New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1883-04-08
MIR. BLAINES BOOK.
SOME EXTRACTS FROM nm PREFACE.

Washington Letter to The Philadeiphia Press.
Fx-SecretaTy Blaine is still hard at work at hls
hook ON the politics of the past twenty years aud
be can he seen almost every day in the archives OF
fhe State Department searching Tor statisti ana
data. Unlike most great authors, MIR. Blame does
moi leave this part of his work to an assistant but
attsnds In il himself. Besides this. he has found
that ho can get along faster without stonosrapher
than with one anu no has therefore given up NC
tation The whole burden of the work thus fails
ON his shuu lders and together with his social ana
other duties make up pretty good days labor LOT
him. -, -, e. -. e
the work during the present year, and 1t Will prob
ABLY be published immediately. After he has I'm,
ished this part he will take few months rest anC
then begin work the second volume. he scope,
design and aim of the whole book are clearly SCI
forth in the following extracts from the preface
1The twenty years OF Congress between the In
auouratiou OF Lincoln in 1851 and tho lndngufa-
tion of Garfield in 1881 were the most Important
in our history as nation he 4hllie perlo1 was
filed with nomentOus events. Legislation during
tine progress of the wal, in aid OF the great armies
Which upheld the Government; through the period
in which the Union was reconstructed on new ana
endurinr foundations; on the finances during tho
era of paper money and tho subsequent return 10
thr standard of coin on slavery, and the enamel
nation which came generations before philanthro,
pIsts had dared to hope; on taxation exercised ana
On forced 10 n degree beyond all precedent, yet
always sustained b, popular maloritics; on INDUS
trial development so wisely fostcred that, despite
the waste OF thousands OF millions w tho rlNhges
of war the aggregate wealth OF tho people was
doubled in "a single Standardization ON these
Great subjects forms the vital history of the
country and II worthy oil comnemoI atom.
"DurIng the yeaIs when these legislative deliber-
ations ere in progress much vas done IN Congress
of inferior importance and temporary interest. o
senarate the valuable and the permanent from the
v,,Iueess and transient of this historic epoch, and
TO give clcar and connected account Oh me really
Great events IN the Senate and House oil represent
atyes is the aim of the work. IL rs not intended
TO be an Arrangement 0i the proceedings Oh COh-
,sress or a mere compendium OF debates; vet no I'M
port ant transaction in either branch Is omitted ana
20 discusson worthy Of honorable mention IS over
. Iagi.r includes
the limits OF careful discretion. the narrative oil
many facts which could not appear IN an ohcial
repnrt az well as q fair and just estimate OF the
men who have been most prominent and lnhuentIal
i'm the two Houses OF Congress
q would be obviously lmpOssb bic to present a
nerspicuous history of the two decades from 1871
10 ISL without reviewing at some length the I'M
portant and of en- tangled course OF events when
brought about the political revolution OF lSOO re-
smiling in the defeat Of all the old political organ
,zotions and giving the control OF the country 10
new radical enthusiastic and progressive party.
The causes OF this revolution .troPerY ahaIyHeu
will he found to he TemOte,-btretchlng BACK at
least forty years and yet steadily ana continuously
tending toward the elimination which was reached
i'm the election OF Mr. Lincoln To the Presidency.
The incidents of the intervening struggles In Con
gress the connection OF one phase OF The contest
with another,-not seen at the time nut III retro
snect distinctly ysiblc-present a ield OF interest
ing inquiry, necessarily Introductory to the work
now in hand. 1t, ....,
"The encouragement 10 publish any historical
work s found in the belief that 1t supplies what
was before inaccessible The history OF the events
now presented is scattered through 40 volumes OF
fhe ponderous records OF Congress, AMI in the
scarcely less vouminous reports OF committees OF
both Senate and House. In tins vast mass oil docu
meuts a complete series of which is, probably, not
contained IN q single library outside the National
Capitol it is light labor to trace even one meas
ure through the various eyOluti0ns OF legislation
To present tie entire period within limits adapted
TO the general reader, and upon the plan briefly
outlined in the foregoing paragraphs. will, 1t is be-
lieyed contribute 10 q moro general and intelligent
underst anding of important political and to
a trurr sense of the patriotism. the courage and
statesmanship which sustained the nation under
unprecedented trials .and guided it safely through
dangerous crises"