The Toledo chronicle. [volume] (Toledo, Tama County, Iowa) 1873-1924, 1876-10-05

MI THE AB0RIGiNAL TIMES TO THE PRES
| ENT DAY. BY John CLARK Eidpath' A NJ,
| Professor of History and Bellies Letters lnalaha
| Asburv University Royal Octave. Illustrated
| with Maps. Charts Portraits and Diagrams.
! Sold only by Subscription. Price 50 90. Jones
Brothers & Co. Philadelphia Chicago and GIN
| cnnati
Author and publishers have done the
country great service in presenting such
A work to its citizcns-one that will give
all our people proper ideas OF the growth
and character of our nation and its free
Institutions.
From the first voyage of the Mortimer
to the coasts of Labrador and Massachu-
sets, to the opening of the Centennial
Exposition at Philadelphia; from the
| birth of Columbus to the admission of
| Colorado rs the Centennial State, the
stream of narration flows on in a smooth
current, with fitting comments and sutfl'
cient explanation, every page enllvened
bv genius and glowing with an ardent
patriotism.
Perhaps our readers will get better
idea of the rare ability displayed in the
work, by perusing few extracts, than
from any comments of ours. AS speci
men of the zeal with which the author
has sought to clear up disputed points
and do Justice to even the minor charac
tiers of our history, take the following
upon Bacon, who led the patriotic rebel
lion against Berkeley, the tyrannical roy
al governor of Virginia:
"Berkeley's vindictivc passions were
now let lrose upon the defeated insur
gents. Fines and contiscations became
| the order of the day The governor seem
ed determined to drown the memory OF
his own wrongs in the woes of his sub
iects. Twenty-Five of the leading patri
OTIS were seized and hanged with scarcely
anv time to bid their friends fareM ell
Thus died Thomas Hansford, the first
| American who gave his life for freedom
| Thus persisted Edmund Cheesman, Thorn
as Wiiford, and the noble William Drum
mond, martyrs to liberty. Nor is it GER
tain when the vengeful tyrant would have
STAYED his hand, had not the assembly
met and passed an edict that no more
blood should be split for past offences.
"The history of this instruction was
for Il long time rccited by Bacon's enc
mics Until the present century no one
seemed to rescue the leaders name from
obloquy. In the light of after times his
character will shine with peculiar lus-
tire. His motives were as exalted as his
| life was pure, and his virtues as noted as
his abilities were great. His ambition
was for the public welfare, and his pas
| sionS were only excited against the enc
mics of his country"
The above is fine tribute to a man
long misunderstood, and an excellent
! character analysis.
The authors power of presenting in a
condensed form clear and comprehen-
sive sketch of character is evinced in
his numerous graceful biographies. We
quote his paragraph en- BENZ. Franklin;
Benjamin Franklin, the author Of the
| first treaty between the United States
and foreign nation, was born in Boston
on the 18th of January, 1706. Ills father
was q manufacturer of soap and candles.
Tohhis humble vocation the young Ben
| ialhin was devoted by his parents; but
the walls of a candle-shop were too mar
row for his aspiring genius. At the age
of twelve he was apprenticed to learn the
art of printing; but the brother beat him,
and he ran off to New York. There he
found no employment. In 1923 he re-
paired to Philadelphia, entered print
| ing office, and rose to distinction. He
visited England; returned; founded the
first circulating library in America; be-
came man of science; edited Poor Rich
ards Almanac; originated the American
Philosophical Society; discovered the
identity of electricity and lightning; made
himself known in both hemispheres; es-
poused the cause of the patriots; and de-
voted the unimpaired energies of his old
age to perfecting the American Union.
The name of Franklin is enc of brightest
in the history of any nation"
We might go on lad inJfnitum," for
paragraphs of equal merit, may be select
ed from any part of the work, but VIC
have not the space for further review.
We do not hesitate to say that it emf
bodies q more compret ensive history of
the country than was ever before en-
braced in a single volume. 1t is marvel
of cheapncss, considering its comprehen-
siveness and elegance, and we hope to
see it in every household in our COM
munity.