New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1893-10-22

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| While he was still student Of theology
Sparks had thrust upon him the editorship OF
| the infant North American Review. When
| he finally abandoned the pulpit. it was only to
| return to THE Review" for he had now dis
! covered that he was born to be an editor and
| not a preacher. 1T Is only by tracing out the
various lines of thought by him introduced MO
| The North American and by reading selections
| from his extensive correspondence as editor Of
| the magazine" says Professor Adams. that
we can even begin to realize what he did toward
widening the American range of interest ana
developing American independence IT. literature
and science. Mr.. Sparks first connection with
| The North American Review in 1917 and 1913.
! when he was tutor and theological student
| at Cambridge has ALREADY been oeccrioed IN
| a previous chapter. We have seen how, even
at that carly period he introduced into The
| Review fresh current Of original contrlbu-
| tons to American history. together with inter-
estng reviews of African exploration. That
current has broadened and deepened in Ameri-
| can literature. until now it's yearly volume
| dismays the boldest student. That interest in
| the Dark Continent which Sparks was one of
the first to quicken in America has grown from
more to more until modern newspapers and
magazines have been filled with the achieve
ments Of Livingstone and Stanley Sparkss
most important early contribution to the maya
zine was doubtless his narrative OF tie British
outrages at Havre de Grace. 1t was an I'M
conscious premonitor Of his lifcwork. What he
wrote about African exploration has personal
interest There was one theme which he
had vivid sentiment and a profound enthusiasm.
The example of the wandering American Led
yard stirred his heart. For years he meditated
a journey of African exploration. But his
young manhood slipped away, ard the re-
minder of his youthful hopes lies mbedded in
the early volumes of THE North American Re
view" and in the biography of Ledyard. of
which it's authors estimate ut makes no
prctension to learning. wisdom. philosophy or
politics 1t only aims to tell simple story in
a plain way
AS a broad minded American he was inter-
ested not merely in the United States, but in the
other natonalities of the New World. He saw
the benefits of alliance to the States Of South |
America and seerps to have anticipated hope |
fully plan Of reciprocal benefits. in which the
United States could be a participator An ar |
ticle of lis in 1926 led to interview with |
Henry Clay. then Secretary of State. which |
Sparks recorded in his Journal In his article |
Sparks had gone into details respecting the |
plans and wishes Of the South Americans; but, |
as Clay complained. the essay ito have been |
times should have proceeded to state explic-
lily the advantages TO be derived TO the United |
States from a un on with them at the Congress
of Panama" Sparks added: MIR. Clay spoke
freely and without the lee st reserve concern
ing the policy Of this country in its intercourse
with South America, and dwet particularly on
the immense importance of establishing CONNER
cia relations on the principles Of perfect
reciprocity
All these varied intellectual enterprises may
we'll be looked upon as needfu preliminaries for
the work which Sparks undertook before he
quit the editorial charge Of THE North Ameri-
can Review" This was his edition OF the works
of Washington. Much controversy has been in
dulged in early and late to the manner in
which Sparks executed his great task. Profess
sor Adams manfully defends his hero. II 1t is
only remembered that Sparkss work antcdates
the era of what may be called scientific editing,
then the whole battle on the subject will seem
trining. The case is the same with
every enterprise to which scientific rules
can be applied. 1t a great mistake on
Schemanns part, for example, to proceed so
ruthlessy as he did in his excavations at
Hissarlik. But what archacologlst Of that day
IVES conscious Of the mistake until it was too
late So. in the of washington's writings
good enough for his predecessors Only gradu-
ally as another more literal method came into
vogue, was his work looked upon defective
Even then. shown in the controversy |
with Lord Mahon. Sparks had much to say in
his own defence, and everything he had to say
was pertinent to the case
In the prosecution Of this great enterprise
Sparks visited the capital and studied the
archives Of every Of the original colonies
besides those of the National Government
Then he went to London, and. in the face OF
opposition that would have dsmay cd many
men. obtained the privilege Of studying the
papers relating to American affairs that in
the possession OF the various departments Of
the British Government 1t was the expressed
conviction. forced upon hiIl by the study of
these English records, that the mother country
had better than she had been credited
with. which started the movement eliminating
in the history written by Lord Mahon At
Paris Sparks had to meet and Nanquish similar
opposition. He not only did this, but he also
had the good fortune TO make a discovery
which helped later to avert boundary with
Great Britain. and 10 promote the Webster-Ash-
burton treaty. In the first place he found
letter of Franklin to Count de Vergennes, in
dicating the existence OF a map on which the
boundary between Maine and New Brunswick
mad been traced In accordance with the agree
ment between the American and British pleni-
potentaries in 1928. Then he found a map
which though it had official mark what
ever, distinguished by just such a STRONG
red line" as Franklin had mentioned. The red
line did not support American claims. Armed
with this knowledge, and with the aid Of
Sparks in Maine. it was possible for Webster
then Secretary OF State, to bring the Legislature
of Maine into better humor. while the ig-
norance Of the British Foreign Office left him
free to complete the negotiations though the
red-ne map were not in existence
In short, Professor Adams's work is volumin-
Gus, but it is worth reading. 1t is illustrated
with several portraits Of Sparks, and Of his
first and second wife. The book really owes its