The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1893-11-20
OUR oEEArEsr HISTORIAN.

OUR GkEATEST HI8IOBIAN.
Francis Parkman, our greatest Ameri-
can historian. died at Jamaica Plain. a
suburb of Boston, on the sth inst. We
called Mr.. Parkman our greatest Ameri-
can historian; high praise when We re-
member that Irving, Bancroft, HiIdreth.
Psifrey. Henry Adams, McMaster and
historians; nevertheless. any man of brains
who ever read Parkman's histories will
agree with US that he Is easily the first Of
American historians. The great strife Of
France with England for the dominion
Of the New World was Mr.. Psrkman's
dramatic and romantic theme. In their
historic order these works are: pioneers
of France in the New World" 'The Jesu-
Its In North America" "The Discovery of
the Great West" "The Old Regime in
Canada" "Count Frontenac and New
France Under Louis XIV" "a Half
Century OF Conflict" ''Montcalm and
Wolfe, 1.-THE Conspiracy of Pontiac"
In the spring OF 1916 Mr. Parkman started
from st. Louis for q tour OF observation
among the Indians OF the Rocky noun
tains. The tide of emigration had just
begun to flow toward Oregon. Portland
had been founded in 1874 Mr.. Parkman,
then but q years old. published his ex-
periencs a. series of sketches In the
Knickobocker Ma9aSine, under the title of
1.-THE Oregon Trail" the ninth edition
Of which was published in 1892
The heroes of Parkman's histories are
La Sale. Marquette. Hennepin, Frontenac,
Montcalm and Pontiac.
For literary charm the volumes of Mr..
Parkman are unequailed by those of any
other writer OF American annals. Mr..
Parkmsn's theme was grand one; full of
striking events, dramatic situations
and picturesque characters. IL was
the struggle for the possession of
continent. And yet it needed
man OF poetic quality 10
rise to the level of great historian Of this
romantic aud dramatic subject. Bancroft
would have failed. for while he was some-
thing of a philosopher and rcsounding
rhetorician, he utterly lacked Psrkman's
high poetic quality; Parkman had the
historical imagination that gave such a
splendid glow TO the great orations of
Daniel Webster. Webster alone of the
great Americans could have written Park
mans histories If he could have had the
patience and industry TO collect and verify
the data Psrkman, like Webster, was
man of outdoor tastes; he could shoot,
hunt, row ard ride; he loved nature as
fondly as Webster did.
Here Is a passage from Parkman that
illustrates his power of picturesque de-
lineation of the varying aspects of ma
ture in the changing seasons Of the Amerl-
can year:
Tracy aud Courceile left Quebec with
500 men. They crossed Lake ChAmplain
and launched their boats again on the
waters of ST. Sacrament. now Lake George.
Ii was the first Of the warlike pageants
which have made that fair scene historic.
October had begun, and the romantic
wilds breathed the buoyant life OF the
most inspiring OF American seasons:
when the blue Jay screams from the woods.
the wild duck splashes along the lake.
and the echoes of distant mountains pro-
long the Quayering cry Of the loon: when
weaiher-sIsined rocks are plumed with the
hery crimson o! the sumac. the clarct hues
of young oaks, and the amber and scarlet
oi the maple, and the sober purple OF the
ash; or when CLEANS OF sunlight, shot
nsiant through the rents OF cool auiumnai
clouds. chase iitsully along the glowing
sides Of painted mountains. Amid this
gorgeous suthanAsla of tae dying season
the 30 boats and canoes traiied in long
procession up the lake, threaded the
ia6yrlnth of the narrows, that sylvan fairy
land Of sufsed is.ets and quiet waters, aad
landed at length where Fora William
Henry Was afterward baIit."
Mr.. Psrkmaa had the poets eye; the
historic imagination shat lifted him 10 the
levsl of his magnificent theme, and il is safe
90 say thas in the Webs;eriAn quality of his
torie imagination Psrkmsn surpassed all
oar American historians. To illustrate:
We wih wager gha: no intelligent man in
Seattle. who besias one of Parkman's
books. wall never hesitate TO finish IL,
while he will Aud Bancroft. comparatively
hard reading. because Bancroft lacks the
Waiter Seest capacity 10 view historical
scenes. personagss aa4 events with =
poets eye. ParEman wlll be eagerly real
By The BOYS on thts Coast Who End Ban
croft bore.