The Pulaski citizen. [volume] (Pulaski, Tenn.) 1866-current, 1876-11-09
A POPULAR HISTORY.

the Aboriginal Times to the Pres
ent Day. By John Clark Ridpath,
a. NJ, Professor of History and
Bellies Lettres, Indiana Ashbury
University. Royal Octave. Il
Illustrated with Maps, Charts, Por-
traits and Diagrams. Sold only
by subscription. Price, $500.
Jones Brothers & Co., Cincin-
natl, Memphis and Atlanta.
In its clear and racy style, in its
summary of all the facts in conve-
nient space, in the neat and attract
i've binding and make up of the
volume and the maps and charts
which aid the exploitation of the
text, in short in all respects which
make a. good book, this work must
take the highest rank.
What we particularly admire is
the able manner in which the writer
| closes the history of the several
men and colonies with short and
"meaty'' paragraphs, in analysis of
character and motives. AS an in
stance, how much more clearly and
forcibly, is the condition of the col
MES at the beginning of the Revo
tuition, set forth in this brief ex-
tract, than in the ordinary lengthy
dissertations on the subject:
"Such were the American colo
nies-such the people whose bud
ding nationality was now to be ex-
posed to the blasts of war. These
people, whose ancestors had been
driven INTO exile by the exactions
of European governments and the
bigotry of ecclesiastical power,
had become the rightful proprietors
of the New Word. They had fair
ly won it from the Savage man and
savage nature They had subdued
it and built States within it. They
owned it by all claims of actual
possession; by toll and trial; by the
ordeal of suffering; by peril, priya-
ton and hardship; by the baptism
Of sorrow and the shedding of
blood. No wonder that patriotism
was the child of such travail and
disciplined! No wonder that the
men who from mountain and sky
and river, from orchard and valley
and forrest, from the memories of
the past, the aspirations of the
present and the hopes of the future,
had drank in the Spirit of Liberty
until their souls were pervaded with
her sublime essen ce,-were now
ready when the iron heel of oppres
sion was set upon their cherished
rights, to draw the vindictive sword
even against the venerable mon
archy of England"
The heroic explorers, the brave
old founders of American Common
wealths, the warriors and statesmen
of the Revolution, the adoption of
our constitution and the growth of
a mighty nation under it, surely
these are themes worthy the pen of
genius. While the work shows
ample research and liberality Of
sentiment which sees the greatness
of the whole country, the hand and
brain of the philosophical historian
are manifest throughout, and every
page glows with ardent patriotism.
The progress we have made to-
wards ga more perfect union is
finely shown in the authors closing
comments, from which we extract
the following;
"The idea that tie United States
are one Nation, and not thirty light
nations, is the grand cardinal doc
trine of a sound political faith.
State pride and sectional attach
ment are natural passions in the
human breast, and are so near akin
to patriotism as to be distinguished
from it only IN courts of higher rea-
son. But there is a nobIer love
of country-a patriotism that rises
above all places and sections, that
knows no County, no State, no North,
no South, but only native land; that
worships no range of hills, but lifts
the aspiring eye to q continent re-
deemed from barbarism by common
sacrifices and made sacred by the
shedding Of kindred blood. Such q
patriotism is the cable and sheet
anchor of our hope"
These passages illustrate the
. spirit and finish of the work better
than we could by our brief com.
ments, though we differ with his
views as expressed in the latter.
The work is adorned with por-
traits of all the principal men in our
history, Typographical diagrams
showing the vicinity of all impor-
tant battles, maps illustrating the
condition Of the country from time
, to time, and chronological charts
which show at a glance the connec-
ton Of contemporary men and events.
1t is elegantly printed on fine cal
endered paper and handsomely and
substantially bound. The publish
ers have, in the makeup of the
book, illustrated the perfection t.
which the art of book making ha.
attained. Altogether an exceeding.
" able and valuable work, it should
be read and studied by every citi-
zen who would be informed of the
history and greatness OF his coun-
/ try and his dul Y towards It.
Onr bool,s are esslod sgsirst cr.,I;