The Cecil Whig., 1878-03-16

acter. Goldsmith, Scott and Macaulay, are
examples that poetry and history are kin
dred fields of labor. We need not be sur
piised, therefore, to see Mr.. Brooks, after
paying his addresses to Melpomene, trans
fer his attentions to her sister, Clio.
The events of our war with Mexico made
a deep impression on his mind, for they
appealed not only to his patriotism, but to
his Imagination and his literary tastes.
With a soul full of his subject, Mr.. Brooks
approached his work, and the result has
been the most authentic, the most interest.
ing, and the most impartial history of the
Mexican War that has yet appeared =
Standing himself in the background, never
obtruding his own sentiments unnecessarily
on the reader, he brings forward his sub.
ie clearly and prominently; gives a lumin
Gus description of the condition of Mexico
after the acknow ledgment of her indepen
dence; takes a rapid but most interesting
survey of the principal events in the revolt
of Texas; details clearly and ccncisely the
mated aud the circumstances by which ii
was precpitated through every stage OF
the war, from the bombardment of Forr
Brown to the surrender of the capital, the
capture of Tobasco, and the opening OF
the negotiations for peace, We follow the
wand of the enchanter with an interest
that never flags, and an attention that
never wealies.
But it is not merely as poet and as
historian that the subject OF the present
memoir commends itself to our regard.
He has another, and, in our opinion, even
a higher claim upon our notice, in his char
acter as teacher. 1t is as a leader in The
great army of education that we are most
anxious to present him before our readers.
OF all the battles of which our earth has
been the theater, that between light and
darkness, truth and error, ignorance and
know ledge, has been the longest and the
fiercest; and in its consequences the most
important. To knon or not to knon-that
is the grand question of our day. The fate
of the schoolmaster more than of king or
congress. Ignorance and superstition on
the one side; knowledge and religion on
the other; such are the hosts now drawn
up in array on the battle field of the world
Who would not be a leader or a standard
bearer in such an enterprise? Where can
we tiud a nobler employment-where
heavier responsibility Our independence,
acquired by superior valor, must be pre-
served by superior enlightenment; and the
universally of our freedom will depend
upon the universally of our education.
Mr.. Brooks commenced his career as
has persevered in it without interruption
till the present time, during which he has
conducted several institutions of high
standing. In the year 1889. on the estab-
lishment of the Baltimore High School, lie
was unanimously elected principal, over
forty five applicants; a post fur which his
experience and his wonderfully varied at
tainments peculiarly fitted him. The pull
lie school system had been in operation for
about nine years, and yet not more than six
hundred pupils were to be found in all the
schools. During the nine years of Mr.
Brooks connection with the schools. the
number of pupils increased from SIX hun
dred to more than as many thousands, and
this increase was attributed by the com
mssioners and the public. mainly to the
establishment of the High School: aud the
energetic manner in which it was conduct.
ed. Placed thus at the head of the public
education of the city of Baltimore, Mr..
Brooks spared no labor however great, and
omitted no duty, however triflng, that
could in any way contribute to the success
of the cause with which he was identified.
From his desk at the High School, he made
himself felt throughout every school in the
city, and infused his own ardent zeal into
all with whom he came in contact. New
life aud energy were infused into the sys-
tenn: the indolent were reused into activity:
the active redoubled their exerions; and
tbs extraordinary success we have usr
noticed was the result of their combined
efforts.
One of the greatest difficulties which Mr.
Brooks experienced was the want of suta-
BILE text books, especially in the classical
department.. With characteristic energy
he at once set to work to supply this de
ficiency. He projected and partly carried
into execution series of classical school
books, on a new system. His elementary
Greek and Latin lessons are spoken of by
teachers in terms of the highest commenda.
ton. Those by which he is best known
are his classical series, growing out of his
wants and profession as teacher. While
all of these books are admirable in design
and execution, that which has gained the
greatest credit for the richness and variety
of its scholarship, is his edition of Ovid,
which is one of the many good school
books that our country can boast. In pre-
pairing this work, Mr.. Brooks brought to
the task what we seldom find combined,
the fruit of many years extensive reading,
and of many of patient teaching. The
marks of diligent study, of varied learning
and of a refined taste, are visible in every
page of it. 1t bears the impress alike of
the accurate scholar and the experienced
teacher. TO a text scrupulously cleanseG
from all that could offend the most delicate
fastidiousness, and embellshed with pic
toral illustrations of considerable merit,
he has added a body of explanatory notes,
which, for fulness, variety and appropriate
ness, will compare with any similar work
! that has of late years issued from the press,
and gain by the comparison. Writer'S of
every age, on every subject, and iu almost