Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1859-10-08
Rives's Life and Times of Madison.

Little, Brown & Co., Boston, have publish
ed the first volume Of the "Lite and Times
Of Jan,es .NadiSon," By the Hon. WILLIAM
{. RIvEs. The following Hatterng notice Of
it, is from the pen of the Hon. Jerre Clemens,
the distinguished editor of the Memphis En-
qurer, who is eminently qualified to judge
of the morris of almost any literary produc-
ton whatever.
lion VIM. c. Riyes, of Virginia, whom
to name is to praise in every department of
life, public and private, has undertaken
"The Life and Times Of IImeS Madison"
the first volume of which has just appeared
We have risen from the pcrusal of this book
with unalloyed pleasure. Not only does the
style, which flows on with smoothness and
dignity, please, but the selection and ar
rangemcnt of the materials, the freshness
and importance of the information, the
light thrown upon the birth Of a national
existence, all rivet the attention with more
than usual interest. Of the plan of the
work, we prefer to let Mr.. Rives speak for
himself:
1.-The following work, he says, has been
undertaken from no ambition of authorship,
tn which the active and diversified pursuits
of the writer's life presents every possible
Encouragement. 1t was felt, however, that
some account of the character, opinions, and
actions of the man who contributed more
largely and effectively, though unobtrusve-
ly, to the formation of the institutions I'M
der which we live, than any of his contem-
poraries, and who was the elective head OF
| the government at Il period of external diff
culties and trials which gave the United
States definitely rank among nations. was
dcsidcratum in the history of the country.
"Of the first volume Mr.. Il. justly oh
serves:
1T belongs more, perhaps, to the depart
ment of history than of biography, though
partaking of the character of both. From
the nature of Mr. Mudison's career. it was
impossible TO isolate him from the public
events of the time in which he lived and ac-
ted and copious development of contempt
rary transactions has been often found in
dispensable to display, in its proper light.
the part he bore in those transactions. We
have thus been led. it will be seen, into "A
fuller history than is probably elsewhere TO
be found. of the Congress ot the COntcdcra-
ton during the four years Mr.. Madison was
IN active member of that body, from l,sO
to the definitiye Treaty of Peace, embrac-
ing the most important period OF the War
Of the Revolution, and deeply interesting
passages in our political annals, which have
hitherto received comparatively but little il
lustratiOn.
"In this and every other portion of the
work, we nave relied only on original, and,
in some instances. unpublished documents;
and in remounting To the sources of our
history apocryphal versions of it, which have
become current by rcpetitions upon trust
from one writer to another, have not untre-
quently been rectihed by the lights OF con-
temporary evidence.
"In reviewing these great scenes ol our
early national struggles. we have not felt
ourselves at liberty to suppress anything
which the truth Of history required 70 be
uttered or disclosed And on the other
hand, we have not been unmindful, we trust,
Of the obligations of Justice and candor due
| to all the ilustrious actors Of the time. We
have endeavored, in forming our judgments,
to guard against every influence but that OF
truth, and to give way to no impressions but
such as the facts transmitted to us would, OF
themselves, naturally produce upon every
unbiased mind; keeping always before our
eyes the great moral law Of history-.Ne
guM .EIisi dicere aadeat, ne qU'd rert nan
uuiedt."
such aims coupled with the wcl-known
ability and conscientious industry OF Mr..
Riyes. cannot fail to raise the expectations
of every reader And we are not disap-
pointed.
I'VE have an interesting account OF the
early DAYS of Mr. Madison, preluded by
some sketches of the early pioneers of |ir-
gini;. The character of the future PreSi-
dent of the United States shines with moral
lustre, as we behold him ut Princeton under
the teachings of Dr. Witherspoon--that
great mctaphysician and patrlot-and, Us We
peruse the letters to his friend Bradford. OF
Philadelphia, we perceive that Madison had
the noblest traits of goodness.
MANY Il TennesSean has seen at Wash
ington Mrs. Maiison-su recently gone to
her rest-and if he has heard her cxpa-
tate on the heightened moral and religious
character of her departed husband, he has,
doubtless, attributed it to the oyer-rStlma-
ton Of one to whom Mr.. Madison was the
perfect realization of her ideal. But in the
pages of Mr.. Rives we become aware, from
incoptrovertlble records, that MIR. Madisons
character was all that his affectionate relic
claimed for him.
I'VE have been surprised at the large
number of his College contemporaries at
Princeton, who afterwards became men "t
mark in various parts Of our country. Sam
ue Stanhope Smith, was afterwards the
| learned divine who succeeded DIR. Withcr-
spoon in the Presidency Of Princeton Col
lege. John Henry, Of Maryland, was sue
cessiyely member Of the Congress Of the
| Confederation, Senator Of the United States.
and Governor of Maryland Brockholst
Livingston became Judge of the Supreme
Court of the Union: William Bradford, OF
| Pennsylvania, Acknowledgement of the mi
| ted States under the administration Of Wash
inston; Hugh Henry Breckenridge, of the
same State, was Distinguished alike as
iurst and a writer; Aaron Burr became
| Vice President of the Union: and Morgan
| Lewis, Of New York, Aaron Ogden, OF New
Jersey and Henry Lee, Of Virginia, all
three; after distinguished military and civil
careers, became the Chief Magistrates Of
their respective States.
Mr.. Hives has NOT only relieved whatever
tedium there might have bean III lltn N
trinsically so interesting, but he has, by ms
notes, and elsewhere, sometimes made his
pages sparkle. IIe has not considered it be-
meath the dignity of history to give US oeca-
sionally an episode of Old Virginia life
and manners previous to the Revolution,
which FIRMS a most agreeable shading and