New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1874-01-24
BOSTON.
LITERARY NOTES.

! "FUTHANAsYp OR, HAPPY THOUGHTS IN VIEW
OF DEATH by WILLIAM MoUNTFoRD-NEw AN
| INDUCEMENTS.
t,pou REGULAR CORRESPONDENT OF THE rnIBUHy.I
| BosroN, Jan. 2l.-"The Life of Thomas
Jefferson Third President OF the United States" by
lanes Parton published in monthly nstallments in ast
vears Atlantic has been made into volume, and j. r.
Osgood & Co. about to publish it. 1t makes big
book7el pages-and for this the author half apologies
i'm his preface IL meant ho says, to be smaller
but in spite constant effort TO be BRIEF It would
! grow Mr. Parton Is enthusiastically devoted to the
nrinciples of Mr. Jefferson. "If" he says Jefferson
| was wrong America is wrong. IL America
ia right, jefferson right" But II people
choose 10 assert that neither Jefferson nor America
is right since for neither yet claim final TIL
umph we must take that assertion patiently, trusting
20 the future Justification. In France the politics
with which jefferson in warmest sympathy resulted
In organized massacre, and subsequent Bonaparte ana
in the United States the party which he led issued at
the South In armed rebellion and in some portions OF
the North in the Rule OF the Thief But Mr. Parton IL
sure that facts no more prove that Jefferson anu
Madison Lafayette and Paine were wrong than tue IN
auisiton aud the religious prove that the maxIms
Of Jesus are false" They only Illustrations OF the
familiar fact that the progress OF truth and justice ID
very slow and difficult and that country IL ripe Tor
eoual chts until majority its inhabitants are so FAR
sharers In its civilization that their votes can be
obtained by arguments addressed To the UNDERSTANDINGS
From time to time while this brilliant biography was
passing through The atlantic, its salient points were
| noted IN THE TRIBUNE. more fascinating DOCK If
seldom published but Mr. Parton is always partisan
An eminent and satrca Massachusetts judge used 10
check the gushing enthusiasm OF young advocates win
81 beg pardon, but you are now addressing the
court and not the Jury" Mr. Parton is always address
ing the Jury; but If 1t Otherwise his biography
would not be half dramatic, or half 80 interesting
lust as Boswes Life Of johnson would not be the per
| a Is II
| instead OF a humble devotee II were hero, or
| Christian statesman, could die happy, knowing mat
| James Parton would write my memoir
Important revisons and additions have been bestowed
on this Life of Jefferson" before crystazng 1t INTO
| the permaneuce of a volume All that any one knows
about our third President told hero, and 20 well TOLD
that VIC shall all remember it, and no doubt be convinced
nv IT, Tho account Jciersons old ago Is particularly
deghtful-sO and calm aud unseIBsh an OLD age
| 1t was honorable honored. In his own way Jeher
| son was a deeply RELIGIOUS man lie watched earnestly
the Progressive movements OF the human soul toward
! freedom and purity Dr. Caannlng was an interesting
ngurc TO him. and he hailed with delight the inroads
which Chanuing's doctrines were making in what he
considered the most pCrniciOus Of presty devices the
theology Of Calvin. Il is hard 10 say whch SURPASSED
the other In hatred of Calvnisn, Jefferson or John
Adams rejoice" Jefferson in 1872, 81 that IN
this blessed country Of free inquiry and free beile
which has surrendered ITS creed and conscience neither
TO kings nor priests The doctrine OF one Only
God il reyiyug; and trust thore is not young man
now living in the United States who will not die Unl
taraD" Had there never been commentator, no used
| TO say there would never have been al inhdoL
Books were at all times Mr.. Jeiers0n's chosen com
panions; and MS acquaintance with many languages
gave hun great power OF selection. lie read Honor,
virgil Dante UOrnee Cervantes, as he read Shakes
ueare and Milton In his youth be loved poetry but
one of HE gTdnddaughers says that by The time sho
was old enough to observe he had lost MS taste Tor IT,
except for Homer and the great Athenan ragedies OF
which he was fond the last. His chief delight was
history but publications they came out,
| and kept himself informed by means OF reviews OF
| whatever was going on in the world. All his grand
children used correspond with HIM whenever they
were absent from him; and he carefully answered thcH
letters never emitting, II he little story or poem
in suited TO their age To cut 1t out ana SEND
II 10 them. Another granddaughter speaks OF MN as
the special providence her CHILDISH years. from whom
came all her small pleasures and joyful surprses-her
saddle and birdie her watch her Bible her Shakespeare,
her first writing table and desk her first Leghorn hat
her first SILK dress. How sympathetic ana now ten
| DERBY thoughtful must have been the mans nature
which thus Old OWNED tue usp0Aeh wants oil
| g1r, and silently supplied them.
In many regards, Jefferson was man singhlarly Tor
pnate lie was woll-oorn, and carefully educated and
there was "a unoD OF good qualities IN his physical
| constitution He capable OF hitting thousand
pounds--the strongest a county full Of the ex
|
WAS joned dexterlty hand, firm de!iCacy OF tOuch
| surpas.ug that OF most women that he greatly
exceled in all and devices which demand the union
OF strength with decacy. The least ehcnintc OF men,
he was yet very feminine in many OF MS ways and
tstes The wild beast In HIN was more nearly eXtlr-
| pated than IN most men. People could live with HIM
years and not once sec MN angry, hl-hunored
| irritable, melancholy.
He rose Jocund greet the dawn and lived iestal
lie To the going the sum- his hours all filed with
occupation innocent, elevated ana oeconhg Inc oar
barre traits too, were strangely sublued IN him. VINO
80 lite vain as he who less selfish which OF the
of has held the trouhesomc ego IN Juster snbIee
non while guarding with sOcit0us and Want respect
the sensitive Of other meni In his private and
the the tractabe. And the special wonder of
the that the beast and the savage had been
bred and educated Out OF him without in the
| least lmparlng rs original vigOr ana NVachy,
Very different his serene sHd sunny good temper
| from mere animal spirits. There Wac thought and
| principe III II.
In his public life good fortune attended him. He
usually in the thick fight when his being there
was of advantage 70 himself and often fortunately alb
sent wnc n his Of equal advantage to him.
personally Yet these absences never the result
OF his cOntriyance, could their advantage have
| been foreseeu. Says Mr.. Parton:
Called to administer the Government, find Jeffer-
sou stiil attended by that strange, and, | may
startling good luck, tat pursued MIN from the cradle TO
| tine grave. general peace promptly followed ms In
auguraton aud when that peace was broken ian event
that brought woe upon the rest oi ChrsLendon). 1t
enabled him 10 ado TO his country the most valuable
acquisition which t was possible Tor It to receive
While Europe shuddrred to hear the muterng of the
| coming storm, three gentlemen III Paris quietly
arranged the terms which the United States were 10
possess the mouths OF the Mississippi, and empire
which the Mississippi drained. But venture again
Affirm that, he favored by fortune, his
equal to his fOrtune. He 10 OppOI
tunity, and improved to the uttermOst All his
| chances. Since civil government founded,
was government administered with such strict,
single such nODle-mlnded such wise fidelity.
Ages hence when all the nations will be republican
federated the administration OF jefferson, Madison,
Gaatin and Dearborn VIII DC loved aud yenerated as
| uncomfortable model, to be aimed IL