The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1863-02-04
New Publications.

THE History OF THE CIVIL WAR IN AMERICA;
comprising full and impartial account of the
Origin and Progress of the Rebellion, of the
Naval and Military Engagements, of the He
roic Deeds performed by Armies and Individ-
ulls, and of Touching Scenes in the Field, the
Camp, the Hospital, and the Cabin By John
s. c. Abbott. VOL |. Springfield, Mass: pub
llshed by Gurdon Bill. Svo. PIP. 507. Sold on
ly by Distributing Agents.
The promise of this title cannot be fulfilled by
any writer now living. A full and impartial ac-
count of the origin and progress of war,
which has assumed proportions so gigantic, is at
present pure impossibility No history is full,
in any strict sense. The fullest accessible rec
ords are intersected by frequent chasms, over
which the historian steps lightly bridge
of conjecture. Every history, thus limited to
imperfect records, is to certain extent frag-
mentary; only works of the Imagination can be
complete. But the history of this war must al
so be partial, if written now-partial, because
no man can have surveyed the whole vast field in
the brief space of two years; PARTIAL because the
written documents of the history are many of
them still inaccessible; partial, because it is still
in good part locked up in the hearts of men now
living; partial, because no man, and Mr.. Alb
bott least of all, can escape the influence of
present passion coloring every event with its
own hues. The impartial history will in time be
written from standpoint so far removed, as to
afford just perspective. 1t will embrace infor-
nation from sources not now available. FREE
mont's hundred days in Missouri, Mcclellan s
Peninsular campaign, Pope's disasters before
Washington-how slowly do these and other OPP
G a.
nation to the mark of their true Importance.
1t is another generation that must pass final
judgment upon them. rrg
The work which Mr.. Abbott has attempted
cannot be executed. The work which he has ac-
complished is not therefore without value. He
has given TO the public his riew of the origin
and progress of the war. The student of this
great crisis will still turn to the official documents
and the reports of eyewitnesses in such colec-
tions as the rebellion Record The future
historian will depend upon thess and similar or
iginal sources of information altogether. But
the general reader-a person not overnice about
authorities and symmetry-will find in Mr.. Alb
bolts book clear, rapid narrative of what now
appear to be leading events of the war, amply
illustrated by maps and plans and adorned with
portraits of distinguished men. If the authors
views on certain subjects harmonic with his
own, the general reader will be entirely satisfied
No NAME. A Novel By wilkie Collins Illus
trated by John McLenan. New York: Harper
Brothers. svo. PIP. 27s. For sale in this
city by II. l.. Davis
The title of this novel is explained by the fact
that the father and mother of the principal char
acter were not married till their children were
of age, and by the English laws in such cases
made and provided. 1t is the fashion at present
to decry labored plots in works of fiction, and
youthful critics are very apt to adduce the i'm
portant fact that Shakespeare Conveyed his
plots ready made and took no further trouble
about them. There is nevertheless a certain
merit in the skilful construction of a plot, and
this merit belongs prominently to the novels Of
Wilkie Collins. Tortuous, involved are the
ways through which the reader gropes, and the
darkness before is impenetrable, till at the con-
cluson comes a great burst Of light.
Now the creation of such plot is certainl,
an admirble piece of intellectual work. Tn,
taste of the reader, who requires such sharI
stimulants TO excite his literary appetite, is a,
certainly disordered; but we know men of mos
catholic tastes, who fear not Gibbons history
South's sermons, nor even Sturgeon, and ye
cons cientiousy refrain from glancing at the las
pages of SUI CHI book as ''No Name.'' putting
the mselves wholly into the hands of the author
to see if he can really exercise any power oyei
them. And Wilkie Collins, thus fairly treated
has great and acknowledged power, as the read
ers of 1.-The Woman in White will abundant,
testify.