New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1867-08-10

appointments, the vices, the fOllies, ana the
ouarrels of those who engage in contentious
for power ~ So far as great men
NAV well appear to have been truly
h,selfish and devoted, so far this somewhat
cvnic,l definition may be modified, but no fur
thor Moreover, events are continually occur
ring which it IS impossible to elucidate with
out the illustration of personal character HOW
is the history of the Federal and Democratic
parties to be truthfully written WIN
ont any reference to the quarrels OF
Adams and Jefferson9 Of Adams ana
Hamilton? of Adams and almost eve.yoouy
else The temper of the second President Was
generous; but his warmest admlrer never
claimed that he could keep it under control
In this respect he was the very opposite OF
Franklin, whose cool, half cynical method
of managing upon his own side con-
versatiOna controversy often drove MI.
Adams into passion which placed INN
at a disadvantage. We remember TO
have heard this infrmity of great man
canddy admitted by one of his descendants
with freedom which showed that he at least
did not fear that q statement of such faults
would substantially damage the fame of his
seem, are more sensitive. Is this because other
great men of the Revolution were purer, greater,
more sngle-minded than the ardent orator. the
profound statesman, and the accomplished
scholar of Quincy Indeed, we do not know
how these touches of nature can fail to bring
him nearer to his kind, and to strengthen Their
gratitude without materially diminishing their
reverence But while we may forgive, II there
be anything to be forgiven, it is virtual aDdl-
cation of his Office for the historian to forget.
withdrawing is no part of his business; ana
vet lately most historians seem to consider either
| that or its opposite to be the sole purpose OF
recording the past. There are perpetual mo-
tons for the setting aside of verdicts, and for
| the reversal of time-hOnOred decisions Peter
the Great and Catharne have with much ado
been cleaned and rendered presentablc That
| old beast, the father of Frederick the
Great, under Mr.. Carlyle's manipulations,
| turns out virtuOus and venerable
character. Henry VIII got married exceed
| ingly against his WILL and cut off heads merely
| for the sake of the Protestant succession.
! Richard ILL., was rather benevolent and soft
| hearted than otherwise. Elizabeth had none of
! the vices of her family, and in fact no vices
mt all Mary, the Queen Of Scots, was matron
of immaculate fame, and somewhat averse to
the society of handsome men and melodious
! singers. Napoleon I. was the kind, truth
| telling gentleman exhibited in Mr. Abbotts
histOryn-not merely good, but gOody. AT
| this rate, historical reading will have no more
interest than the little biographies of the
juvenile deceased which are compiled for the
Sunday Schools.
We have no desire to engage in the cOntro-
versies which Mr. Bancroft's volume has awak-
cned. even if we had the requisite space,
ability, and leisure. One thing, however, Is
iudicaly true. If the descendants OF Joseph
! Reed. or of Gen. Greene, or Of any other
| Revolutionary character are to claim any credit
for the services of their ancestors they must take
| whatever dscTedit may go along with 1t. We
| think none the worse of a man because his great
! grandfather was hanged for horse-stealng;
we think none the better of man because his
! great grandfather was a general III the Revolu-
tionary army. We have never been informed
that the laws which govern human nature
were entirely suspended during the American
Revolution, and that every man upon our side
! engaged in it was n perfect character except
Gen. Arnold. How its history is to be written
without some faint alusion to the characters
of the actors init, we really do not know