New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1895-01-13


ire special characteristic Of President An
drewss neg work Is the brevlty and compac;ness
with which q theme involving vast number of
e,ails has been treated. He has let little escape
his attention that is in print about the history Of
the United States; and yet. with the enumeration
OF so many separate facts. he has preserved the
thread Of historical continuity and the air of
philosophical reflection upon his material Not
that all tn. facts can be made 10 seem indspensa-
BILE TO the narrative. Great numbers Of them
can only be given as belonging to a certain period
% the history. Here the writer Of more volu-
Ynnous work might have the advantage. He
could enlarge upon isolated occurrences. and from
actual data or from the suggestions OF his own
reason might show that the isolation was not
real that these forsaken incidents were properly
Joined to others OF high import to the Nation. The
first attempt at mining and smelling iron In VIZ
cna was trfe In Itself. But in the hght OF
what has taken place since In the way or develop
ing the mineral Of the country. the date
has marked significance. The mere mention or II
sets the reader to medtatlng on his own account
He NAV not know all the intervening steps. but
ne is quick enough to see the general relation De-
tween the simple primitive fact and the gigantic
outcome. Hence the authors recital Of facts that
do not come within the lines OF his main narrative
never has the effect OF annals or a chronicle. 1t
suggests too many reflections to one who reads
at;entively. With a little consideration OF para
raphs that seemingly are we'll separated from
each other. the fancy may picture an American
assembIage of the Revolutionary period. or Of the
picturesque era Of the Fortes. 1t may represent
wildly the appearance Of the men who debated
over the Constitution and those who quarreled
over slavery One little passage of this sort de-
he las n
play In public those bright gilt buttons that were
IN their time the glory Of the darkb blue swallow
tail coat. The hint helps to make the great ora
tor a living figure in the memory. Minute OBJ
servatons Of this sort are to be found throughout
these volumes making II, so far as they may. a
work UNIQUE among the smaller histories Of the
United States
The collation. Of these particulars does not in
ttrefere with the authors main purpose OF CIV
ing the narrative OF American development
logical as we'll a chronological! FORM Inc
adoption OF the Constitution Is for him the CEN
trail fact in the history of the United states Up
to the time when the organic law was framed
by the chosen delegates and accepted by the
people the forces of disntegration might at any
time have proved strong enough to overcome
all possibility Of union. There was at the outset
diversity Of race among the primary elements
at the base Of the Nation. In the sixteenth
century this diversity meant more than 1t means
at the present day. difference OF language
and Of nationality was almost as much cause
OF hatred as color in later times. D.slikes
that arose from this cause were fomented by
national rivalries in Europe. A glance at map
outlining the regions claimed In America by az
eressive powers Of the Old World shows the
obstacles that had to be overcome before Ameri-
cans could cherish the thought OF union. 1t Is
a necessary part Of the narrative to show how
national distinctions were after another
made untenable. how Swedes were taken up by
the Dutch how both were added to the growing
English Colonial system. how France and spain
were gradually pressed out OF a country which
they never tried seriously to populate Then
there was the equally disintegratng factor OF
religion The theocracy OF the earliest New
Fnglanders: the Catholicism OF all French and
Spanish countries well as of Maryland among
the English settlements; the utter freedom OF
the Providence Plantations; the fox-hunting,
cock-fghting Guardianship OF Virginia. were
all such variations in faith as men Of those
times were ready 10 die for or at least. those FOR
which they willing 10 kill other people.
That was a time when punning play on a word
might stir the superstition Of a nation as when
the sound OF the name Drake led the Spaniards
. 70 think of the famous English freebooter as
the embodiment Of the Adragon. the very head
and front Of diabolical heresy. careless phrase
and some foolish storytelling might start
blaze tina. would burn many a poor wretch to
ashes-and this In effect what happened
when the fear Of witches seized Cotton Mather
and his like in New England From such begin
nings II would have been difficult TO anticipate
that the adherents Of all varieties OF creed
might in the course Of few generations be
dwelling side by side indifferent each to the
caearies of the rest The bitter struggle Of the
tolerated Protestants against the freedom in
sisted on by Lord Baltimore in Maryland and
the persecution OF Roger Williams gave promise
OF trouble enough In the future. But the cloud
Of blgotry faded away and the most intoierant
spirit OF the present day must content itself
with pretences in behalf Of religious liberty and
suspicious that somebody else is conspiring
against that liberty. The diminution in the heat
Of religious hatred may almost be said to meas
ure the growth IN the possibilities Of political
unity As the religious element has been climi-
mated from the great errors Of politics. the Bit
terross also has been eliminated. 1t would sure
" be dificult to infuse religious animosity into
any future conflict as was done In the case OF
slavery.
The most picturesque and romantic side OF
American ,.fe. that Of the struggle with the pre-
vious inhabitants OF the Continent, is the one
which was practically least important This Ii
proved by the fact that what seemed at the out
set an overwhelming peril soon becomes an ordi-
nary incident OF life IN a new country. then an
accident TO be guarded against. then rare oc-
currence and finally fades from history alto
eether. In the early times Indian wars took an
important place in the narrative; later they were
barely mentioned. President Andrews passes
over without mention all the modern wars with
the red men. even the slaughter OF Custer and
his troops the most skillful piece Of nghting ever
done by the Indians. These affairs, after tho
first successful struggles for self-preservation
meant nothing IN the development OF the Nation