Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1880-02-14
THE DAILY RECORD-UNION.
NEW PUBLICATIONS.

FooL's ERRAsp. By One Of the Fools. Fords.
Howard Hubert, New York Svo., CLOTH vol
w. A. G. ). Houghton, Sacramento.
The reader of this remarkable book must
not take it up with the expectation of opening
a sensational novel, or an enhancing love
story but he may expect to read of some
thrilling adventures, not in wilds and on
frontiers, but in the heart of our common
country. There is fringe OF romance about
the story; there is silver thread of love
running through it. but these are merely in
cidental. The heart and SOUL, the pith and
essence, Of the volume involve grave political
problems. In brief, at the close of the war a
Union officer removes with his family to a
Southern State, where, by his independ-
ence of thought and expression, his
hatred of slavery, his love for the Union, his
unwavering defense of the freedman, he be-
comes mark for the assassin's bullet, is
Ostracized, driven from society, and is made
the butt and sneer OF nearly the whole peo-
pie of his community. He went South,
thoroughly in love with what he believed the
wisdom OF the reconstruction policy Of the
National Government, but in a brief time
became convinced Of its defects, its hol-
lowness and its cruel injustice, not only to tn
negroes, but the whites of the South, and that
its effect was to make towards of the freed
men, martyrs OF Unionists, and tyrants of
Confederates. The bitter incisiveness, the
Vigor and power of the text in dealing with
=" the policy" are remarkable, and evidence
not practiced pen. but one of rare and
trenchant quality. The narrative rises at
times to philippe full of passion-almost
rage-and glows with the honest indignation
and helplessness of one prosecuted and bound.
let the writer does not lose his sense OF right
Judgment, OF exact justice, nor does he for
moment fail to recognize the good and true
in Southern character. There is no effort to
belittle our people below Mason and Dixon's
line, or to present them to the world as worse
than Others of mankind, or less virtuous, hon
est or high-minded. He deals with their edu-
cational beliefs, and their political creed,
which is so interviewer with their social sys-
tenn as to be inseparable from it. He believes
that the Government wholly misconceived
the temper of the people and their character
istics, the rooted growths of century mis-
apprehended the truth with regard to the
caste aud claDnishness of the Southern people,
and wholly failed of its duty toward the
millions of slaves it set free. He dis
sipates utterly the glowing political
ideas concerning the amicable relations which
Washington statesmen would fain have the
people believe to have been legislated into ex-
istence, and presents as plain and unwelcome
truth what he claims to be the real sentiment
of the South toward the Government in I'M
mistakable language, and with all the force of
honest and deep-seated conviction. 1t is a
book written from one side of the question,
of course, despite the effort to be impartial,
and to commend the better elements in
Southern society. 1t should be read with
constantly clear view of its passionate char
acter and its warm opposition to every plan
OF reconstruction yet attempted. Thus
considered, the reader will derive from it
much of value and find it brim full of texts
for profoundest thought. 1t is book which
will be widely read, bitterly attacked and
quite as hotly defended. 1t cannot be said to
be second . Uncle Toms Cabin" yet since
the issuance of that phenomenal volume no
work has approached 1t so nearly as this in
its treatment of those vital questions which
brought on the war and still involve the Gov
eminent. 1t is a noteworthy publication
from fresh and brilliant pen; a book which
will take no mean place in the literary and
political annals of the country.
Another of Appleton's Handy-volume Sc
ries is entitled lord Macaulay-His Writ
zngs," by Charles H. Jones. wv. A. &
C. S. Houghton Sacramento.) In this work
Mr.. Jones treats of Macaulay's childhood
and youth, next of the Edinburyh Revie7c
essays, the first of Mac aulay's writings which
attracted much attention, although he had
served an apprenticeship as a magazine writer
before he became connected with the ReUieac.
He then takes up his Parliamentary career,
where Mac2ulay was the great advocate and
interpreter of Wing principles, though he
was not reared in the Wing faith, his fathers
house being the very center of consultation
of uncompromising Tories. The next divis-
ion of the work is given up to ''The India
Episode, and opens with letters clearly ex-
planning the motive and object of Macaulay
in going to India. The next division treats
of Macaulay as Cabinet Minister, and the
next is devoted to his g History of England
Then come chapters on his closing
years and his personal traits and
character, concluding with consid-
GRAFTON of his qualities as writer. Mr..
Jones says that the chief authority for
the biographical portions of the work is Ire
velyan's Life and Letters of Lord Macau-
lay" He adds THAT Work is so copious, so
comprehensive, and so excellent that it might
well UC I6SdIuCu dS all OLn6r Do
graphers from the field but though no one
who has actually read it ever wished it short
er, yet there are very many readers interested
in Macaulay who could never be induced to
read SO voluminous and costly work. In
deed, Mr.. Trevelyan himself, in giving the
rdlSon d'etre for his own work, gives also
what appears to be a sufficient excuse for
this. He says: There must be tens
of thousands whose interest in his
tory and literature he (Macaulay) has
awakened and informed by his pen,
manner of man it was that has done
them so great a service We may say
with equal confidence that there must be
tens of thousands who would gladly know
what manner of man Macaulay was who
will never make for themselves the oppor-
tunity of reading Mr.. Trevelyans elaborate
Life. ;" And this gives the key to the mo-
tive for the present work, which omits moth
ing essential to compendious biography,
but does omit all else. There is just suf.
ficient of critical Interpretation in Mr.. Jones
work to make it very satisfactory guide and
inducement to more thorough study and
better appreciation of Macaulay as a writer.
American Ballads" by Thomas Dunn
English, NJ. D., LID, is the title of another
of Harper's Half-Hour series. Harper
Bros: New York. A L. Bancroft & Co.:
San Francisco) DR.. English is the author
of the familiar ballads ben Bolt, The
Three Kings" The Battle of Cowpens,
60 Out in the Streets, Song of Fire." etc.
No collection of Dr. English's poems having
been published, the materials FOR this little
volume had to be sought for in various peri
odicals issued during the last thirty
years. Such only have been given by the ]
publishers as have met with marked popular
favor. Many more, as purely American in
their subject, character, or mode of handling,
might have been had, but the size of the vol
ume must have been much increased. Those
chosen are characteristic. DR.. Englishs style
is peculiar, his metres at times bizarre, and
his work-notably the historical ballads
marked by vigorous and bold treatment, and
a marvellous faithfulness, in his incident and
description, to the truth of history. The bal
lads are, in fact, as much historical as they are
metrical studies. 1t is possible that the ad-
mirers of DR.. English may miss some of their
favorites. A number of poems of more pre-
tense, and possibly of more merit, were re-