Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1877-02-21
A Valuable Book.

History OF the United tates from the Alb
original Times to the Present Bay. By
John Clark Rfdpath, A. NJ, Professor of
| History and Brl,es-Lettres, Indiana As.
bury University. Royal Octavc. Illus
trated with Msps, Charts, Portraits and
Diagrams. Sold only by subscription.
Price 800. Jones Brothers & Co., Phil
adelphia, Chicago and Cincinnati.
The circumstsntisl detail of 384
ycars-ths years that have opened =
new world and created . mighty nation
was never given in better style than
in this work. When we look through
the bulky volumes OF Bancroft we Won
der that one man should attempt to
write all the history OF our country
when the preliminary portion of 1t takes
up so much space. But ae cannot see
that Professor Ridpath has Omitted
single material fact that is contained 10
Bancroft, while he has avoided that
tedious detail which units the work of
the latter for popular use. The in
trigues of the English Court and Cabi-
net, the petty squabbles Of the House
of Commons, the rise and fall Of parties
in England, which are supposed to have
had an influence on American affairs,
these are indeed omitted from Prof.
Ridpat5's work but in their stead is
given brief and mastery summary Of
the causes which led to the American
Revolution, which We venture to say,
conveys better understanding Of the
matter to ninety nine in every hundred
readers. Take for instance the follow
ing extract
" "Another cause leading TO the Revolu-
ton vas found in the natural disposition and
inherited character Of The coion,sfs. They
were, for the niest part, republicans in pol
itics and dissenters in religion. The peo-
pie of England were monarchists and High
Churchmen. The colonists had never seen
a king. The Atlantic lay between them and
the British ministry. Their dealings with
the royal officers had been such As To engen-
der a dislike for monarchial institutions
The people OF America had not forgotten
could not well forget-the circumstances
under which their ancestors had ceme to
the New World. For six generations the
colonists had managed their own affairs
and their methods of government were ne
cessarlly republican. The experiences of
the French and Indihn War had shown that
Americans were fully able to defend them
selves and their country"
As one important cause, is not that
more satisfactory than volume of COM
mentary
The authors rare ability to condense
a vast amount of information into sim
gle paragraph is shown IN any of his
numerous, graceful biographies. Take
the following on Benjamin 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, l1O6. His father was
manufacturer of soap and candles. To this /
humble vocation the young Benjamin was |
devoted by his parents; but the walls OF a
candle-shop were too narrow for his aspir- !
ing genius. AT The age of twelve he was
aFprenticed To his brother 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 repaired to
Philadelphia, entered a lrinting Office, and /
rose 10 distinction. lie VISITED England +; |
returned founded the first circulating libra |
ry in America; became 4 man OF science |
edited Poor Richards almanac; originated /
the American Philosophical Society dis |
covered the identity of electricity and light |
nirg; made himself known in both hemi- !
spheres espOused the cause of the patriots;
and devoted the unimpaired energies Of his 1
old age TO periecting the American Union. 1
The name of Franklin il one Of the bright |
est in the history of any nation"
In this work Prof. Ridpath has sur
mounted one difficulty which confronts
all historians to set forth all the facts,
with fitting comments, without on the
one hand making his work too volumi-
nous for common use, or on the other /
making 1t mere outline Of dry and /
disconnected facts.
A series of Charts show the cotem-
porary men and events, and colored |
maps illustrate the changes in political
boundaries from time to time. These +.
are Of great assistance to the reader. /
In short i. is difficult to find parncn
lar in which this History does not meet
every want of the citizen and patriot
1t is the work of cultured miud and
careful historian, aud must take rank I
as the best History of the United
States yet published.