New-York tribune., 1867-06-27
NEW PUBLICATIONS
n ,prp,s HISTORY OF THE AMERIC4A CIVIL
Dl'"N WAR.

NJ I nm 567 Harper Ut others.
The school of philosophy which teaches the neces
,. seouence of national events and ascrlbes lais0
ipauence TO physical causes in the solution OF niS
torical problems, claims in the author OF TINS "uh
distinguished advocate. In his view, the laws VI IN
Lellectual development uniform anu ihe' iOio
40 those of the material universe. NO moVeuion' ~
,ther sphere il the result of chance. Inc System u
ransalitv which governs the nse and tau OF eilpn'
Ia no less inexorabe than that which preVas ~ '"o
revolution of the planets. Societies advance m
preordainea course. The life OF people, ANo ulo
lie ~ the body has its periods of growth maturity
and decline and the Of its evolution arc " O0
Hought in the record of its antecedents' -.
AZ the same time the disciples of this school admit
.heinfuence of human agency in modifying the sue
.ass;on of events Man is not helpless slave uhuer
,he tyranny of Nature. He can avail himself OF the
very laws TO which he is subject, In order 10 coui
,o,act their effects Although he cannot directly
resist the power of outward circumstances, ne ls
able TO reconcile opposing conditions, estaDsh mar
r,ony in the midst of conflict, and even convert
Apparent disasters into permanent blessings
Numerous historical incidents attest ms aDlhty 10
nscape the action of natural laws IL ne ca'ino'
change their character, or arrest theu opeIa'lon'
AZ AN illustration of this, Dr. Draper refers to the
occurrence of great famines and pestllenees III tne
history of the world The cause OF famine is 10 NC
found in meteorological other physical CONDITIONS
-drouthsS wetI weather untimely frosts, excessive
heat OF vegetable disease. The terrible famine IN
1890 when the distress in Europe was so great tna'
men were compelled to cook and eat human heen'
was not produced by a special act OF ProvldencG
II was the natural result of certain physlcal laws
and our own exemption from similar cahlnlty Is
lue 10 the Improvement of agriculture, and the
deveJopment of commerce which cOmpensates Tor
the scarcity of one country by the plenty OF another
Ebe history of pestilence teaches the same lesson
The plaeue of Athens broke the spirit and power OF
that eapital The pestilence that was brought 10
Rome by the army of Verus inflicted amortal wound
on the civilization of the ancient world. century
later half the population were carried OIL by the
plague of Gallienus These visations were aScrlDed
In their day to the vengeance OF the gOus; Dut
sOunder philosophy regards them as incidents OF
nature which men may avoid; and opposes then
mower by cleanliness fresh air, light, and other
Bantary means.
In like manner the progress of national affairs is
controlled t the necessary laws of the universe; but
their operation may be affected by the agency OF
man. The study of the causes of political conflicts
prepares the way for their settlement, and suggests
the methods TO prevent their In apply
ing these principles to the history of the Southern
Rebellion, Dr. Draper enters into an elaborate dls-
cussOn of the elements of the American character,
and the physical conditions which have presided
to be traced in the first instance, to the discordant
tendencies of our original civilization. From nearly
homogeneous English stock, the Atlantic coast re-
ceived two different immigTatiors. The South was
first settled by persons devoted to material objects
and fond of ease and pleasure The cOlonists of the
North were Of more austere disposition, and de-
voted TO moral and religious ideas Though reared
In a common ancestral home they had been parted
from each other during the civil wars of England
The climate which they found on the western
shores of the Atlantic adapted to their respective
temperaments. The lover of enjoyment found a con-
genial home in the soft and luxuriant South; the
meditative Puritan amidst the bleak and desolate
scenes of Northern Winter. Climate thus augmented
and perpetuated the original differences of character
and converted what had been merely different classes
}n England into distinct types of national character
in America.
p With these diverstes, the sentiment of union was
fosered by the same external pressure. At first the
eOlOnsts were alike exposed to assaults frnm the
Indians; they had afterward common enemy IN the
French and still later both suffered from the tyr
amy of the mother country. The feeling gradually
gained strength that it behooved such feeble COM
munities to unite for mutual protection. In this
feeling, the Union had its origin
But a strong element of antagOnism presented
in the influence of climate The Teutonc character
istics of the Northern people were thus rendered
more intense, while the Southern population assumed
those qualities which mark the nations on the south
ern border of the Mediterranean deep sense of in
ilividuality leading to a self-consciOus democracy,
was nurtured by the climate of the North In the
South, the influence produced feeling of per-
Bonal independence, and favored the institution of
slavery the one hand, and of aristocraey on the
ether-an aristocracy of a sub-tropca character i'm.
peFiOus to its friends feroeous to its enemies and
with no vivid comprehension of European political
ideas. ..
In the illustration of this principle DR.. Draper
presents ingenious analysis of the causes of the
supremacy among the colonies which was long en-
joyed by Virginia Her central position On the sea-
board, with of the best harbors ON the Atlantic,
gave her peculiar advantages for commerce. The
export Of tobacco was not only source of wealth,
but from the mercantile connections it gave her in
Europe, a means Of refinement Through this cir
cumstance many of her young men received their
education abroad. Tobacco was the product of slave
labor. In course of time, another source of wealth
was opened in cotton which could be produced more
Advantsgeously in the South than elsewhere, and
there only by slaves Soon the whole industry and
trade of the South centered on slavery The system
gave the master wealth, and what was equally i'm
pOrtant personal leisure His mind naturally tended
to the management of public affairs He was i'm
PEELED by his material prosperity TO the pursuit of
political power; and in few years after the estab-
lishment of the Union, the South had possession of
all the departments of the Government. With
single exception, the first five Presidents of the
United States Virginians and each of them was
reelected to tho Office for second term.
From the beginning the smaller States were in
fear Of being overwhelmed by the greater The pre-
ponderanoe of Virginia was object of dread. Pro-
L. - 4