Daily American organ. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1856, 1855-04-10
+, WARRINGTON, April 0, 1855.
Hiidreth's History Of the United States.
pa.t1a.s r.,lS.ss.as,L A nil o

Hiidreth's History Of the United States.
From the Boston Telegraph, April 2.
The Harpers have recently issued new and
revised edition of Mr.. Hildreth's History to which
the author has written new and very piquant
preface. The original introduction begins thus
.'0f centennial sermons and Fourth of July ora
tons whether professedly such or in the guse ofhs
tory, there are than enough. 1t is due to our
fathers and ourselves, it is due to to truth and phi
losophy TO present for once on the historic stage,
the founders of our American nation, unbedaubed
with patriotic rouge, without stills, buskins tinsel,
or bedzenment, in their own proper persons, often
rude, hard narrow, supersttious and mistaken,
but always earnest, downright, manly, and sin
core"
Such was the aim and purpose of Mr.. Hildreth's
work, as announced by himself at the time of its
publication in lS49. How it has been received by
the public, in the five six years that have since
elapsed, he informs us in the preface to which we
have alluded, which will be read not without wrath
in more quarters than one and not without amuse-
Inent by those who know where its bitter and cut
ting sarcasm was meant to hit
"The undress portraits have presented of our
colonial progenitors, though made up chiefly of
traits delineated by themselves; my presumption
In bursting the thin shining bubble, so assiduously
blown up by so many windy mouths, of colonial
golden age Of fabulous purity and virtue, have
given very serious offence, especially in New Eng
land region Of set formalty and hereditary grim
ace, where careful editorial toning down, to pre-
pare them for being printed of the letters ofeven
SO cautious person as Washington, has been
thought to be demanded alike by decorum toward
him, and by propriety toward the public.
"Yet my reception, on the part Of the less crit-
cal readers, as well in New England as beyond It.
has been such as to afford me very gratifying proof
in the fsce of croaking prophecies of feeblemnded
or faint-hearted friends, that, unsustained by any
party, sect class interest," independent Of every
body; worshipping neither the setting, the midday,
nor the rising sun; too proud TO bask in the sun
shine Of national vanity, however large and respect
able the company TO be found there; too much an
admirer of artistic unity, as well too sturdy
patriot TO overlay aud belittle our simple annals
by any gaudy fringes borrowed from the history Of
Europe; content to let our ewn performers act out
our own drama, on our own stage, unecpsed by
stars dragged in from abroad detesting all kinds
Of can't especially the fashionable twin cants of
a spasmodc wordy rhetoric, and transcendental
philosophy; despisng all fpperies and clap-traps;
relating plain facts in plain English; with inter-
est but justice, and no aim but truth-an American
writing for Americans, may hope TO find among his
c)untrymen, especially the younger part Of them,
little credit as we have abroad for philosophical
ntrospection or simplicity OF taste,) sympathizing
and approaching readers"
Mr.. Hildreth, at the close Of this preface, an
nounces bis intention Of continuing bis history
down to the end of Mr.. Fllmore's administration,
III two additional volumes He is aware Of the
difficulty and delicacy Of dealing with contemporary
affairs but thinks that the extreme publicity Of all
our political transactions and he speedy disclosure
among us OF all political secrets, afford facilities
which warrant the undertaking; while, by keeping
aloof from all personal party strifes, and by rising
above the mere temporary interests Of the moment,
position may be reached sufficiently elevated for
obtaining pretty correct idea of the real proper
tons and actual relations Of events