New-York tribune., 1885-07-05

the campaigns of Taylor and Scott IN Mexico. MI
Bancroft gives such vivid and brilliant pictures
of the engagements that shame at the perhuy
of the Governmentis is forgotten In adinirat'oh "a
the gallantry Of its agents. Undoubtedly INC oa'
ties Of the Mexican war were in the military poin'
of view glorious to the American arms ior 'no
Msxican troops fought bravely whenever
they had competent leaders, and In some Oh 'ho
later engagements the resistance must have been
almost as stubborn and desperate as in the best
contested struggles between North and South. VI
oorrs. this gallantry was useless. The City OF
Mexico fell. and the country was shorn OF nearly
half its territory as a punishment for having re-
sented the theft of Texas. The war over, the
wretcbed Mexicans were left once moro 10 WORK
ont their political salvation if they could, ana the
same roupd of feeble admin stration perpetuai re-
bclliop internecine strife, crushing taxation ana
general misery and disorder began again. ana con-
timed with brief intcrmissons to the peglhhne
of the administration Of Juarez with whicn
this volume closes. There still remained tne hna
trial of the French occupation before Mexico SONIC
what tanned but by no means wholly united by her
long and fiery tribuation entered upon the present
era of comparative repose and progress.
It is of course difficult to say, after reading so
strange and sad history, whether under any othcr
form of government the attempt to evolve ordereu
freedom would have been moro successful, put inc
nresum,tion is that it would not have made
any appreciable difference, because tho failure
originated in the people themselves. 1t may indeed
be thought that dictatorship under some strong
man would have saved them much suffering by
educating them gradually to sense of political
rights and duties, but it is highly probable that
such dictatorship would have become practically
indistinguishable from the Spanish yoke. and that
no real popular political education would have
been possible under it. The curtailment OF TERRI
tory consequent upon the war with tho United
States perhaps proved an advantage rather than an
evil in the end since it restricted the area or popu
lation and consequently Of anarchy. and facilitated
the repression of sediton. There remained more
than enough land for the people. and too many
wild Indians for tho comfort of tho country.
The chaotic period of Mexico must ever continue
to be most interesting study to the philosopher
and the publcist. Perhaps nowhere else can there
be found so remarkable an instance OF the making
of nation out of incongruous and discordant ele-
ments In tho slow evolution OF our sister republic
We really have picture IN much re-
scmbllpr what must have happened
during tho making of England for there
unouestionably was a time when that island was
tho scenc of an internal struggle between contend-
ing tribes and races fierce, pIotracted and dsas-
trous the civil wars which for fu'i generation
convulsed Mexico. Whether racial differences
affect human tendencies under similar conditions -
a mooted question, but the weight of testimony Is
against the affirmative Of the proposition hhnah
nature is much the same in similar stages or ueVci,
opment, no matter what the race or habitat ana
the Spaniards. MexIcans, nesiHos, Indians ana
creolcs in their struggles for ascendancy ana ther
efforts 70 secure permanent free institutions may
be fairly assumed 10 DC the analogucs OF the con-
fct through which our own ancestors passed DUR
ing the dawn of Anglo-Saxon history.
II remains to inquire how Mr.. Bancroft has per
formed this difficult portion of his great work. 10
give at precise, detailed ana interesting
account of such period as tins volume treats OF is
certainly not easy, and the writer who strives TO
avoid the Scylla of confusion Is nable 10 ufut
upon the Charybds of aridity II requires much more
than ordinary skill TO infuse living interest into
the catalogue of meaningless names OF poiltlclans
and military officers and revolutionary leaders
which at frat glance seems to constitute nearly all
that is tangible in Mexican history at the time
But Mr.. Bancroft has surnonnted the diihcuity,
and if in tic very nature OF the case ~ Is upossl-
BILE tc create as clear and impressive picture OF so
kaleidoscope a situation as can be made from the
stable. orderly aud stately developments Of more
advanced peoples. ho has certainly succeeded IN
lending interest to the narrative. III diyestng 1t OF
its repe liant features. and IN showing through tue
prevailing change and apparent confusion the
thread Of evolutionary purpose:
The style of this volume s that siinple. nervous
and straightforward one which MIR. Bancroft has
made his own. 1t is as far removed from the brill
liant 1ordness of Macaulay as from the rcpuisive
dryness of James Mill. II Is not inelastc respond
iag often 10 tho deeper shades of the authors feel
ing with n marked increase Of emphasis and ton
dency to the employment OF I1cnrr NOcahuihfY anu
falling in passages of matter-of-tact recital into
cool steady busness-like FORM perfectly lucid, bnt
without the least ornament. The bat lie scenes are
full of life and sparkle. The narrative here moves
swiftly 10 the crisis OF action. Everywhere there
is condensation the extent Of which is marked by
the number Of the footnOtes and the length OF the
lists of authorities appended 10 nearly every chap
ter These lists. indeed. are the external symbols
of that wonderful scheme of reseach which in Mr.
Bancrofts hands has already produced snch mag
nificent results and which promises to defy the ac
cidents and limitations Of human life 10 the extent
of securing tho completion of the most ambitious
and the grandest literary enterprise ever under
taken by individual. The authorities consulted
may fairly be assumed TO be all the authorities
exta Mt and il is scarcely too much TO say that Mr.
Bancroft's judgment upon disputed points Is likely
to be acce pied as final in all important instances
since the fairness of his mind and the clear
ness Of Lis perception have already betn demon
strated in the most convincing way by his previous
del vcrances.
The book. like all Of this authors historical
works, is well supplied with convenient and
clearly engraved little maps and is cxcellcnty
printed on good paper, and Substantially bound.
r.,ti