Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1886-03-20
NEW PUBLICATIONS.

Twenty Years of Congress" is at hand
from ]. Dewing d Co., San Francisco. The
volume embraces 724 pages, is even more
compact volume than the first. Concern
ing the style and method of Mr. Blaine,
we have already commented. Perhaps the
literary tone of the second volume is more
elevated than the first it is certain that
the text is more ornate and the evidences
of special care TO give it literary finish are
patent. 1t retains, however, the force and
strength of conciseness and plainness of
speech. The volume opens with the in
stallation of Andrew Johnson as President,
and analysis his entire administration
Upon the views of Mr.. Blaine on this i'm
portant political period, and his interpreta-
ton of motives and acts we shall dwell
hereafter. The funeral ceremonies of Lin
coin, the effect of his death upon the coun-
try. the military review in honor of the
final Union victory and an analytical
examination Of the great achieve
ments of the armies of the East and
West conclude the second chapter. The
reconstruction problem, and the contest
between Congress and President Johnson,
are then taken up, and probably no part of
the volume is possessed of such profound
interest as this. Indeed it may be said to
be the key to all the subsequent text. We
cannot here and now speak of the mastery
treatment of the subject as it deserves, nor
as inclination prompts US. 1t shall have
treatment hereafter. In this section of his
work Mr.. Blaine takes occasion to express
his disbelief in the story that President
johnson approached Grant with a view of
ascertaining whether, if it should be deter
mined to constitute a Congress of Demo-
cratic members from the North and Rebel
members from the South, the army could
be relied upon to sustain such a movement.
Mr.. Blaine denounces this story as an in
suit TO the loyalty and patriotism of Gen.
eral Grant, in the bare suggestion that he
would so much as listen to such PROPOSE
ton. lie quotes the testimony of the
General on the impeachment trial as suf-
ticient to dissipate the scandal into thin
air.
We reach the 18th chapter before we
come to the Grant Presidential campaign
This takes us more than half through the
volume, so that three-fourths of the two
volumes are devoted to the period of the
two decades treated. prior to 1868. From
the seventeenth chapter to and inclusive of
the twenty-ffth, the administration of
Grant is the leading topic. From the
twenty-sixth to the twenty-ninth, which
closes the volume, the text relates to the
period between Grant and Garfield. The
appendix contains reply to Hon. Galusha
II. olON . vi MI Stdlt-
ments in the first volume relative TO course
of the anti-slavery men in 1861 the Recon-
struction Acts; the Tenure of Office Acts
the articles of impeachment of President
Johnson, and lists of the forty-first, forty
second forty-third, forty-fourth, forty-fifth
and forty-sixth Congresses. The volumeis
rich in portraiture of distinguished men,
Blaine's book, now complete. stands before
the country for its impartial judgment.
We believe that il will be received as fair
minded, broad and statesmanlike paper a
political history and criticism of greater
value, accuracy and breadth than any that
has preceded it. Though the first volume
has been before the people many months,
1t has received less adverse criticism than
any political work in the history of the
country, and practically no exceptions have
been taken to its recital of facts. A strong
partisan, Mr.. Blaine has not permitted his
party interest to invade the judicial atmos-
phere with which he invested himself
when he undertook this work. So far as
human ability could do so, we believe ne
has Invested himself of partially and bias.
His volumes will remain landmarks in
the political history of the Republic of
lasting importance and foremost promi-
nence.
THE GREAT CONSPIRACY; IT'S ORIGIN AND HIS
IOhn. Dg JOuu A. Logan. new lOTk- A *.
Hart & Co. San Francisco: A. L. Bancroft &
Co.
This fine work is being presented to the
people by the subscription method. Ii is
to appear in varied bindings and at prices
that accommodate medium purses From
advance sheets before US, We Judge that
General Logan has been far more success
full III this historical endeavor than even
his best friends anticipated. Certainly his
opportunities to acquire accurate informa-
ton concerning the history OF the " Great
Rebellion, in which, as defender of the
Union, he played so important q part, have
not been surpassed by those enjoyed by any
writer. He begins with a history of Afri-
can slavery in America in 1920, traces it
through the controversy between the Col
onies and England in 1899, and down to
the Missouri compromise. He then ad-
vances from this preliminary retrospect to
a consideration of the chief cause of the
American Revolution, taking up the tariff
debates and issues, passing on to the forma-
ton of the Union, It's growth,
the birth of the heresy of State
Rights, and down to the period when
others and eliminated in the doctrine Of
Popular Sovereignty" and finally pre-
cipitated the country into civil war. His
treatment of all the steps of political his
tory to this great and bloody end is clear.
detailed and forcible. The subsequent
chapters on maturing OF the secession con-
spiracy, the rise of rebels, the rejection
of peace overtures, the dawn of freedom
for the American slave, the causes of Sc
cession and the results OF the war, the
status of the freedmen, the place of the
copperhead, the trials of Lincoln. the trea-
son at the North the amendments to the
+la n of 1,a
acy, the assassination of Lincoln, the re-
construction of the South, the passing over
of the dark clouds, the dawn of the better
day, and the present prospects of the re-
public are mastery strokes of vigor and
truth. The text is not ornate as would be
that of the finished literary scholar or the
accustomed historian, but there is warmth,
energy and strength that more than COM
pensate for absence of great elegance and
much adornment. The work will become
popular ; it has in it all the elements OF
popularity. 1t is marked by an originality
of treatment that distinguishes it among
all of the many books written concerning
our political history. The advent of the
volumes of General Grant and S. s. Cox
have whetted the appetite for just such
book rs we find this to be-. 1t differs
from all others relating to the war in that
it treats entirely OF the conspiracy that led
to the war And in the recital and analysis
there is disclosure of much new fact and
much confirmation of old suspicion. 1t is
gathering up and marshaling of proofs
that have not before been wholly grouped.
General Logan has demonstrated his abil-
ity to search the pages of history intelli-
gently and with analytical power. He car
ries his research back to the seventeenth
century and arrays historical data in most
pleasing form, and so far as the pages be-
fore us permit US to judge, in manner
that makes them unassailable. Very evil
IDENTIFY he has been more than careful TO
fortify his statements By proofs.
From Oliver, Ditson & Co., Boston, New
York and Philadelphia, we have dollar"
new music book, entitled Choral Wor-
ship 1t is by the well-known music
writer and compiler, L. o. Emerson.
Church music-books are less frequently
issued than in. former decades. For