Milford chronicle., 1893-10-13
GREAT AMERICANS.
GOODWIN SMITH ATTEMPTS TO CAR
ny OUT cARLYLE'S THREAT.

Goodwin Smiths latest work, entitled
"An Outline Of Political History, is a sue
cinct account Of the political history Of this
country from 1492 to 1870. Goldwin Smith
Is best known to American readers as the
leading and by far the ablest exponent OF
the annexation of Canada by the United
States. As a writer he has few equals, and
'tAn Outline of Political History is writ
ten in his best style and humor. He has
opinions regarding some Of Americas great
est men, and though they run counter
quite often to those we have always held
they are so boldly expressed as to be worthy
of audience and furnish refreshing enter
tainment to the reader.
WASHINGTON NOT A GREAT GENERAL.
We expect him to eulogize Washington,
and he does up to a certain point. He does
not say that he was perfect, but he says
enough to prove that he was nearly so;
washington was to the confederacy all
In all. Without him it would have been
ten times lost, and the names Of the politi-
clans who had drawn the country Into the
conflict would have gone down to posterity
linked with defeat and shame History has
hardly a stronger case of an indispensable
man. His form, like all other forms of the
Revolution, has no doubt been seen through
a golden haze Of panegyric.
1--WE can hardly number among the
greatest captains a general who acted on
So small a scale, and who. though he was
the soul Of the war, never won battle. In
that respect Carlyle, who threatened to
take George down a peg or two might
have made good his threat. But he could
not have stripped Washington Of any part
Of his credit for patriotism, wisdom and
courage; for the union Of enterprise with
prudence; for integrity and truthfulness;
for simple dignity of character; for tact
and forbearance in dealing with men; above
all, for serene fortitude in the darkest hour
Of his cause and under trials from the per
versity, insubordination, jealousy and per
fidy Of those around him severer tkan any
defeat.
"Some American writers seem sfious
to prove that Washington's character is
essentially different from that Of an Eng
lish q, Essman. About this we need not
dispute. The character of an English gem
tleman is certainly devoid of any traits
that might be derived either from plan
tation or from war with Indians in the
backwoods. Yet an English gentleman
sees in Washington his ideal as surely as
he does not see it in franklin, Samuel Ad-
ans OF Patrick Henry.
1T has been truly said that Washington
and Wellington have much in common.
Wellington contending with Spanish per
versity and ministerial incompetence re-
minds US by his ealmness and self control
of Washington eOntending with the folly
and dishonesty Of congress and the trac-
tiousness of the state militia. They write
in the same even, passionless and somewhat
formal style, the expression of a mind al
avs master of itself In both of them
iere was, though under control, the strong
temper which is almost inseparable from
force. Wellington might be more of an
aristoorat than Washington; less Of dem
ocrat he could hardly be. Washington in
sisted that his officers should be gentle
men. not men fit to be shOeblac1s. He
drew n most undemocratlc distinction be-
tween the officer and the private soldier.
His notions about the private soldier are
those of an old world disciplinarian. He
saws that the soldier should be satisfied to
serve for his food clothes and pay, and
complains that he cannot lay on the back
OF the insubordinate patriot more than 100
lashes, holding that 500 are not too many.
"The other army leaders, Gates and Lee,
caballed against him and were abetted by
politicians mOrbidly OF perhaps selfishly
Jealous of military ascendancy. 1t appears
that both Samuel and John Adams, if they
did not intrigue. were unfriendly to Wash
ington and would have willingly seen him
superseded Washington bore the attacks
on him magnanimously never allowing his
personal wrongs to interfere with his duty
nor ever thinking of abandoning his post,
Perhaps in the whole conflict the three no
blest things are the character of Washing
ton, the behavior of bis army at Valley
Forge and the devotion of the better class
of Ioyalists On Washington's death the
flags of the British feet under Lord Bird
port were half masted. We owe the Amer
lean Hildreth thanks for recording the fact.
JEFFERSON AN ANARCHIST,
Jefferson, Waghington's secretary OF
state, was and still Is a popular idol This
MANS character is difficult to treat. There
is something enigmatic about his portrait,
which combines a body large and strong,
fitted for horsemanship and athletic eXer-
else, with a face somewhat feminine, not to
say feline. As governor of Virginia in the
war he had shown lack of nerve, If not OF
courage. Few viii maintain that he was
in an eminent degree truthful, straightfor-
ward, free from propensity to artilice and
intrigue Few will contend that he would
ever, like Hamilton, have braved unpopu-
larity in defense Of righteousness. His own
ana remain to confute any admirer who
claims for him freedom from malice OF
Greatness Of soul. He had unbounded faith
in the people and never doubted the sue
cess of the great American experiment in
democracy, There lay his strength.
1.-The social current of the age was with
him. He knew it and steadfastly guided
his course on the assumption that what
ever influences might prevail beneath the
lingering shadow of the old dispensation
democracy would in the end prove victori-
ous and bear it's vOtaries on to success. In
tentlv he listened for the voice Of the popu-
lar will, and surely he caught its every
whisper. His political philosophy seems
to have been summed up in the belief that,
all evils having been the work of govern
ment, the less of government there was th
better This, it has been said, stood him
in the place Of religion. Anarchy itself
was. or he could fancy that it was, prefera-
bic to strong government. He let fall the
reins of government before the term of his
presidency had expired, and he went into
philosophic retirement at Monticello,
whence he returned no more. 1t is not the
highest Of his titles to fame in the eyes of
his countrymen, but it may not be the low
est in the court Of humanity, that he sacris
feed his popularity in the attempt to find
a bIoodless substitute for war. His mem
orv recovered from the shock, and his reign
over American opinion endured"
CLAY's JINGOIsAI
Here is what he says of Henry Clay:
''Clay was perhaps the first consummate
party leader of the congressional and plat
form type, Jefferson having worked, not
on the platform, but in the closet and
through the press. He was paragon Of
the personal fascination now styled mag
netlsm. Magnetic indeed his manner and
voice must have been if they could make
the speeches that he has left us pass for
the most cogent reasoning and the highest
eloquence. Yet multitudes came from dis
tances, in those days immense, to hear him.
A cynical critic said that Clay could get
more people to listen to him and fewer
people to vote for him than any other man
In the Union. He, however, did. get many
votes, though never quite enoughs
His power Of winning the hearts Of