, 1874-12-12

" ED0HtFuI tGHtlll1HHt kl1A 0ftl1HGH o.
wileles ut Was tlt,o iii England in tho trials bo-
forc Sir Matthew lIa1o; for Hnrl methods, llo
said, Twill Undo poor. Now England md tho
rjgltnons will porish with tho wio'ol." This ut-
alter tllo E11gIlah natipds. This wnu tilo person
whom 1lr, nnlscroft mahes chiefly rnapouslo for
Huotn wltchcraft atid It's twenty executions. Ills
father then wrote and printed treattso entitled
"Caaen OF Conscience Concerning Witchcraft,"
in which ho exposcsl tho niuntlco md cruelty ct
witoll-tIinla as they wofo couGucted n,lsl public
ncntin'cnt, lnstrnctc.l by this trontise. brought
Tho trials to IN end.
Mr. Bancroft may offer, nB an apology for tho
hsiot'cai bluMdcra involved IN his in.ciful mar
theory; that ),o found IL rcatly mado by auoLhor
land. md adopted 1t without giving 1t much or
my critical examination. Ill this Is truo; md
u aorves to show how little OF original research
howesor, givon his rcntors TO intlmation that It
was borrowed. or n.atlo rofcrcuc0 to tho ao,irce
from whence llo borrowed II. lilo has tho hasis-
faction of knowing that lia errors IN tho n,attcr
minor lletcriea OF Tho Un,sod atatas which lave
Appeared during tito last tl,irty-iyo years, atl1
hayo cast Bhndow oil tho regulations Of tic
best mon Of their timo.
Mr.. Banesost's history n needsossty prnl,S. He
hns written ton volumes, aud ilaB only brought
Ills narrative down to 1888. tho Close Of tho
Revolutionary War. This ia tho poliUd whom
tho roal lifo of tho nation commenced. II tho
i,nfel, Of house bn 10 extended, what mint ln
the dimensIonK at tho estiilce itself when fully
completed? Tito history OF onc'A country, OK
patscd In this fay,o,. could hardly 10 rcufl in
tho brief span allotted to QUO human lifo It wsa
not Mr.. Dancroft's original intention to stop al
origiual protaco. q tho design Of writing lliH-
tory Of tho untted States from Tho Jia-
covory Of tho Amorlcan ColltIuuut to
tho prebont tino.',, We ass why, this
1,.ftrp f3f13F,t Fj.1t ifr ,rrrt} hin
period Immediately following tho e.use OF this
war was pregnaut with groat eyentB+ Tho isuan-
ciul troubles anil thu tnrling Of State inorosta
under tho old Confederation. tho organization Of
vpntion fer forming Constitution of thu UMitoh
States, and tho action Of tho individual States
thereon, under S1r. lsaNcsofs's tyeatsnons ,night
hayc nado ton more yo!.ln1nB, and thou hiB liar"
yoara Imagination falters Wien it undertakes
to conceive how the remaining eighty
six yeara Of o,ir ratioaal life were 10
DO accomplished. We, therefore, SEQ 4
work, 70 that it should read, IAN Introduction
to thu History OF tic United Statos."
Iroixi.y Is M inllarent quality Of a1r. Ban
cro{ts ,nli.d; Rnl yet, If there is my one thinf,
in which lle tnkeH, especial pride, it is in sup;
poaing TINT. 4o. hnA d close. consecutive. and
philosophical Htyle. TLeao arc preeluely tlv cliar
actosisttes OF style Which aro not hn. lie wan
dora away from l,iB subject, and runs into sl1a-
Issues, s,--1noralzlag often IN l. Email way, ana
which u bonrtling. .school miss lnay copy into
hor plaYn,ate'a album. Any ltt1u fancy
or hlle-spuu theory that hanpons to SUE
gest itself. goes into his text III turgid Jolli.-
sonian measure. TAcsa flowers of sentiment
later HI III tho oarlior y,lutnos A collection Of
them wonld bo droll reading. Hero is ono from
Volume IX., naEa LID. ~ Enslith general Of
lcer, nutned fraser, was killed IN latslo 1nat be-
fAra - IrhS h1,f r.f
course, aild Air. Bancroft tolls uy how, nnd de-
liycrs sentiment oil the thcmo aa follows:
Amidst he ecase1csu nooning ot tile american srt.
observed In the twilight over lfH grave Never loro
strt' Errick, Or guide The tklf acroas he fshunesa
s.,tsr.s On lis moor uf Drs.na-hsass!c OF slsca of
glory besie tc crystal waters Of the Ness. Death ~
.tssN y rot tsrrsbe by! e ssns IT, Anss!cs for SCI
llrrt ne died 1'nconaolcsf.
Hero ig another spocimon Of stylo, from tho
tcuth volume, page 1?e;
The Father Of Rivers gathers hls nutera from n the
clouds that break between tlo AllcgEcnlcs All! the
farther ranges Of tho Rncky Mountains. Tho ridges
OF the eastern Chain how their heada ut tho nrh aud
at tho sot 70 tut, oug hetorn Science became tho
eotnpauion Of man. Nature ttself ponted out to tile
barbarous uw short uortages join LIS tributary
s IT, T. liz e hs aepas s9sS nit M s 81 SSs liz
Oregon aud thu Colorado. and. by tue conformation OF
tho enrth issf, 1uarshals highways to tho r,cinr.
waera to be tliyta but, hc tearB them all to ho
bosom Of .he oeear TIM mytiass o. tIaga that waye
1fr. bancroft has douo moro iu forming the
conventional and classic style Of tito American
College Sophomore than any other Mrisor.
tko tho old Nuremberg cllronlcler, Mr., Ban
croft must begin viii. Tho creation of t1iinEs untl
carry along, with his narrative. the recital OF
events in every cline, kingdom, and nation. His
roador iH often III doubt whether ho is not os,-
| gagged in history Of England. Trance. or Spain.
lie makes nothing Of dropping his reader by tho
waysido, aud going of, for two. or throo pages.
into 4 niGe1y-drawn distinction between tho
metaphysical tloorios Of William Penn aud John
Locke If VIC lived lit otornity, as.d not in tine
| aud il VIC were hankertnG for Mr.. Banerogt'u
! opinions OH all sorts OF subjects, Htch digres-
pionB might bo profitable, as we'll rs cutertaln-
| ing.
| II have been able," ho nays in tho proface of
Volume u, " frnin new materials. to trace tho
division botHoon tho North aud the South, aria-
ing from Slavery, further back than Lad Us yet
bocn t@one." We sca no EVIDENCE of this III Ills
superficial manner iii which tho anbiect IL
treatel. Ho aoems to l,ays tho idoa that Slavory
might haSo boan Abolished by tho old Conti-
ncutal Congrcss. at wap but minority ot
| the;n," ]lo saya, "who kept In mind that an
ordinance OF man cnn mover override natural
law; and that, III the Great High Court Of tho
! Eternal Providence, Justice forgcA lor Weapon
long before eho stri!les." Tiis Bontaucs Inns
fnli and resonant sound but. hia-
gross had no u4ose jnyiaaistion over Slavery
which then existed in all the Statos, except
| hIaasaehuaetts-thau it had over tile quantity
! OF tho rainfall. or tho Temperature Of the soa:
| sons. No member Of that Congress over clnimed
suel, juyisd,e.ion. There was then lin l78l,,
aud for the next ilftoou yeasH+ moro active Anti.
Slavery sentiments in Virginia. Maryland, I}e.n,
ware. and Pennsylvania, than in auy other pay'
oil Tho country. Within the peyiod named, Slate
S{t4,titi+H, Stntet;n4 prst{nI >.ttxf%. all