New-York tribune., 1874-10-27

with their bloody feet. They had rctreated Two
hundred miles from the Catawba to the north oanK
of the Dan, at the rate of seventeen miles Gay
along wilderness roads, when the wagon whee''
sunk in deep mire and the creeks were swollen py
heavy rains. On the march from Guilford court
House, Greene scarcely slept four hours In Us
many days. His care was 30 comprenehsi'e
that not tho most tritiiDg detaii' "S ""
afterwards found, had been negieceu Ut over .
,ooIed "Your retreat before Cornwallis,"
wrote Washington "is highly applauded by all
ranks. and reflects much honor on your military
ab;,;ties.n Every countenance in the camp was
now lighted up with JOY Soldiers in tattered gar
ments with but one blanket to four men. without
regular food, without pay, were proud lh
the thought of having done their duty TO
their country and were ready to cross the
Dan and commence the attack. For seven days
Greene lay within ten miles OF the BRITISH
camp. but baffled his enemy by taking new posi-
ton every night. No fear of censure could hurry
his determined mind. He had not taken OH Ms
clothes since he left his camp on the Pedee ana OH
this most eventful day of his life was worn out Win
constant watching and fatigue. After the pa'ue'
Greene tainted from extreme exhaustion. In MS re-
port of the day, he hardly did himself justice
Public opinion acknowledged the greatness Oh MS
plan and its successful result, without noting his
mistakes in the order of battle The whole South
confded in his capacity.
Mr.. Bancroft's account of the negotiations LOT
peace throws new light on the demands OF france 10
regard to the fisheries aud the boundaries He
brings conclusive proof that Vergennes would grant
us no fisheries but those on the high seas 10 whleh
every nation had o right. "Ihe hshely on the
coast" said Rayneval. belongs OF rlght 10 the pro-
nrieares of the coasts unless there have been dero
I'm
which the final instructions to Mr.. Oswald were
written Veroenpes declared in letter that there
was no condition in the French treaties which
Obliged the King to sustain the pretensions OF the
limited States with regard either to the fishery or
the extent of boundaries On the fourth OF Septem-
her Mr. Law was invited to Versailles, where Ray
neyal endeavored to persuade him to resign all
claims on the part of America to the eastern valley
of the Mississippi and with 1t the right to the navi-
cation of that stream. The diplomacy OF France
bowever was without effect, and the rights insisted
m nv the American commissioners were embodied
in the treaty.
The materials for this volume have been largely
drawn from or,pinal sources, which Mr.. Bancroft
has sought with persistent enterprise. and elabo-
rated with consummate art and discretion. Great
use has been made of papers obtained from the
French archives when under the charge OF NJ
Mignet. The unpublished cabinet correspondence
of Frederic the Second with his foreign ministers IN
England, France, the Netherlands Denmark, and
Russia, has afforded important aid Ihe reports OF
the Austrian ambassadors in London and Paris, In
the archives of Vienna, have furnished much exact
information concerning the pressure under which
yerQennes entered upon measures for mediation and
for peace. Mr.. Bancroft succeeded in the purchase
of ample collections of letters and journals of Ger
man officers who served in America, and has been
indebted to the courtesy of various friends for cop
les of valuable documents in the archives of Bel
pium Holland and Russia. His collection OF papers
relating to the negotiations for peace includes un
published writings of the American commissioners,
with full reports of their conversations with the
British representatives; on the French sde, the
articles drawn up for the guidance OF the
negotiation and the reports of Rayneval from
England to Vergennes; and on the British side, the
official letters of Shelburne and Townsend, and OF
every member of the British commission beside
profusion of the private letters and papers OF
Shelburne and of Oswald. and the private and
official papers of Strachey. BY a remarkable piece
of good fortune, Mr. Bancroft also obtained, while
recently passing through London, transcripts from
newly discovered letters of George ILL., to Lord
Sbelburne, as well as from fragments of Lord
Shelburnes autobiography. This copious store Of
materials would have been valueesss and embar-
RAISING without the keen instinct for historical
truth which has detected the grains of gold in the
miscellaneous mass, aud wrought them into the It's
sue of an orderly and harmonious narrative OF the
immense labor the critical judgment, the sense OF
proportion and logical conference required for this
purpose few readers can form anything more than a
faint and inadequate conception. Mr. Bancroft
combines the power of indefatigable research with
the higher gifts of literary art in that has
gwen equal beauty and interest to a composition
which, IN less mastery hands, would have betrayed
the fragmentary character of its materials. AS it
now stands his narrative is like garment woven
without seam, exhibiting the unity and grace which
belong only to the nobler creations of consummate
artistic genius.
The great distinction of Mr. Bancroft's history,
which is now brought to so singularly felicitOus q
close is the insight with which he traces the action
of an original germ of thought in the development
of political events. No previous writer bad attempt
ed to detect the secret of American progress III the
cardinal ideas which the soveregns Of the world.
But he uncoyers the roots of free institutions in
the foreign soil from which they originally sprang
He finds the foundation of American liberty in
the inherent principles of the human soul which
were quickened into activity during the conflicts of
European thought since the epoch Of the Reforna-
ton The history of the United States thus becomes
an integral part of the history of Europe.
and can be fully cOmprehended only IN its
relation to the policy of courts and the conclu-
sions of philosophy. 1t forms one of the grandest
scenes in the gorgeous dramatic evolution of crea-
tive ideas Mr. Bancrofts vast work must be read,
as it has been written in this point of view or its
true greatness cannot be completely understood.
The very breadth of its design throws part of
its details into shadow, and prevents the facile
recognition of its architectural grandeur. Its basis
is laid at great depth beneath the surface but the
solidity of the sperstructure corresponds with the