The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1877-06-01
John LOthrOp Motley.

credentials of every person claiming to represent our
| Journal
John Lothrep Motley.
A brief cable despatch announces the death
in London on Tuesday night, of the author
| of the Rise Of the Dutch Republic.
Twenty-Five years ago John Lothrop Mot
ley received slight mention in the Cyclopedia
of American Literature as the author of two
novels, 'Morton's Hope" and "Merry
Mount" 'ictions written with spirit, with
descriptions carefully elaborated, and nara.
tive enlivened with frequent flashes of genu-
inc humor." The next year he was famous.
Had Mr.. Motley confined himself to novel
writing English literature would have missed
one of its most honored names and brightest
ornaments, for the romances had little merit
and won no favor. But believing that if he
| couldn't fiddle he could do something better,
he turned his attention after his early failures
to another department of letters, and in 1856
astonished and delighted the world with his
History of the Dutch Republic The theme
was fresh one in our tongue, and "the great
agony through which the Republic of Hol
land was ushered into lfe," had never before
been fully told in English. 1t filled serious
chasm in our historical literature. The work
was as complete as industry and genius could
make it and in every way worthy of its ma
| jestic theme. The author rose to the height
OF his great argument and gave to the world
new epic. Its recognition was instan tame
| Gus. Critics and readers alike joined for once
| in the chorus of praise. The History was
translated into many foreign languages, and
| honors were showered upon the author by all
the learned societies of Europe
But Mr.. Motley was not content to rest
upon his assured fame. The story of Hol.
land was but half told. In 1860 appeared the
History of the United Netherlands, the de-
scription of the long Dutch-English struggle
| against Spain. This work showed that the
hand of the master had not lost its cunning.
1t had the same charm of picturesque nara
tive and in its literary execution was easier
and more finished. The reading world could
not again be surprised, but it was as delighted
as before. In 1874 the theme was continued in
The Life and Death of John of Barneveld,
the great Advocate of Holland. At the time
of his death Mr.. Motley was, it is said, en-
gagged upon history of the Thirty Years.
War, work which would have brought to
fitting close the story he loved to tell, for it
was by the Treaty of Westphalia that the
conflict of ninety years between Holland and
Spain was brought to.a recognized end. But
no further work could have strengthened his
assured fame.
In the life of a man of letters there is little
beyond the names of books to chronicle. OF
Mr.. Motley one can only say that he was
born in Dorchester, Massachu setts, on April
18th, 1914, that he was graduated at Harvard
in 1881, that he completed his early studies
at Berlin and at Gottingen, that he was ad-
mitted to the bar in 1886, that he published
Morton's Hope in 1889 and Merry Mount in
lS49. that his great work was given to the
public in 1856, and that he served with great
credit at Vienna from 1861 to 1867 and at
London from 1869 to 1870, in the diplomatic
service of his country. But in years to come
he will be remembered, not as advocate, or
novelist, or diplomat, but as the author of
one of the greatest historical works of the
century, the Rise of the Dutch Republic.
The conditions under which special cores
pondents are allowed to accompany the Rus
sian armies in the field are as follows: In
the first place permission is only granted to
few correspondents, and these are placed in
charge of Colonel Won Hasenkamp, of the
general staff. The correspondents have to
give their word that they will not in any way
transmit information respecting the strength
or distribution Of the troops. the direction of
their march, etc., at all events until after
they have come into collision with the ene-
my. After an action has been fought the
correspondents are at liberty to give what de-
tails they like Of the preceding movements.
The publishers of every paper which has
correspondent with the Russian army are also
to send copy Of every issue which contains
any despatch from their correspondent to
Colonel Won Hasenkamp, addressed to him at
the headquarters of the Russian Army OF the
South via Kischenef. Provided these co2di-
tions are fulfilled, the several correspondents
will be under the protection of the autho1i-
ties at the headquarters of the army, and
will be at liberty to go wherever they may
please. To insure that they shall be unhin-
dered, they will be given special pass and
will wear the Geneva badge on their arms.
The Cincinnati Commercial finds that all
the government appropriations for railroads,
canals, etc., from 1889 to 1875 amount to
$104, 1000, 900, of which sum $4,000, 600 was in
Patio Railway subsidies. The Commercial
adds: cit results from these figures that
what the government is now asked to guaran-
tee for one single internal improvement, the
Southern Pacific Railroad, demands as much
almost as has been expended in internal i'm
provements from 1889 to 1875, including the
enormous Pacific railway subsidies of eighty
four millions. And single one of the great
canal improvement schemes now proposed in
the South will cost more than three times as
much as the government laid out for every
canal, highway, and military road constructed
or aided by the United States from the begin
Mug until now." Bat then, there is no dam
ger OF these schemes going through so long
as we have Republican President or Re-
publican Senate.
A SOUTHERN Colorado paper is anxious
for the college professors to come out this
summer and explore those wonderful mounds
containing petrifcations which have lately
been discovered. The mound already opened
containing the petrifed sea turtles and cocoa
nuts, forms one ofa vast range, or rather
group, of great numbers OF similar kind,
and bear unmistakable evidence that it had
once been an island of the sea. They are
situated some fifteen miles from the base of
the Rocky Mountains, and are Of various
sizes. The one visited was estimated to be
some four miles around its base, and had
about two acres on its surface covered by