The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1884-08-10
SOME NEW HOOKS.
Twenty Years OF Congress.
YIRyT ARTICLE.

published. viii naturally DO compared with
Bentsn's Thirty Years view." but II is In
many respects superior to that valuable work.
Taken together. the two books must be ranked
anong tho most remarkable contributions to
the record Of great ovents that have ever been
penned by men who could assert without
trace Of exaggeration that they wcro them
solves no humble pnrt OF that which they do.
scrlbod. Yet not only 10 the epoch portrayed
By Mr.. Blaine much moro momentous
than tho period which interviewed be-
tween tho Missouri Compromise and the
now adjustments OF 1850. but. although
his experience In national affairs. II measured
BY moro tmc. IL considerably less extensive
than Benton's. ho has unIuostounby brought
to the treatment Of his subject u riper knowi-
edRe. moro impartial temper. and more
complete equipment Of literary skill and taste.
Mr.. Benton was not familiar with tho history
Of any country except his own. but Mr.. Blaine.
while he never forEots that he is speaking to
American readers. and In scdulous to draw.
whenever this IL practicable. his Illustrations
from our native annals: yet. whom occasion
calls for wider survey. he reveals nm ample
range OF intellectual resources. and 1luml-
mates his page with analoGies and con-
trasts offered by European nations What
is still more relevant to the right fulfllment OF
his design. Mr.. Blaine cvinces o singular So
briefly and candor In his discussion OF burning
controversies and his estimate OF personal OPP
ponents whereas even old age and retirement
from office did not avail to calm the natural
Feasibility OF the Senator from Missouri: they
did not clarity his judgment abats the sting OF
disappointment. or allay old grudges and
throughout the Thirty Years View" tho rank
Ling passions OF the partisan too often thwart
the effort to assume the spirit and demeanor Of
the judge. As regards tho literary quality OF
the two works Mr.. Bhine's has incomparabiy
stronger claims to respectful recognition. and
It will doubtless DO perusod with lively interest
by the general reader long after Mr. BentOn's
iil.digested and unpublished composition has
been relegated to the dust Of libraries. 1t was
not seldom difIlcult to determine exactly what
the Missouri Senator aimed to say. for COLO
quialisms and rank soec!sms necessarily OBJ
scured the perspicuity OF his diction. On the
other hand no professional man OF letters can
fail to appreciate the admirable c!earness. pre-
elsion and vivacity OF MIR. Blaines style. On the
whole. Twenty Years OF Congress" Is n book
OF which any American historian might we'll be
proud, and less favorable judgment will not
be pronounced by any man who knows merit
when he sees 1t. and who does not permit his
personal predictions to stiHe or distort the
utteran 20 Of honest criticism. Whatever may
be the outcome OF tho authors political ex-
pectutions he can look back with feelings OF
unmixed satisfaction on this abiding memorial
OF talents we'll applied. Rarely. indeed. has
any marty boon able to present on behalf OF its
candidate for the Presidential Office 30 impress
siye voucher Of intellectual capacity.
Mr. Blaine has appropriately called his his
tory twonty years If instead Of IN Congress-
because. strictly speaking his association with
mt Inf air nat tn fha mr. oil
between the inauguration OF Lincoln and that
OF Garfield. He entered the Federal IIegsln-
ture on the assembling OF tho Thirty eighth
Congress in December. 1868. and no tenn
porarily withdrew from public life In Deem
ber 1881. on his resignation OF the office Of
Secretary Of State. But when he appeared in
Washington he had already had. during the
ten years which Witnessed the formation OF the
Republican party and its rapid march to power.
particularly strong incentives to watch events
with vigilance. as the editor OF an important
newspaper and the often reelected Speaker
OF tho Maine Legislature while the
nromn0nt position which he speedily as-
sumed in Congress gave him exceptional
opportunities for learning the unwriten his
tory OF the generation which preceded the out
break Of civil war He was. therefore, recu-
Harry qualified by artitudes and by experience
sketch of the pregnant events leadin: up 10 the
rebellion. which occupies about three hundred
pages Of this volume. To the narrative proper.
which for the present ends with Lees surren-
der. we shall refer hereafter. but for the pres
ent we conflne ourselves to pointing out come
striking features OF the introduction. in which
the genesis OF secession Is deduced with well
come conciseness and undcniable discernmsnt
and In far more tolerant and equitable spirit
than has usually proved compatible with u lati-
tudinarian or FOderalist view of the American
Constitution.
The source OF tho kccn interest with which
this narrative 10 read and by which 1t Is SO
happily distinguished from most political his
tories. is the studious avoidance Of common
place comment the novelty Of many Of tho
views prOpoundad. the penetration which de-
tects tho significance OF events. The story oil
the war and OF Its causes has boon told a thou.
sand times. but you feel that here for the first
tina. q greut theme Ia adequately handled
This book. for instance. 10 the first to forcibly
draw attention to the extraordinary surprises
anomalies. and Inconsistencies In the action o
the Republican party. or Of leading mon In 1t
during the twelve months preceding the re
belion. The nomination OF Lincoln itself
though 1t proved fortunate choice. was largel.
due to IN absurd misconception on the p,Ir
d tho majority Of the Chicago Convention
and. although In that case ignoranc,
did not bring down tho customary penalty
other Conventions cannot hope to escape will
like good luck tho consciousness OF folly. Mos
OF those who voted to make Mr.. Lincoln tn
candidate OF the Republican party knew ALSO
Luteiy nothing about him except the naked fac
that he had stumpod the State OF Illin0i
against Douglas They did not know what h
had said on the stump. but. on tho contrary
credited him with opinions precisely orposit
10 those which no had openly professcd. Fl
was preferred to MIR. Seward because he va
ignorantiy supposed to be less aggressive Il
his opposition to slavery. while tho truth wa
that his public decarations-the only tests b
which his principles and purposes could be us
ocftained-were more uncompromising. o.
this point Mr.. Blaine remarks: 1t il one G
the contradictions not tnfreonentiy exhibite
In the movement OF partisan bodies that MI
kewpid was defunted hscn use Of hia RI