New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1890-10-22
H. H. BANCROFTS ESSAYS.
GRAVE QUESTIONS BOLDLY TREATED,

Vol. XxXv1fi. Essays and miscellany; svo.
gsw tSs Frs Fran Il. psSSy i4s chuTchst.
In this volume Mr. Bancroft, now nearing the
end Of his labors, has brought together number
Of essays and miscellaneous papers, many, IL NOT
most, of which, have grown out Of his reading lor
the History Of the Pacific Coast" In all sucn
extensive literary enterprises there accumuia'es
much matter which, while often 1ncapaoe OK
being worked into the main scheme, represents
TOO much research to be thrown away, ana TINS
kind Of matter naturally and properly taxes 1ol'n
in supplementary essays. But IN the Voiume oe
fore US there several papers OF quite olnerent
origin In these the author appears 70 nave
sought opportunity to free his MIND OF certain
positive conclusions and strongly held views upon
various controverted questions. AS regards some
Of these Mr.. Bancrofts views are such as to en-
pose him to attack from several directions; but
those who most strongly differ from him must
acknowledge that lie exhibits the full courage OF
his convictions; that he is deferred from saying
what he thinks by no fear Of condemnation; and
that the attainment of truth is manfestly his sole
end and aim. The essays on 6 The Early Amer
lean Chroniclers, Literature of Central Amor
ica," Literature of Colonial Mexico" and Lit
erature of Mexico during the Present Century"
are papers which show ripe knowledge and
thorough research, but deal with matters of less
than general interest The conclusion apt to be
reached by the average reader Is that neither in
Mexico nor in Central America Is there, or has
there ever becn literature deserving serious con-
sideration. That conclusion, indeed, is not far
from the TRUTH for between the paralyzing in
huence Of the Church. the constant disturbance
Of intestine agitations. and the undeveloped in-
tellectuasm of the mixed races concerned, Ut
erature has had little opportunity to strike deep
root, or to produce any important work
Mr.. Bancroft makes full allowance for all these
drawbacks and obstacles, yet he allows more
weight and value 20 many Mexican books than
the world at large has done is at all likely to
do. His admission that so far the Latin races
this continent have done little more than
initiate foreign writer's, is damaging one as re-
CARDS any claim for consideration on the ground
of originality; and il cannot be said that he adj
vanoes much in illustration of Mexican or Contra!
American inventive or creative power. We pass
from these essays, with all their erudition, some
what willingly, and turn to those in which the
author delivers his own mind with that uncom-
promising candor which is distinguishing trait
of his character 1t is. moreover, so alien a
quality to the popular habit of the time that it
produces the effect of return from artlfciality
TO nature. Among the changes which nineteenth
century civilization has wrought upon thought
and expression is the practice of an emascuating
avoidance Of direct and wholly unambiguous dis
cussion and statement Issuing in the growth Of
q new sensibility, which shrinks from hurting the
feelings even Of those who are believed to be
wholly and mischicvously in the wrong, ard re-
inforced by the spread of scepticism which
breeds indifference toward the most vital prob
lcms, this tendency has already gone far TO con-
fuse in the minds of many the fundamental dis
tiuction between truth and falsehood, and TO CON-
mend the exercise Of discrimination which has
ceased to be considered mark of cowardice or
hypocrisy, and is indulgenty regarded as a philo-
sophical way of making life easier.
Mr. Bancroft is by nature quite incapable Of
adapting himself to the new method. Neither
his character nor his training fits him for such
compromises and such systematic gatherings.
Thirty years Of downright labor in chiselng the
naked truth Of history out of huge block of
mixed material cannot prepare man for the prac-
tice of equivocation, shutting, tergiversation.
Such lifetime of virtual detachment from public
affairs is very certain to have another consequence.
The author, being under obligations to faction
or party. having interests TO by soitening
or Withholding his views of men and measures and
movements, is apt to speak out with plainncss
and emphasis very surprising and disconcerting to
has dulled the edge of their ethical sensitive
hess. Such man does not express himself with
view to catching popular applause, and there
fore he neither cOnceals nor fatters nor writes
with his eyes shut Mr. Bancroft for example,
squarely traverses the dominant opinion Of the
Pacific Coast upon the Chinese question. In the
essay 1.-Two Sides of VeXed Question" he GER
tainly gives both sides with the utmost fairness,
and with frank rejection Of disguise peculiarly
his own; but he sums up against the anti hinese
sentiment on the whole case, and with debcra-
ton and judicial air His essay on Our Treat
ment of the Native Races is an equally bold
presentation of the subject, but it deals with a
subject regarding which such feeling exists,
and it will provoke little. if any, rcmonstrance.
The facts unhappily are altogether too notorious
for denial to be awaiting. 1t is unqueStionably
true TINT in the early times of California the
native Americans were outrageOusly ilused by
brutal Missourans and other frontier people, who
were themselves tenfold more barbarous than the
MeXicans they despised
1t is not less unqueStionably true that the Chi
neSe, though tolerated at first, were soon subjected
to a cruel persecution and this not only by law
less miners, but by cowardly and demagOgical Leg
islatures, which traded upon the political impo-
tence Of their victims. But the Chinese had
really less cause for complaint than the native
Caifornians, for the latter were the original own
ers of the land, and most of them were robbed of
their estates by all manner OF fraud and chcanery
while such as had no real property were often
bounded like pariahs. Mr.. Bancroft lays the lash
on the backs Of the guilty unsparmgly, and his
treatment Of this somewhat outworn topic pre-
pares the reader for the spirit i'll which the author
enters upon discussion of The Jury System,
and Money and Monopoly In the first of these
essays the historian seems to have assumed the
role of iconocast. The jury system as viewed by
it's failures and defects, strikes him as Obsolete,
and he does not hesitate to say So. No doubt
much may I've urged on that side of the question ;
but apart from all consideration Of the weight OF
conservatism and tradition which tend to MAINTAIN
oil long established institutions even when they