce moral results at all com
mensurate with the magnitude of the elements en-
gagged. But in the short war between the United
States and Britain, two great moral problems were
solved for the benefit of mankind. One is that our
republican Institutions, assaed by national enemies
without any dsalecton and treason within still
competent to any emergency either Of peace or war,
and therefore constitute, IN the memorable words
of Jefferson the strongest government on eartI.p
Another that the British Navy not nvincible but
the contrary must yield the palm of superiority TO
crazy. Thus in contest involving physical means
ncomparably less than those engaged in the of
| the French Revolution, moral results attained
which the grea European contest did not reach and
thus in relation TO great moral considerations deeply
affecting the welfare of future generations do these
mighty contests sink into the shade in comparison
with our At the commencement and through
the progress of these wars two illusions prevailed
One was that our republican institutions were too
weak to endure either external pres sure internal
/ Another w as
were inyncihe the ocean, and that all opposition
10 them was futile. Yet how thoroughly, how tri-
umphantly for that Democracy, whchls the object of
the historians especial rancor were these illusions
dspelled by few thousands of Democratic regulars
and militia, and few fir built frgates p Who can
fail TO see, in the solving of these problems the sub
sequent struggles Of the French, Germans, Begans,
Italians Spanards and Portuguese for liberty Who
can fail TO see in them the rapid growth of the
French and Russian nayies
The moral influence of such contest, compare.
lively insignificant were the physical means III
volyed in it, such a mind Alison's could not have
been blind. And being Engshman and a Tory,
and therefore deeply participating in the mortihca-
ton Of his countrymen at their signal defeats by
" raw Democratic militia" and fir built frgates %
he could have been devoid of curiosity about the
Details devoid Of desire 10 ascertain how such things
could have occurred. And as he must have ascer-
tanned that authentic records, whether American or
English, were accessible, he would not have omitted
a careful examination Of them. Yet we find that
VI on this very contest Notifying to his coun
try than any other record, with every lnducement
TO investigate, and with ample means for reaching
the truth, he commits enormous errors And his
New York apologist, an American newspaper ex.
him by saying that he regarded this contest as
merely an episode Admitting this what right, we
ask, had he to regard such contest producing such
results, in such lght2 Episode And even if he
we're sufficiently blind to the importance Of this con-
test TO regard il in this light, does this excuse his
misrepresentation Is he authorized 10 falslfy his
tory upon any subject, because that subject is less
| important in his estmaton than some others? We
had supposed that truth in all things, was the hsto
ran's duiv But according 10 this American apoIo-
gist Of Alison historian may lawfully falsify when
his subject is not Of the highest Importance
Admirable morality
But what confidence do the errors Of Alison in his
epis de inspire for the rest Of his work. If he is not
sufficiently careful honest to tell truth on his can
be be trusted on anything else No Whether his
episode be wrong through carelessness or fraud the
error deprives him of all claim 10 implicit confidence
in any statement. But, says his apologsi, in proof
Of has cald0r he quotes two republicans for roy
/ slist and Two Frenchmen for one Englishman This
proves nothing for # he select ten truths from his
republicans and FIVE falsehoods from his royalists or
the reverse what is the value of his history .7to-
rites must be estimated by other standard than
number, for one honest witness is worth dozen
falsiers. The amount Of this apology for a falsh-
cation Of history is that the author not aoquant
ed with his subject and would have treated il very
differently # he had been. And in connection with
this he is praised for his cador and careful research
for hcenty years, among fifteen hundred authorities
Ano a GROWING excuse, we are told that theAme-
rican edition Of his misrepresentation concerning
our country published with explanatory notes by
the publisher This last is great merit in the his
iorian We really think that the apologist needs
support much his author; and with al due re-
spec for "the noblest work Of the present age" we
must be allowed 10 call this work .9Hon's Romance.
! The last number Of this history, containing
the chapter on America, has materially changed
our estimate Of the merits Of the historian.
He has evidently been influenced by the British
Government TO misrepresent US in many re-
spects. AS for his evident prejudices against
/ Napoleon, We were willing to pass them by as
a matter Of course, in perusing the interesting
incidents IN the history, which. Of themselves,
are we doubt not, correctly given, and which
give the work all the charms Of a romance.
ED. MAD J
THE NEW PARTY.