The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1885-03-08
John NHnrshnll.

The American Statesmen scries. edited
By Mr.. John Morse. Jr was so we'll begun.
and has. on the whole. been hitherto 80 evenly
sustained that we regret 10 record q falling of
in the volume devoted to Jolm Marshall. by
ALLAN B. MAoRuDER tHoughton. Minlin Col.
1t fails to answer what has evidently been the
prevailing aim Of these biographies. namely.
to treat the SUBJECTS in a fresh large impartial
way. men and their achievements being SUBJ
jected to the high and rigorous standard by
which worth and greatness are measured. not
by local but by cosmopoltan historians. The
purpose OF the editor and most O! his co iabora-
tors has been 10 scrupulously avoid the distor-
ton OF perspective. the warpng OF the judE-
ment and the habit or gross eXaggeration.
which passed current among US for exemplary
patriotism before the civil war had given us n
just criterion OF magnitude. In brief. this Sc
ries OF memoirs was to dfYer from the self.
lauda;ion OF the school histories OF thirty years
ago by declining to assert with indiscrminats
complacency that all American geese are
swans.
1t may be said OF this book-and perhaps the
person capable OF writing it will take the COM
ment for a compliment-that II would have
commanded an eGusivs welcome had 1t APP
pealed - Richmond readers Of the last genera
ton. The first hundred pages. which portray
with quite superiluous minuteness the first
iorty-two years Of John Marshall's life, during
which he had been scarcely heard OF outside OF
his native State are pitched in the true
| ante-belltm key OF inflated admiration
for all products native to the American
soil. Super,atives are scattered with profusion
md nrettv much nj random anl such strong
adiec,ives rs famous" and celebrated" are
lavshed on persons whose names in their own
lifetime seldom rang beyond the precincts OF a
Virginia Court House. and which even in the
Old Dominion have been long forgotten,
Middle aged readers need no. be- re-
minded that this historical style ct COM
| position. though strangely out OF place In the
present American Statesmen" series, used
thirty yenrs ago 10 be expected OF all those who
| essayed to pain. the incidents and characters
Of the Revolutionary and post Revolutionary
| epoch. That was a time when. TO Judge BY the
nourisbment IL craved the public mind was
| but i'll furnished its means OF historical CON.
parison and classification were but meaCre it's
| horizon was contracted and when. TO use the
| phrase of T.nnysop. Americans mistook too
| frequently tho little murmur of their burg for
| the great wave that circles round tho world
| n, tba poar,v 400 ns,,.s co,nrshsnd.d In
| ,his ,oluro o,nsidarohly mora th,p b,Y ors
| al,o,,a1 m n o,coun, a, ,ho oysn,s in tho liza
| n, Jobn Nar,b,lI I'm. nraossad his elevation
| N tho nost n, chat Jus.ice n, tho Upi,ed
S,,,.. N,oh 80 III. ,n,,.r,,I h,ro ,oli.,..a "a
| surnIrs,ya w.aro ~ Tho o,inion TINT all ,ba
facts r..Jed t, conway n n oocnra.e md reason.
| ,h,v a,h,ustiyo iJ.n ~ tho NAME circrm.
| ,,,,.. rouo,o,iona ,na oo,uirano.nts a.
| ~. ,i,n. ,,nan ha .r,.rod an tho f,,r,-
tio,o nv whose a,erci.o olo,a ba mada
n ,os,in, m,ry an An,sr,can bio,orr might
| ho,, h.ar co,d.,.o5 Win nroo, m ,ho roodar
In n sjn,ln cn,,,er 7, shonl, ho n.edlasa N
min, ont tina, nathan no n nlea,er In Vir,ini,
| S,e,a onur,. noros, mouh.r ~ n ,o,ol Is,i,.