The New York herald., 1879-08-04
LITER A TURE.
The Constitutional and Political History
of the United States.
ART DISCUSSED BY AN "A. r.
Travels and Adventures OF a
New York Tramp.

''rhe Constitutional and Political History of the
United States," by DIR. H. Won Hoist professor OF
the University of Freburg has been translated from
the German by John j. Lalor. A. M. and published
by Callaghan 4 Co.. of Chicago.
DIR. Won Hoist claims advantage over all
American writer's the constitutional and political
history of the United States that. being free
than they from the subtle influence Of national
sentiment" he is able more easily than they to
guard against the predominance of his prejudices.
and advantage over De Tocqueville. the only
foreigner whom he considers predecessor" that
he writes with more positive knowledge" of his
subject and with less addiction to the unhistorical
and unpoltca theories Of philosophical doctinare
Residing the United States from 1867 to 1872. and
Immediately his arrival here having taken the
preliminary steps to become naturalized citizen OF
country he learned as he says, to "feel" with
our people before no commenced to study them and
their institutions.
Approaching his political and historical studies
with the expectations inspired by the writ
ines of Laboulsys. he confssses that no
what puzzled by Tsmmany Hall. the first 'fnstitu-
ton" he became acquainted with in America, and he
acknowledges that he remained in this puzzled state
OF mind until he came to realize that human nature
is very much the this side of the At
lantic in Europe and that the actors in this great
drama OF Western civilization neither demigods
nor devils. but men. struggling under many short
comings. but with great energy. their way onward
not with startling leaps. but advancing step by
STEP just all the Of the great nations OF the
earth have had to do" ts
We not at all inclined to dispute the Justice Of
some among the claims made by Professor Won
Hoist. We admit that with many Disadvantage
foreigner has some advantages over
native in writing critical history Of
American politics. we cheerfully acknowledge
tho industry displayed by Professor Won
Hoist in collecting the materials Of his work and the
literary skill he manifested in making effective
of them. We thank him, too. for discarding the
idyllic and dithyrambic vein IN which it has been
too common for writer's at home and abroad to dis
course tho phenomena Of American history. as
though we were the pet children Of Providence and
could grant ourselves. at will. dispensation
the moral political aud economical forces which gov
ern the rest OF mankind. But we cannot admit the
writer's claim to have studied and written
politics "with more soberness of mind than any Of
his predecessors" In his method of research, in
his of materials. In the vivacty Of his STYLE in
the pomp and plethora Of his rhetoric aud in his
fondness for antithesis, he reminds more Of
Macaulay than of any German historian with whose
writings we are acquainted. And have never
heard that "sobriety Of mind one Of the traits
on which Macaulay could be congratulated except
by himself
How a writer impassioned q Professor Won
Hoist should endow himself with the grace of intel
lectual soberness. when every page of his treatise
betrays the intensity of his political convictions it
is difficult to conceive. except on the principle
(cited by himself to explain the sefdelusion OF one
of our statesmen) that men pride themselves more
the qualities they lack than the qualities they
possess. We do not charge the writer with any
fairness considering the point OF view he takes. s
V.sel
writes the learned and skilful advocate who is
of his side than the judge who weighs conflicting
evidence and disputed principles the nice balances
of the cold aud calm human reason. Learned, ngen-
ious subtle brilliant, dashing and sometimes almost
rolicking in his lively and glowing STYLE he never
allows the reader to dawdc his pages but car
ries him onward with rush of feeling steady and
exciting the political current through which his
narrative steers its way.
The title Of the first volume Of this work. as pub
lished in Germany. was "yerfassung und Demo-
cratic der Vereignigten Staten America" The
translator did we'll to change this title into that
which stands mt the head OF the present work. and
think the author would have done still better II
he had called his work History OF Politics in the
United States rather than history OF const-
tutional law. For 1t is to parties and their princ-
pies in the domain of political activity rather than
to the reflex influence of each the structure Of
government and poity, that he devotes the main
body of the present volume. We wonder the
at this discrepancy between the title and contents of
the book because. in the of the work. he ex
himself from noticing certain incidents in
public history. on the ground that in the present
volume he is mainly occupied with "the political
development of the Union" and that he reserves
systematic exposition Of the constitutional law Of
the Union" for subsequent publication.
As picture Of parties and politics in the United
States from the election of President Jackson TO the
accession of President Polk, aware OF any
work which at all be compared with the volume
before In breadth OF scope in depth OF insight
in clear comprehension of the questions at issue on
the surface in subtle analysis of the moral forces
underlying the transient agtatons OF the hour and
above all. in vivid portrature OF the who pass
before us in this political drama. Professor Won
Hoist has neither predecessor rival W no deserves
to be compared with him. We say this while taking
many exceptions to the judgment he passes indi-
viduas and to the with which he holds the
scales in weighing out his praise aud ccnsure II lac
looked his facts in the dry light" which Bacon
commends we should miss the rich coors with
winch he invests his story. A true lover
Of the abolitionists. from Benjamin Lundy to
John Quincy Adams, ho is not, however. en-
tirely blind to their intemperance of zeal and
the innrmitios of their temper good hater Of
the 'slaveocrats he generally styles the south
crn politicanshe is not entirely insensible the
public virtues which they sometimes combined with
their suicidal propagandism" Impatient OF "thc
sneak thieves" who would essay u compromise with
the "robber knights" Of the South he yet is some-
times able to do modcum Of justice to that sense
for realistic politics. which long repelled the peoplo
OF the North from the fiery and jealous idealism of
Garrison and his ocates. Nevertheless. he some-
times falls conceive in his of historical
perspective. In marking the libration of the arsto
cratical and democratical forces in politics
much more quick to discern the eccentric orbit Of
the former than Of the latter Incisive Junius no
lacks the "sobrcty" of Thucyddcs. We should not
complain of this defect but for the pretension he
makes In his preface. Tho part, pris with
which he writes is evidenced alike by what