Middletown transcript., 1870-08-13

" The War baaceen the States, lis Causes, Charac-
ter, Conduct and Resuhs." By Hon. A. Il.
STEPHENS.
Three years ago the announcement by the Ma
tional Publishing Company, of Philadelphia of
the speedy publication of this great work, Great
ed a'pro.ound sensation throughout the country
The press of both sections hailed the appearance
of the book with delight, for it was admitted by
all that the task of transmitting to posterity the
Southern version of the history of our great civil
war could not have been confded TO an ADLER pen
than that of Mr. Stephens the greatest living
statesman of the South. The colleague and friend
of Clay Calhoun and Webster, he is connect
ing link between the present and the glorious
past, and as Vice President of the late Southern
Confederacy, he is peculiarly fitted for the task,
by his opportunities of knowing the most secret
details of the history of the war. Above all, his
character as man, which has always won him
the respect of his political enemies enables us to
rely upon his statements with an absolute GER
tainty-G In the first volume of his work, Mr.. Ste
phens confined himself exclusively to the causes
OF the war, reserving the narrative of the actual
struggle for the second and concluding volume
The success OF the former volume was extraord-
nary, reaching sale of over 60, 600 copies.
II then that portion of the work which of ne
cessity was the dryest-if any part of this mag
nihcent production can be called dry-has met
with such wonderful and rapid sale what are
we not warranted in predicting for the second,
in which the thrilling story of the most terrible
and destructive war of modern times is told
with all the fascination of romance and all the
sublimity of truth. Mr.. Stephens sights no fea-
ture of the war, and his work reveals partcu-
larly interesting and fascinating portion of its
history which has never been made public until
now. He goes to the bottom of the secession
movement and gives the confidential history Of
the Convention which formed the Confederacy
The vexed question of the non-exchange of pris.
oners of war has much new light shed upon it.
and this alone ought to commend the book to ev.
cry one who saw the inside of Northern OF
Southern prison.
What will strike the practised reader most ia.
vorably, however, is the fact that Mr. Stephens
narrative is free from bitterness and sectional
feeling. He writes with that calm dignity which
is always the historians most effective weapon
weighing facts according to their merits. and ar
irving at conclusions with clearness of udg
ment which is, TO say the least remarkable ir
one who was himself so important an actor ir
the events narrated. 1t is this fact which viii
make his book SO welcome to those who are seek
ing substantial information upon the subject.
treated of, and who prefer clear and straipht-for
ward statements of uhdt trdS done, TO fine theories
as TO what might hare been accomplished Uayinf
been compelled by i'll health, since the war. tt
remain almost entirely in the privacy of hi
home, and to fake no part in the questions of III,
day. Mr.. Stephens has been enabled to look bacl
over his long and honorable career with th
calmness of one whose record is completed anf
to produce, as his most valuable service to tn
country, the magnificent history which lies be
fore us. The book is sold by subscription only
and agents are wanted in every county