New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1894-04-01
ono,oeist himself Is imperViouS "

views briefly the important ''''''' ,or-
Wv" o,,,a doun to the time when Amer
,ca NAV be said. without straihns wv
% have come into existence. lie 'epea
,,c,ent authors hal to say OF the earn
inhabitants of the region about inc ,'o"
the Rhine. and what is known OF cary NC nc,
.ions to Britain. He dwells on '"e =,
Of C,haremagne in behalf OF euuca"o''
bv no means inclined TO admit tha' '"e 49,,
founded by that far-Sghted ruler uieu o'' -
,, On the contrary. he supposes
them TO have formed the basis TOT 'ne 'a''
the Brethren of the Common Lie WIZ"
tho movement took definite shape 'ha' e"ueu -
nv -, Tho age OF Viking forays
H., tho Frisians trained in the use Oh a'"''
and probably strengthened by cohihc' '""'
for Christianity which was yer! "e"N ,..
. ,ho feudal system also was enecu'e
mainly in opposition. for the people heNe' 49,.
rho rnner grades ef the medaeval ans
tocracy were imposed upon Them Out III. -
., foudaI service and obligation never loon io''
-. IN the other hand. in sharing
the work Of the Crusades the Neither 'a'D
auoke to the fact that Eastern cviza"oh "a'
an admirable thing Under prosa''
they had always cherished leruie
ton and they saw now the reahues u VIM"
they had dreamed Their homes ana 'hei' 30
dena and their minds were ehrlcheu '' vs.
products of the East. But with th's s'o"'"
of civilization. with the subsequently eN'"' g.
outlook given to Europe by the discover
NewWorld. there came the struggle Vi ~
people for greater freedom. AL the ou''o' '
movement was political but 1t was ihNoiN''
with learning in the persons OF great
like Erasmus and 1t was deeply uhgeu win '
sentiment toward the Church, Which was Nv
longer the protector Of the people out 'ne any
of that mailed army that rested on the h"oN "a
C,Aris,ordor, Az the Netherlands had been in
old times the meeting ground ana Iusiis P"''
Of diverse races. so now they became the refuge
of various sects. The federation Whlcn """
once been common throughout the Ch'istia"
world was now peculiar to one small COUNT!
alone The long struggle with Spain Vihuica'eu
the religious rights OF men. 1t dld lar more
than that: II united the various little countries
into which the Belgic and Rhenish Lo"iahuS
were divided by federal bond stronger Una"
any that had hitherto been known TO history
This was not mere league for war IL was
a union perfected by means oil written COL"
stitution. the main defect of which, IN COM
parison with American Federalism was 'hat II
failed in practice to overcome secession. MI
Grfhs In JOhn OF BdrHcNeiu1 ''i' N''
mont Of separatst tendencies similar to those dis
played by Calhoun In the United States IL
was the mistakes of the Dutch Republic which
set the makers Of the American Constitution 10
searching for n remedy. The defect in the
Netherlands never has been remeded one OF
the most amusing pieces included by Mr.. Werner
in hts book is an illustration of how the feeling
of independence might work in the little Repub-
off IN
the representatives of the Powers when they
senarated Belgium from Holland. The skit is
translated from the writings Of L. H. j. Lam
berts- Hurrelbrink. He imagnes a plan to turn
the republic into a kingdom. and the reader
smiles at a monarch who has TO leave his realm
to buy his royal robe and his copper crown. and
to get himself photographed threatening Hol-
land with war, and even speaking Of Germany
with contempt The lesson of the thing might
we'll have been drawn from earlier times. The
little story is also a good example of the minute
care with which Dutch humorist works up
every detail of his theme. The Netherlander,"
remarks Mr. Werner likes his fun pretty OBJ
vious and not too concentrated. Nothing is
left to the readers misunderstanding and
the reason for everything. ere described and ex
planned at full length"
1t was the example of Holland, as Madison
says, that showed Americans the utility Of re-
ligious liberation. America obliged to find
a remedy for the evils Of the Articles Of Con-
federation. Tho spirit If the people was favor
able to a strengthening Of the bond. But in the
Netherlands the spirit Of unity never able
to overcome the local objections TO centraliza-
ton. Practical politics had much to do with this
The American Union has never felt pressure, only
a less vigorous stimulus, from without
even in time OF war Tie United Provinces had
the ever-present dread of royalty which would
not only reign but govern. and none too kindly
at that. Though they could not make a perfect
federation, they furnished TO American statesmen
the idea of "a written Constitution, Senate or
States General, the Hague District Of Column
bia" a germinal notion of the Supreme Court and
vast number of details. Above all they rec
ognized that the American Colonies fought for
the same principles that they themselves main
tanned. Their friendship was not matter Of
European policy, but of love for liberty Thus, if
Mr. Grifiis's title sounds somewhat sentimental,
his book makes a good argument in behalf Of the
Netherlands He Is particular in his use Of
terms. To English and Americans Holland.
which is properly only the largest province Of
twelve gives its name to the Kingdom Of
Nederland To speak Of the Kingdom of the
y IL
land and it's colonies. rhe author apparently
means his book to be only the forerunner of a
larger work Mr. Werners collection Of spec-
mems from the lighter literature of Holland
should prove interesting and valuable even to
those who cherish the idea that "the Humor Of
Holland could be most satisfactorily dealt with
in a chapter resembling the famous one OF
Snakes in Ireland" He has illustrated the
drama, the novel-wrting, the short story, the
fairy tale, the witty paragraph. and the epigram
as they run from Dutch pens. He who cannot
laugh with the authors may yet be able to see
that there is national spirit and individuality In
them. They have their own thoughts, as well
as their own language. But If put to it
for a definition based on American nations, he
might prefer to Gay that the fragments placed
before him here were inspired by drollery rather
than humor