The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1892-04-24
WILLIAM GILMORE SIMS.
Professor Trents Life of This Southern Man
of Letters.

LIFE OF WILLIAM GILMORE SINs-American Men
of Letters series. BY Professor Trent, OF the
University OF the South. For sale by West.
Johnston Co.
plies of distinguished American men of let
tiers now being issued under the editorial SUI
pervislon of Charles Dudley Warner. 1t is by
Professor William z. Trent, of the University
of the South at Suwanee, Tenn. who IS well
known in Richmond, of which city he IS Ma
tive. Professor Trent's Life of Sims has
number OF merits, but also many serious
defects. 1t is written in q flowing and agree
able style and ~ full of information pre-
scented in II carefully arranged form. The
radical fault of the book 10 that the
biographer is not in sympathy with the sub
ject. No biography OF enduring value was
ever yet written by q man who was unable to
put himself in the place OF the person whose
life he was writing. and thus 10 look at all the
great interests and great questions affecting
the life Of that person from the latters point
of view. 1t Is not necessary for the biographer
to agree with the opinions Of MS subject but
he should at least be thoroughly capable OF
understanding them and approaching them.
Professor Trent writes the life OF Gilmore
Sims. aSOutherner OF Southerners, too much
as New Eng lander Of the new historical school
would have done. This biography reminds
us in some respects OF Adams Lite of Ran
dOlph III the American Statesman series
Think of life Of Randolph being written by
d Republican and Puritan who was an
kee b. boot. Now. Professor Trent is not so
much out of sympathy with the character OF
Gilmore Sims an Adams is with that of Ran
dOiph. Nevertheless he Is sufficiently so
TO have produced a book which Will be
rejected ms final delineation OF
that character 10 is q cause for re-
greet that so promising "a writer should
have taken such - shallow view OF the infu-
ences that controlled the destinies of the
South before the war. How apsurd 70 speak
Of the enerySting influences OF slavery upon
the character OF the Southern people in the
light OF the civil war, struggle In which
they exhibited oil the qualities which have
marked the greatest peoples in the history of
the world
There is slight touch ID Professor Trents
volume of that biographical supercilionsness
which Is the remarkable characteristic or the
New England school of modern biograpbers
We are sorry that he should have allowed
himself to assume this attitude even in Il
modified form, because we had hoped for the
reputation of American letters that it would
have been wholly confined to the State Of
Massachusetts, English biography is en-
tiTely tree from It. 30 is French and German
and Spanish and Russian and Italian and
Austrian-in fact. the biographies Of the rest
OF the civilized world. The New England
bi0grspher is always greater man than
the subject of his biography. whether like
Lodge. he Is writing OF Washington. or like
Adams. OF Randolph, or llks Morse, of Jetier-
son. WinsOr ms recently capped the climax
by proving 10 his own satisfaction that Colum-
bus was pirate, slave dealer murderer raw
sher and miser. The world has been under
the impression that Columbus was "A man Of
many virtues and many noble traits of churac-
ter. This New England Diographer however
has started I'D with his biographical snick-
ersee and left neither head nor body nor legs
10 the discoyerer's reputation. Since reading
Winsors Columbu we have been only moro
strongly confirmed in our belief that the
attack OF the late Professor Deane on the
reputation of John Smith was simply all
exhibition of the New England biographical
Greater-1 han Thou spirit. Professor jane
son. of Rhode sland. has recently written
that the legend of John Smith must go.r
10 this Captain Smith himself would prob
ably not object AS he takes his departure in
such good company as Christopher Columbus
and the other worthless who in the opinion of
all outside of the superior school OF New Eng
land bographers are entitled 70 the honor
and gratitude of mankind 1t is gratifying to
Southerpers to know that in the recent life OF
Patrick Henry by his grandson we have a
greet biography written in accord with those
oid-fashioned principles which have given
pre-eminence 10 the biographies of johnson
and Scott by Boswell and Lockhart. b:o9Ia-
piles which derive halt their value aud all
their charm from the fact that tao authors
did not consider themselves 10 be- superior to
the men about whom they were writing, but
on the contrary regarded them with feelings
Of admiration and love- respect and venera-
ton.