The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1894-12-15
BOOK NEWS and REVIEWS.

presidency, being its first triumph. Inc
Monroe doctrine, ever since so vital
an element in our political lie, was
promulgated by President Monroe In De-
cember, 1893. Two very interesting chap
ters are given to "Lifs and manners In
he fourth decade" and Industrial au-
vance by 1870" BY then the country was
settled to the Mississippi River, the com
pletion OF this settlement having occurred
in Maine and Northern New York, Western
Virginia ard southwark. These two
chapters are OF special interest, the habits
and manners of the people bei1g more
susceptible OF the rapid treatment neces-
sary. Here also we realize keenly the pres
ent newness OF the country, as men then
come TO the front on issues long since
dead, and who are still living and acting,
| or but Just passed. The first volume
closes with a short chapter upon the in
| dustrial development OF the country,
which shows that at that time, while
there was far more promise than perform
ance, there had yet been great advances
made.
1t can readily be seen that the periods
of history te be treated in the second vol
ume increased the authors difficulties. 1T
is not altogether too presumptuous to say
that the first volume treated OF histori-
cal times; times, that is, mostly
belonging to past that Is,
in sense, completed and
given over to the records-passed out OF
action into remembrance. This second
volume begins at about the point where
the more venturesome OF other historical
writer's had ended. Bancroft closed his
work where the truer definition OF history
must place the boundss after the COM
| xNla % q ka Darh ha
might have ventured nearer IL he had not
by then completed his life work, but we
who love him and demand that he be ac-
corded the first place among our histori-
ans will believe that he would not. Ven
turesome John Fiske has got no further
than Bancroft's stopping place. Thought
full writer's like Henry Adams, have taken
up phases and brief periods OF our national
life and treated 1t in q historical spirit,
and there have been plenty Of adventures
who have written what they have dubbed
"histories" that come right up to yester-
day and even this morning.
IL 10 impossible to consider DIR. An
drews as belonging to either OF these
classes-the real historians or the charla-
tons, who pretend to write history be-
fore history Is made. He "hocks
by HIMSELF in this second volume, de-
cidedly. Probably he would himself
disavow an intent to claim that it Is
strict history, but chiefly a historical
record and some attempt at arrangement
and analysis. But II the critical sense
leads one to deny to this volume the
strictest value OF the word history, it's
value and convenience as book
of comment and reference is greater
than the first. The multiplica-
tion OF newspapers has destroyed
within us the sense, or the faculty, Of the
preservation of the news, so that when
the read dailies are carted off by the junk
man all our record of recently elapsed
events has gone also. So there Is this
function, Of the greatest usefulness, for
books of record Is comprehensive,
thorough and honestly -intentioned ss
this.
The first division OF the second volume
is the third period of part two, and takes
the reader rapidly over the 20 years from
1910 to 1850. These two decades are full
of interest. Then occurred all the won
derful anti-slavery agitation, the Mexican
war, the discovery OF gold In California,
the "bleeding Kansas" episode, John
Browns pathetic raid which we have
not yet permanently classified, the rise Of
| Lincoln, the series OF events that pre-
ceded the war of the rebellion. There Is q
chapter on "Material Progress closing
the period, so that we keep the sense of
positive and legitimate growth fresh amid
the rackirg incidents OF the approach to
great and doubtful war.
The fourth period deals with the war of
the rebellion and the throes OF recon-
struction, and must have been the portion
of the W hole work most difficult to write,
since 1t Is written for the men who par
ticipated and of events and influences
that cannot be calmly judged as
yet, and because of the tremendous
difficulties in the way of just treat
ment within the bounds OF 127 not over
large pages. What historian would ven-
ture to write Of the war and the recon-
struction, from 1860 to 1868, and use only
about 10000 words? The argument OF the
war is clearly, even graphically, given.
The action is a galloping view of the
fighting, q panorama OF words. Ii
all etches on ones mind fairly accurate
picture, somewhat of the impressionist
school, yet with striking bits of detail
that somehow serve to give an appearance
OF more elaborate working-out OF the
theme than actually exists.
Here IL may not unkindly be said the
beck might properly end. The remaining
/
hundred pages, headed "The Cemented
Union" are indeed as full OF interest as
the balance of the work, but the contem-
porary flavor compels a different sppre-
ciative standpoint. The division
Is also a forced one, end not
able to endure examination. The
reconstruction period did not close in
1868. 1t is difficult to fix its bonds, per-
haps because it has not yet closed. There
is too much detail attempted, or too little.
Some OF the details given are about topics
| that are not really para
mount, while generalizations are
made to serve where detail seems
imperative. There is also strong flavor
OF the political science professor, a class
room aroma, that Is not altogether agree
able to such as have formulated their be-
liefs by contact with events, and prefer
such preachment to the dictions Of the
pedagogue.
This history Is somewhat like horse