Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1876-08-31
A VALUABLE BOOK.

History of the United States from the Abort
ginal Times to the Present Day. By John
Clark Rldpath, A. NJ, Professor of History
and Belles-Lettres, Indiana Asbury Univer.
sity. $40 PIP. Royal Octave. Illustrated with
Maps, Charts, Portraits and Diagrams. Sold
only by subscription. Price, $500. Jones
Brothers & Co., Cincinnati, Philadelphia and
Chicago.
Author and publishers have done the coun,
try great service in presenting such a work
to its citizens-one that will give all our. .peo-
pie 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 Massachusetts, to
the opening of the Centennial Exposition at
Philadelphia; from the birth of Columbus to
the admission of Colorado as the Centennial
State, the stream of narration flows on in a
smooth current. with fitting comments and
sufficient explanation, every page enlivened by
genius and glowing with an ardent patriotism
Perhaps our readers will get better idea of
the rare ability displayed in the work, by pc
rusing few extracts, than from any comments
of ours. As specimen of the zeal with which
the author has sought to clear up disputed
points, and do Justice to even the minor char
acters of our history, take the following upon
Bacon, who led the patriotic rebellion against
Berkeley, the tyrannicalr royal governor of Vir-
ginia:
''Berkeley's viDdictive passions were now let
loose upon the defeated insurgents. Fines and
confiscations became the order of the day
The governor seemed determined to drownthe
memory of his own wrongs in the woes of his
subjects. twenty-five of the leading patriots
were seized and hanged with scarcely time to
bid their friends farewell Thus died Thomas
81, So
for freedom. Thus perished Edmund Chees-
man, Thomas Wilford, and the noble William
Drummond, martyrs to liberty. Nor is it GER
tain when the vengeful tyrant would have
stayed bis hand, had not the assembly met and
passed an edict that no more blood should be
split for past offenses.
''The history of this insurrection was for a
long time recited by Bacon's enemies. Until
the present century no one appeared to rescue
the leaders name from obloquy. In the light
of after times his character will shine with a
peculiar lustre. 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 passions were only
excited against the enemies OF his country"
The above is fine tribute to man long mis-
understood. and an excellent character analysis.
Gan event is to be weighed by Its conse-
quences. From the discovery of America by
the NOrsemen, nothing whatever resulted
The world was neither wiser nor better
Among the Icelanders themselves the place
and the very name of Vinland were forgotten.
Eurone never heard of snch conntrv or such
q discovery Historians have until late wears.
been incredulons on tine subject. and the fact is
"a tbongh If had meyer bcen The curtain
which had heen lifted for moment was stretch
ed aga;n from skv tn seq and the New World
,till law hidden in the shadows"
The same distinctive feature is shown in that
nort;on of the bool, which contains the antbor,s
refiection on the CONDITION of the colonies inst
nrevions tn the onen;nr STRUGGLES of the revo-
Intion We nresept a br;ef Extract.
sSucb were the American colon;es-sncb
tbe neonle wbose hpdd;ng nat;onal;tv was now
to he eTnosed m the hiasf Of vyor These neo.
nIe ,vhdso oncestorS bad hean Sr;,en into ay;Is
bv ,be oxac,;onS of Enro,,oon e,nvernn,entS anJ
the hiootrv of ecclesiasrieal noyVer had he
con,e fbe r;rbtfnl nronr;etors of the New
World Tbey had fairlv won # from SAVAGE
man and SAVAGE nature They had subdned It
ard hn;It St.tes Within ~ TIev ouned II hv
ant an ~ os n1.; n g msI n. ~ y omneu M I'll ~
tr;a,. h,, tha ordoaI Of si,ffar;nn. h., per;i nj
vatinn and bardshin. bv the hantiem pf sorrow
and , ,ho shadd;n@ ~ bIood NJ yonder tbot
,,a. ,5o child Of .,,ch a,d d;s.
pri;na, Nv % 1yonder that ,he ,,an ,rho froI,
r,pmnto;n ond sIH sn5 S r;vor Wv. from, orohard and
naI,a1r and ' foreat fro,, tha ,ooraor;e. of the
% ,ha aiu osu;rat;ons [ o af tI the nraaons and the
1se Po1 'n ns ,ho f,mua h.d dro +; ,he snr;, Of
49,. ~ .;1 . ,ho; ,1s ,,du oa - .o ,,;t
hau s,'i,,;,, u su 49, @ ed, ,,',ar,
.S ne auuo h, 1sson ~" 49,
oho-;0ad r;nh.. ~ drs ,he "1i 1;ndotipe snrd
,, th ,,a ua% INC oS,, of Ton,
land.
M, ,,,hou,, ,,on,ou of ,,,o,on.;, ., ,.
donand ao ar Rome, anJ u ed ~ sto,nh
of character. is eyipced in any of his numerous