Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1893-03-12
A Narrative Marked by Unusual Breadth
and Generosity OF spirit-"A Roman
Singer" by Crawford.

with Its succession of centennial celebra-
tions, naturally intensified the historic in
stinct. Nearly all schools Of American
history IN the United States working along
special lines-as distinguished from chairs
Of general or universal history-are crea-
tions since 1860, and most Of the work
published in their name and through thor
influence bears a more recent date than
the centennial year. 1876. Indeed. it was
not until 1881 that the first distinctive chair
Of American history was established in tho
United States-at Cornell, under Professor
Moses Colt Tyler. Within the past decade
the work done in American history by III
stitutions like Harvard, Yale. Cornell,
Michigan. Johns Hopkins, aud more re-
Gently by PENNSYLVANIA. Princeton,
Columbia. and Brown, have become
part Of the common fund of our in
tellectual heritage, Even though We
may have had occasion 10 take issue
with the spirit Of certain Of these produc-
tious, yet we would not deny the immense
gain TO tho cause Of historic investigation
and philosophic research. We shall. IN
stead. express our wonder when Virginia
which from her past prominence would DC
both directly interested and intimately
aflected-shall lead the South in establish
ing in her turn q distinctive char for tao
| discussion aud investigation of American
and N"irgiuian history IN any one OF her
colleges and universities. However vital
70 the life of her civic institutions and the
education Of her youth this study may be
thought, yet the consideration OF Latin
and Greek and a dozen other things be-
sides supersede it in our college curricula.
When so many individual biographies
and subjects OF particular cras have been
treated. It Is, perhaps, not q matter OF sur
! prise that simultaneously Two distinct
series Of epOchs of American history
should be puDlished-each divided into
periods and the treatment OF each period
being the work Of q specialist. Messrs.
LongmQns. Green & Co. are publishing a
series entitled formally. "Epochs Of
American History divided into three
periods. the whole being under the general
supervision OF Professor Albert Bushnell
Hart. of Harvard. The first volume treats
of The Colonies. 1iJ2-11J0," and IS writ
ten by Reuben Gold ThvaItes, secretary
OF the Wisconsin Historical Society; the
second. the "FOrMatlOn Of the Union,
l7J0-ls29,' Il by Professor Hart himself;
and the third, DIVISION aud Re-
union, Is29-lssg." by Professor Wood
row Wilson, OF Princeton. At the
same time Charles Scrlbner'5 Sons an
n%ounce. the "American-History Series
in five volumes. The first, by Professor
George L. Fisher, of Yale. X entitled
The Colonial Ira and Is already m a
third edition. The second, which Is tho
book IN our hands. The French Wan ami
the Revolution by Professor William NJ.
/ Sloane, OF Princeton. Professor Woodrow
Wilson's colleague. The third and fourth,
which are sill to appear. are " The AdOp-
ton OF the Constitution and National Con-
! solidatiOu,' by General Francis A. Walker,
| pr. iaort of the Massachusetts Institute
Of Technology. and From the Conclusion
| OF Peace II 1slJ 10 the Ind of RccOustruc-
ton" by Professor John W. BURGESS. of
Columbia College. IhIs fourth division
will appear IN two volumes. owing 10 It's
importance IN tracing the later develop
Ucnt-.
The hr.t volume in this latter series has
won many commentators from the pub
he. We bespeik a no less warm reception
| I0r the present volume. Not that We DO
not %recOgnIZa defects. We observe certain
| olscuutlc5 Of STYLE IN parts. the form OF
expression not being always so clear and
| simple AS might be. References are made
20 events az If perfectly well known, and
while no doubt 10 the author and the eX-
perienced reader they ara. yet probably
! thev are not to many into whose hands the
| book will come. There IS. further, an ab-
sence OF all foOt-nOtes and references,
save q few general ones az tho close but
while TINS Is departing from the strict
scientific methods imposed by later sell
ence IN a book Of this nature We cannot
say but what we approve It. In the
preface the author expressly states
that his purpose is how best 10 pre-
sent tho subject as q whole and that
" many details not essential TO the central
idea have been omitted, aud yet We think
that If no errs here at all he still has
! clouded the general narrative with an uu
due minutcness Of statement. Fol In
stance, the pathOs Of VOTES engage ment
to Miss Low her speaks we'll both for the
authors heart and tor his appreciation OF
I~hackeray's portrayal OF the same incl
dent. but we doubt very much It's reie-
vancy IN the present volume. In like mau-
ner the numerous details OF changes IN
the English Cabinet, Is boldly presented,
become wearisOme in q BOOK IN America
and IN the treatment OF this phase OF the
subject the author, too, must bear direct
comparison with the brilliant chapter IN
the third volume OF Lecky's Eighteenth
Century, Also, II seems TO Us that
through this supcsabundant wealth of de-
tails the general Idea-tO which Parkmau
has devoted "A whole serfes Of monumental
works-hOw really the English and French
were struggling for supremacy III North
ern America how the English were rs yet
confined TO q st.Ip Of Atlantic seac0ast,
while the French had a series OF OutpOSts
connected from Quebec TO the great lakes
and all down the Valley OF tho Mississippi
to New Orleans. AMI logically the whole
interior. the Mississippi Valley aud Cana
din fel! to them-all thls, it seems 10 Us,
has been obscured and not emphasized
with due dramatic intensity.
But when we ave said this We have
SAID all We can find against tine book, and
possibly even in these objections we may
be accused Of hyper-crltlclsm. Tho merit
OF the work certainly OutwclghS them ali,
and this excellence lies IN It's fairness Of
spirlt. its imIartiality aud unpartIsauship,
granting too much neither othe right nor
To the left. This IS what we may naturally
expect from 1 Princeton scholar. lying, as
il were, between the two extreme in.
iueuces that are so often brought to bear
upon American history excessive New
England local pride and ardent southern
enthu siasms. We say this all the more
cheerfuily because IN u late review in the
DISPATCH we had occasion t. take eNcop-
tton 10 a partisan pamphlet pretending 10
treat in a philosophical spirit pretty much
the same subject Tho Causes OF the
American Revolution"
According 20 Our present author 1.-THE
entire movement was a development rather
than a revolution IN constitutional ideas
though revolutionary in the severance OF
political connection with England. W1
Of aqcdsSes dHdOfdt religious 0e1,Om nat on!
and Of ar c'rikzei races settled on he c%OHi,nen
bere contributors 10 me final result (page 1922
True, this IS modified by q statement OF
the page immediately preceding: From
the beginning OF the struggle for tn,
charter liberties OF EnglIshmen there wa
a close connection between Massachusett,
and Virginia. in both Of which the fires o.
patriotism burned brighter than else
where - page 3sl)-but we believe bott
statements 10 be true and that this eXcep
; tional praise - Just. In the same VEN tn'
author comments upon the disputed point
OF the drst blood-letting in the Revolution
as evidence OF d more ardent patriot
ism Local pride has held up each o
these events (hlamance and Lexington
as the first important conflict for thu
struggle for liberty. but whether 1t wa
the ColviulstIc Puritan of tine North o
the C~alvinistic CCYenanter or the Soutl
whose blood was first shed matters little
The facts IN each case show that the I'D
rising was against oppression. not ggalns
England. The affair on the Alatnance wa
as considerable as that at Lexington anC
of the same nature, although It's cOnse