Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1886-06-19

was " gong on strike with n vengeance,
| Another act of ingratitude, Of which he
| bitterly complained to the very last, was
| that when in lSi7 he sent two Indians with
| some cattle to the relief of 2 starving party
| in TTuckee canon, the cattle being lost in a
| snow storm, the desperate Americans went
| to work and ate the Indians instead where
| by, said the hospitable old general" he
| lost not only his beet but his two good
| indians! He never tired OF complaining of
4 merican ingratitude.
PROF. ROYCE. by the way, though still
quite a young man, being scarcely thirty
two years old is developing into one of the
most brilliant and able of American thin kers
and writers. lie showed the courageous aud
original quality OF his thought in his strik-
| ing work on "The Religious Aspect of
Philosophy" published by IOughton. Mit-
iiin Il Co, a little over a year ago. 1t il
work that at once aroused wide attention,
called forth loud condemnation in some
theological circles and as loud praise in
others but 10y all was acknowledged to be
one OF the most notable and independent
contributions to current philosophical thought
yet produced ia this country. And now he
has given us another work that shows equal
ability Id the department OF history. His
"California, from the Conquest in ls45 TO the
Second Vigilance Committee in San Fran
CISCO" is the seventh volume of the unique
"American Commonwealth Series" each
volume of which takes up some one OF the
States of the | MON and gives US thorough
study OF its history. The sett will be simply
invaluable to the future historian, as il is Of
absorbing interest to the student OF Ameri-
can social and political development
WHEN | saw the first volume, " Virginia"
by John Esten Cooke / thought the editor,
Mr.. Horace Scudder, must have made a
mistake in giving US the best volume first;
for Mr. Cooke gave US so graphic and pic
turesque book that it seemed very unlikely
that any of the younger commonwe ealths
would be capable of atfording anything like
az interesting a history. But when Dr.
Barrow's Oregon" followed, and soon after
in rapid succession, Prof. VIM. Hand
Brownies Maryland" DR.. Shaler's " Ken
lucky" Judge COoley's "Michigan," and
Prof Springs Kansas" found that was
mistaken. Each volume seemed more in
teresting than its predecessor. The Hon.
Wayne MacNeagh is hard at work on "Penn-
sylvania' which is soon TO appear. lie will
have to do his best to make it as good as for
instance, Prof Royce's "California." For
in some respects this is the most thorough,
original, aud interesting volume that has
yet appeared. In fact, l don't remember
that ! ever read a more interesting and en-
joyable bit of historical writing. OF course
this is partly owing TO the intrinsic interest
of the subject For there probably never
has been more picturesque and romantic
period in the history of any state or nation
than that OF which Prof Royce treats.
THOSE were strange times marvellous
mixture OF subimest herolsm, most out
rageous wrong and often inhumanity, and
most absurd and ridiculous folly And
those were wonderful people, in whom this
queer mixture often existed in one and the
same person. after all, Bret Hartes earlier
California stories have more truth and reality
in them than they are commonly credited
with
But 1t is not only the interest OF the sub
ject that makes Prof Royce's work so ex-
ceedingly interesting. 1t is his manner OF
treatment aud particularly his originality
and thorOughness which enable him to give
US a multitude of entirely new facts. In
deed some OF tho most important events and
transactions, especially just before aud after
the Conquest and the Mexican War, are
almost sensationally novel. At first II rather
shocks US to think that We have never here
tofore had any real, true history of those
times, but that we have simply been
"gulled" by deliberately manufactured and
officially stamped tctions and that some OF
the mghtiest heroes OF those days were
we'll, anything in the world but heroes Yet
all this is shown by the most unm peachable
evidence and proved by the most unanswer-
| able argument; thanks to Prof Royce's in
| deiatigable research, he has given us what
| must be regarded as the first reliable and
| genuine history OF his native state during
| that highly romantic and not all l-glorious
| period of its existence.
but how ruthlessly this young historian
smashes some OF our national idols There,
for instance, is the " Pathfinder" Gen. FIRE.
mont, who ever regarded himself and was
by multitude Of his countrymen regarded
as hero and benefactor, most patriotic, no
bic and brave, In having been the chief
| In for nIlF a.. =.
and wonderful gold country and garden OF
| the Pacific coast, California. 1t is clearly and
conclusively shown that his " memory OF
the whole matter is radically and wholly
wrong, and contradicted in nearly every
| point by official documents and authentic
records which, until recently, had been kept
carefully hidden. First OF all IL is demon
strated that Fremont's conduct In California
using his surveying party for seditious ant
warlike purposes, was plain violation o
the laws of nations and under circumstances
OF peculiar atrocity. "A war brought amoni
peaceful, and, in part cordially friendl,
| p6Ople auArchy and irregular hOstilitie