New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1882-12-19
NEW PUBLICATIONS.
,,o,,su co1oNIEs IN AMERICA.

nh, vntu
<be author hopes TO make compiele his'o'' Va -
r,nolish colonies in North America lt embraces 'ho
h;.5orv of the four Southern colonies, virginia
w.y,,nd and tho Carolinas, during the seventeenth
century with several preliminary chapters Oh the
1.-Two nonnlotion tie era OF discovery anu the
Er.nch and Spanish settlements during the SIN
,..,,b centurv The second volume Will reclte the
founding. development and tonuencies oil the New
louland colonies to The end Of the seventeenth cen
,,rv. and tho third ana tual volume VIII iholuNe
tho history OF the remaining colonies ana Oh 'n0
,,ols GRIMM 10 the outbreak of the Revolutionary
,yor This is n comprehensive plan, anu Mr Doyle
sna,t from the experience aIcady acquired III 'ii0
nrrnaration of two minor volumes reIaIihS ~ 'no
same snbiect has many qualifications ior 'ho "o'A
which he has undertaken. lie Is orderly anu e9
fanatic in his literary studies, perseVellus h""
lahorious in mis- researches, just AMI Impartial III MS
,pdyments and reflections, and clear and precise IN
Lis s,vls lie is as frank in his acknowledgements
Of Indebtedness to earlier workers in the same helu AZ
no is unpretentious in his methods and conclusions
rd his paces are .inguiarly free from benishes OF
or,:ndjce. partisanship and individual preference
II tbs undertaking be completed in The spiiit III
which il las been begun. the work will be com
urshensiye history of the North American COLONIES
during the period of dependence upon the Mo'hsr
State. 1t will not he a work remarkable for OHsl-
nality OF treatment pTillisncy OF execution out
will DO "A compact, orderly ana thoroueh'S "'i"'
contribution to historical study.
Cold which had been frequently surveyed ana
critically examined by American ana EhgIish VIII
ers presented few opportunities Tor Original lhNVs
@igati,,n and philosophical reflection. MI DoJIc
rhert.lv set for himself the task of telling anew
what had been many times told before ITO 'o"'u
hava mn oxpestation OF bringing to light any nov
Pm,
ing to the abundant stores of information already
cllected. Whatever may be said OF the utlllty OF
n scholarly abstract OF the individual aud collective
roc,rds of the colonies voumin0us and cNhauSti'e
10 thev are tie honor 70 he derived from such III
e,t of historical invest igati0ns must nave seelhed
n meagre compensation for the arduous laoor oil 'ho
undertaking. Nothing could be sald III RELATION 10
the aboriginal population which had not Ooeh
already sand by Schoolcr.ft and Callln; Tor the
xovoyr. of discovery during the sixteenth century
n now writer could only retcr to liakIuyts coIec-
ton preclsely as all previous investigators nave
dous: Mr. Parkman had made so thorough STUDY
Of the French Pioneers IN America that there was
nn,,inc 70 CLEAN in that field; and the records OF
The Southern colonies during tho seventeenth cen
tnry had bean 81 often raGsackod anu so ex-
baust,yely treated that an ambitious author would
have hssitatea long before Undertaking to traverse
oron,I &, we;l.worn and so familiar to intelligent
roaders For his part. MT. Doyle appreciates the
necessity of iusu(ying his course in entering upon
u ssemlngly superluous work. lie has distinctive
nuruose in dealing with materials which are
already complete aud have lost the charm Ot nov
eltv. This purpose must be stated in the authors
own words:
| have preferred to regard the history OF inc
United States the transportation OF Engnsh
ideas and institutions 10 distant SOIL ana Tue
nlautatiou of them to new wants aId altered modes
of life That history differs IN one important pOub
from that of any other nation oil equal greatness
So far as the American colonies form communities
separate from the mother country, we can trace
their life and institutions from tle very FOUNTAIN
hrad In then case can see those stages OF
growth going on under our very eA eo Mnich eiSe-
where can only be tIat oil out lnipctlecty ahu on
securely. IL IS true that this statement needs one
important modification. III" history Oi the Amer
jcan colonies 10 in one sense nothing more than u
continuation Of English history. In II we SEE
certain section, rather certain sections, OF Eng
li,h so,iety trausplauted TO foreign soil, WITH
drawn from many OF the influences winch deter,
mined the Developments OF Tie hatl'h AT hoIle anu
cvnosrd 10 man, new and peculiar conditions:
Rnt We must never Iget that an inglbn colOuy OF
3he seventeenth century was not, ike tfreek col
Uny. ready made cohnohwe W. I'M az I,o ~
and political Institutions moulded ior y peIoIe IL
sailed from its native shore. Inc American colo-
mes we're at the outset small communities Oh Eng
iishm,n practically free TO shape their own luSli
tutinns and mDue Jt life within certain wlde ana
elastic limits The colonies dad indeed ono ana all
form for themselves institutions closely resembling
those of the mother country. But tllese lhstlt"-
lions were developed, not ransplantcd or aerVI!ey
cupIen That process OF development Will loiu inc
main subject oi this hook. The interest attarhing
fn th,s uuuiry IL twufod. The early history vi the
American colonies is all lmpOItant as an introiuc-
ton 10 the history OF The Federal Isepuolic. ~ il
lso of treat value as illustrating tnOse principles
winch govern the origin and growth OF political
in,titutions from the first pOint Of view It's IN
1ar.st is obvious. No one can be lnsensible 10
the charm which surrounds the cradle of great
nation. The other side of tie question mas ai Ill
ferost less evident but not less real 10 watcn the
growth of a consultation In the broad Ilsht Oh Gay
is privilege seldom granted 10 the stuuent OF
history. He can indeed. study the manufacture ol
constitutions IN plenty bG' onnS and xig,on n
community frames. almost unconseiously, instltu-
tions suited to its growing wants has generaily TO
be spelled ont with toll and difficulty, ana Is often
oven at last but imperiectly UNDERSTOOD In the
ease of the American colonies We see the process
going on around us in full activity under varying
social aud economical influences
This passage supplies the motive of the work.
While tue individual aspects OF tho colonial char
acter the social and religious traits the spirit of
adventure ana romance. and the external conGl-
t,ons of pioneering not passed over in silence,
bnt treated with sympathetic touch. the constl-
tutiona history of the growing States is the central
theme Mr. Doyle's work is designed primarily for
students of political institutions and uasInuch as
his main PURPOSE is Complementary outlined. his
opeuing volume possesses unity and definiteness
without being dry and abstract study OF constitu
tioDal principles.
Any Judgment upon the authors success in ex-
ecuting this scheme of historical investigation will
be premature while the most critical portions of
the work are still unfinished. For our own part We
cannot conceal degree Of apprehension lest the
plan, which the author has adopted, MAY not have
some unfortunate. tendencies. This fear is not
based upon the details which he gives of the pat
ents charters constitutions and institutions of The
Southern colonies, but upon tie declaration of his
purpose as previously quoted. An author who en-
ters rpou an historical investigation with theory
formulated in advance. and deliberate intention
frr nn1sihla tha IA.