The sun., 1884-02-17

Nor. About TAuriow Weed.

appeared last summer filled q large octave VOL
umo OF sornc coo pages and brought down the
story OF the writer's life to the period when 1t
ceased TO be specially interesting to the date,
that Ia to say. at which he ceased TO exercise
any direct or woLIhty influence npon national
or even State politics. There wus. TO be sure.
in that book at least ono noteworthy
and more than one less important onis-
sion: but on the other hand. thero
was grcnt deal OF surpusagc. all that
lart Of the authors recollections which
related Co his curly days being inordinntoly
proix and prosy. Certainly there was nothing
In the character or achievements Of the man
himself. Or In his intimate though moro or
less clandcstine connection with politi-
cal lcodcrs and events. to justify tho pub
iication Of n second bulky volume under tho
title OF a Memoir ot Tluio,, Weed. by THuRIow
WTIR BAEsals tHoreyhton MiAin & Gol With
the exception Of the account here givon of
Thurlow Weeds relations to Horace Greeley
Ito which only tho most cursory alfusion Ind
been madc In the autobiography, and Of some
incidents connected with tho civil war tnlso
I'm chroniood in tho preceding narratlvel. Mr.
Barnes hns added little of substantial value or
OF general interest 10 the materials already
used. and has therefore laid himself open to
the charge of perpetratng an uuwar1anted and
egrcgious piece OF bookmaking. He fails to
ofrer nny spccious pretoxt for telling over
again tho long story already told more crispiy
and effectively by the subject oi tho memoir
Indeed the autobiography itself might by tire
.ycison OF aggressive and uninstructive mat
ter. havs bcen materially compressed with nd
vaptnre to Tho reader md all TINT Mr.. Barnes
has to add that was worth adding
might have been set forth in few
supplementary chapters OF the original
book. We also tcsl constrained to eny
that Mr.. Bnrnos soeas disqualified for any
form OF writing which calls for the nptitudes
and the eou;pment Of the historian by irnor-
ance or neglect Of the fundamental rules OF
evidence We have scanpol the book in vain
for scintilla Of the proof which would he de-
mandcd In n court o. Justice for his ljbellous
imputnt;on OF a silly mud disyraceful anony-
nous letter TO ex-Seuator BENJAMIN. When
this precious epistle was published some weeks
ngo from advanced sheets. wo took for granted
that serious II not suecessfll effort would be-
made In the memoir before us to set forth the
grounds on which such n charge had been
framed. Ipasmuch as no conpetent testimony
whatever is forthcoming We nre forced 10 pro-
npunce the charge a libel and tho advanced
pub,ic,tion of the foolish ANONYMOUS letter n
mere advertising trick which will probably
prove OF little benefit TO tho deyiser
po,,,ors y, ,ho ,,toh;ogr,rbv ,yora orrnr;sod
and lis,nnoin.oI IN 1nI ma ro,ar.nco 70 Tho
di.oo,rt;on n, tho ,,olitiool arr, ~ so,r,rJ
Wed nrd Cra.i.,y-a a;esoI,,,;oo which h,;,,h.
ad tho fuirost bnnes ~ the senior nartnor M Tho
Chicago Convention in 1860 md by which the
Junior partner found himself more or less i'm
peded In his efforts for n sent in the Initial
States Senat. nnt in his own suhsennent ron.
test for the Pre- sii.ncv A rsvie,v of the orig
inauy intimate coGueration and subseouent
Alienation OF these three conspicuous members
NJ the Wbir and Renublicnn mart ies n tho Sta+e
Of New York might as we have said hnye
formed n usoful annendix 70 Mr.. Weeds auto.
,ioern,hv and cons,itutes tho principal excuse
FOR tho nresent memoir Mr. Rnrnes indeed
cannot hc credited with having given MS much
information on this subject which had not al
-undy arpeared in print but he has coIIec, cd
from contempornrv newsnnners and letters the
declarations OF tho several oart;es to the con-
.royersy md such collateral comments as
-nj,,ht he tbou,h. to she'd soma )igh, unon tho
y,er;ts of the ouarrel So for howevar ma
tbcse comments consist Of ATTRACTS from the
nxpression of mere opinion in n,wsnnner mr.
tieles thcy se.r, to us wholly ont Of nlsce 1. 81
tool, NJ any historical nratansions "A IN tho
main incidents md, phnses Of a controversy
which. howoyer frivolous or isnoble may hnye
been its motives unouestionnbly had momen-
tous poItical consennences -hese NAV be
briefly indicntel by noting here and there
,ome Of the best authent;ca.,l features OF the
.terv which AFR Harnas roc,tss with nerhars
,xces,iye amp,itude Of detail
NJ ,s;, ,,.,o, ,,o ;,,,,,;,o no, ,,., ,,;,h
49,, rrnaa ao.I -, s,.,,a..tn 80 ,a,n.r,,.hIa
is,,or t.a,,, NJ cn,aio, w. d., can,,rI a,,.,
H., Nn,onh-r a,.,o,ian ~ 1874 in ,,,,io,, th.
u,,i,,r fr,,,i, ecru.d ,o.ioo or t,,, ai.sn1ution
~ ,t,a ,oii.iani ~ co,,ar, wa a,,1 Go,
10, IN, .bo win lr,yrnI ~ tln rortnor 7,
yonld h, absurd - saw TINT Mr. Wend wns