The Portland daily press., 1882-02-04
Recent Publications.

Life of Richard Golden. By John Morley
Boston: Roberts Brothers; Portland: LoriBg,
Short & Harmony Among the group Of Eng
lishmen who embody the political and social
IDEAS most congenial to the American spirit,
Richard Golden was foremost figure, y,
practical. humane and resolute 1t is from his
identification with the Liberal party and his
vigorous action concerning the Corn Law that
Mr.. Golden is best known; but in reading Mr.
Morley's remarkably strong and animated BIZ
ography of the statesman, one finds the name
of Golden mixed with the foreign as well as
the domestic affairs Of political history.
Like most good and great men, Richard Cob
den had good mother His father, William
Cobdea, was man of gentest and tende-est
feeling, but wholly incapable of affairs. He
would not believe, even after bitter expert
ence, that all men were not as guileless and
upright as himself, and he made no headway
against misfortune. Poverty" says Mr. Nor
ley, ''oozed in with a gentle swiftness," and
soon sunk the property, not over-large at any
time, which he inherited from yeomen, his
forefathers, who were traceable so far back as
Adam de Coppdene, who was sent to Parlia-
W rsay.s@ss,< oztoHzeSsoA m 10h1.
Richard Golden was born juno Sd, 1904, at
Dunford farmhouse, in the pretty hamlet OF
Heyshott West Sussex, dozen miles from
the town of Chichester; and there he passed
his boyhood, and tended his fathers sheep,
until the farm was sold for needs sake; and
some relatives taking on them the support
of the twelve young Cobdens, placed Richard
at veritable Dotheboys Hall in Yorkshire.
From this place he wrote perfunctory letters
once quarter, to assure his parents that he
was happy and prosperous-saying no word of
the bitter bread of his imprisonment. or the
cruelty of his keepers For this was before
Dickens had let in the wholesome air and light
and made a lasting protest against such lin
gering murder of the children. In 1919 young
Golden left school and was first clerk and
then travelling salesman in his uncle's ware
house. Mr.. Morley says that the varied expe-
riences and knowledge of the world and affairs
which Mr. Golden thus had opportunity to
gain, gratfed the desire which those who best
knew him considered to be his strongest and
most unquenchable, ''the sound and rational
desire to know and to learn" He had an en-
thusiastc delight in business, and rejoiced in
his practical talent. A pleasure trip to Tur-
key gave Mr.. Golden store of political facts
which were afterwards of great use to him. In
1885, "a great wave Of humanity set in, as Mr.
Morley words it, and men of the most di-
verse minds and opinions were engaged in
writing for the good of the race. Mr.. Golden,
always ready to give hand If anything were
to be done, wrote two pamphlets, mot from
the side of emotional sympathy, but from that
positive and scientific feeling for good order
and right government which is the statesman's
true motive and deepest passion" Here is
his distinct departure into the political world
In 1S41 he entered Parliament, and in the Au-
tumn of that year the lifelong compact with
John Bright was sealed. Mr.. Morley gives the
portrait of Mr.. Golden as an orator with
truthfulness which commends itself. The
Corn Law agitation, Factory legislation, the
repeal of the Corn Laws, and fall of the N'ev-
ernment Mr. Cobden's speeches and corre-
spondence upon all the important events of
the time, are matters of recent history, and ex-
ceedingly well set forth by Mr.. Morley, who is
to be congratulated upon this strong and COM
pact addition to political and historic litera-
ture, and this portrait, lfelike, discriminating
and attractive, of the great liberal statesman
who believed politics to be a means, not an
end, to the affairs of the people.
President Garfield and Education. By B. A.
Hinsdale, Boston: j. r. Osgood & Co.; Port
land: Loring, Short & Harmony is the IL
tie of the memorial of the late President,
written for Hiram College by Professor Hins-
dale of that institution. 1t is most fervent
iii Cap fald nd 0iv
additional testimony to the powerful hold that
his strong and upright manliness had upon
those who were within the range of his person
al influence. In every aspect. as man, as
friend, as teacher, statesman, President and
martyr, men glad to speak of this most
honored and beloved of our leaders; and this
memorial is singularly efficient in portraying
the imminent and peryading power of him.
The bond of union between the members of
the Hiram circle was peculiarly strong one.
Somewhat apart from centres of thought aud
study, their very circumstances gave them an
intense interest in the pursuit of knowledge;
and Mr.. Garfield was the central figure vf the
earnest group. Such memorial as this is o,
great value, hardly less to the country
at large than to the community to
much emphasis cannot be laid upon the traits,
the discipline. the progress which fitted Mr..
Garfield for the leadership of the nation, and
gave him to wear the crowns at once of empire
and death.
Memoirs of Prince Metternich. Vol. V.
(New York; Scribners; Portland Loring, |
Short & Harmony, edited by Prince Richard |
Metternich, covers the period of 1S30-S5. 1t
treats of the July Revolution and its conse-
quences, the Polish revolution, and the alarm |
ing occurrences in Austria and Italy, the ca
pitulation of Warsaw, etc, ETC.; and from the
diary of Prince Metternich's wife, the Princess
Melanie, are given some interesting extracts
The character and policy of Metternich, as de
veloped in these Memoirs, are OF great interest