The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1869-02-05
REVIEW.

that his merits are not slight-as by the dc.
fault OF authors Of rst-rte abilities. The events
Of the Revolution have been sufficiently illus
trated by such writer's as Botta, Ramsay, and
others; and in the field OF American biography
there have been workers sufficient in number
and in talent; but of the entire comprehensive
range Of our history, from the first discovery
of the continent to the present time, there has
not been, as yet, any undertaking which con
comp re in pretension, or even in real merit,
to that of Mr. Bancroft. The time may come
when the attention of some future generation
having been fixed with that greater degree Of
curiosity upon the past, which the very re-
moteness in time OF the events tends to create,
some historian of America may arise. to whom
Mr.. Bancroft will be what Rapin. OF perhaps
less than Rapin, is to Hume. In the mean
time, he stands sole master OF theme already
splendid with incident and philosophy, and
day by day becoming rapidly enriched, on the
scale Of a national increase, such as the world
has never before Witnessed.
Perhaps one Of the worst effects OF this par
amount authority OF single writer on his
torical subject, is the false estimate of indi-
viduals which his wilful misrepresentation,
or even his honest mistakes, will inevitably
transmit to posterity. The great mass OF men
have neither the means nor the inclination to
sift the truth with regard to those whose ac-
tons no longer affect them with personal in
terest; and the prevailing opinion OF q people
will always be in general accordance with the
views and assertions of the ruling historian.
The errors Of MIR. Bancroft, and his frequent
deliberate injustice, have often been combatted
with regard to the lives and services Of emil
nent men in our past history; and in no in
stance with which we are acquainted, with
more careful research and greater success than
in the book before US. Especially is this true
with regard to his military reputation, which
is the point particularly at issue in the discus.
sion.' We cannot but think that MIR. Amory
has erred in announcing himself, with all tho
pomp OF sounding preface, and with frequent
iteration through all his pages, as the defen-
der Of General Sullivan. The object OF wri-
ter OF biography is always hindered by the
declaration of partisan purpose; for men
know that love influences the reason as much
as hatred, and receive, with just as many
grains of allowance, that which is ostensibly
written TO exat character, as that which is
ostensibly written to traduce him Mr.. Ban
croft also enjoys an advantage in this, that he
undoubtedly did not write his history in ord er
to detract from the fame of General Sullivan.
while Mr. Amory, from his own continually OBJ
truded declaration, did compose his book in
order to defend his reputation. This conslde-
ration, however, refers merely to the effsot
upon the prejudices-which no writer is wise
to disregard-and it has nothing to do with
the facts and proofs, as stated, which ATOMS,
tho mind Of ko ~
would regard, and by which alone be Influenced.
We merely mean to say that the same indenti-
Cal facts and inferences, when arrayed upon
the pages of a volume, would produce GER
tain effect upon the minds Of readers in gem
eral with greater certainty, when unattended
by the positive declaration that it was intend
ed to be produced.
In the performance OF Mr.. Amory we recog-
nize many merits, and but one conspicuous
fault. It is in places unduly prolix. Unfortu
nately, too, this prolixity' especially abounds
in the panegyrical portions Of the book those
very portions in which proper regard for his
object should have prompted Mr.. Amory to be
concise. The mind, under the most favorable
circumstances, receives with o cevtain caution
and suspicion the praises of another and it
dangerously magnifies the difficulties OF con
viction to weary the reader with their too fre-
quent repetition, or too long continuance. We
do not desire, however, to appear hypercriti-
cal, and hasten to say that the style of compo.
sition is graceful and vigorous, and the nara
tive interesting. with clear and succinct
statement of facts. The research, which the
performance indicates, is highly commendable,
and, as It's fruit, presents to the reader both q
full account Of the life and actions of General
Sullivan, II not Bosweilian in it's minuteness,
yet sufficiently Boswellian to make up first
class biography, and also faithful and exceed
ingly instructive picture Of the times i'll which
General Sullivan lived. Decidedly the most
instructive and entertaining portion OF the
book is the narrative from the tine when Sulli-
van retired from the army, after the Indian
campaign in 1899, to the date Of hts death
With full collection Of contemporaries
GUS documents, judiciously selected, and
with just aud sensible comment, com.
p!ets picture Of those troubled times subse-
quent to the revolution, when every thing was
new and nothing deter mined, ,s brought to our
view. This account is more complete and
graphic from the fact that General Sullivan,
after his retirement from the army, was con-
tinually an active participant in the civil af-
fairs Of the country; and the incidents OF this
portion Of his career let us into the secret, not
sufficiently appreciated now on account of re-
mcteness in time, OF the almost overwhelmt ng
difficulties our ancestors encountered in estab-
hshing their present, and providing for the ft,-
ture, whom the victory had been won by arms;
the cares and anxeiies they suffered, the la
bors they performed, the wisdom, courage and
magnanimity they displayed.
The lights OF past history are necessary to O
full comprehension OF the present; and such o
narrative as this is Of tho utmost value in our
times, by showing troubles q hundred fold
greater than those which have followed upon
the recent national oonvuision, ali overcome by
wisdom and by temperance. to teach us our
living duty, to comforJ us with greater satis :
faction now, and to cheer US with moro conf
dent hope for the future.
-----------------<s->. -<sns> -<s--------
THE spERFeor sEwrka MAcH1NE."- A.
Backus. NJ. d., OF Rochester, in his letter OF
May 2, 1866, says Of a sewing machine which
has been IN use in his family for fur years
1T makes remarkably strong seam, which
never rips when properly sewed. II has never
been out OF order; nor have we ever broken d
needle. Il Ss nolseless in its operations does