New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1895-04-14
THE UNITED STATES.
PROFESSOR MINISTER'S NEW VOLUME
A HISTORY OF THE PEOPLE OF THE UNITED
STATES-From the Revolution to the Civi.
War. BY John Bach McMaster nversity OF
Pennsylvania In six volumes VOL ". Up.
ri ADpletOn a. Co.


ume the events of the years from 1912 to 1921 IN
elusive Those were important years in the life
of the United States but the narrative oil wnat
happened lacks as n whole. the animation whlch
belongs TO other periods. Only the brilliant eX-
poits of the Navy in the War OF lSl2 ana IN
the conflict with the pirates of the Mediterranean
Sea remain to enven 1t with CLEANS OF hero
Ism Even the enthusiasm Of party strife al
most died out In times when the old Federalism
with its English proclivities and It's aris'ocralc
antecedents was falling into oblivion ana 'he
varlegated Republicanism of East ana west oi
civic populace and pioneer cabin was s'rN-
ing 10 understand itself In the stagnatlon OF
Monroe's Era of Good Feelings men tmost 1or-
got that the franchise was OF any value Al
Tho be,,nninp Of this period the young Nation
was hammered on every side. England not only
IMPRESSED the seamen Of the United states out
showed a determination to restrict the ne" Ma
ton within an area little greater IMAM 'ha' Oh 'le
, old colonies Spain still held FLORIDA ana 'he
Ar,ar,cars were as vet not fully aware of the
value Of their Louisiana purchase. commerce
had he4n wel-ngh destroyed as result of
wars in Europe and legislation ana proCiaiId
ton at home Slavery was beginning to. snow
its effect in retarding the National growth. Inc
whole movement Of he period was toward the
romovaI Of all restrictions. But the process was
y bos,tatine one and the results were IN
Xer,atIv more valuable than they seemed to De
IN tho words of treaties and laws. Nobody mas
ever hoard of the impressment of seamen from
American ships since the close Of the war OF
1872 and vet the treaty with which that war
ended left the claims Of England on TINS point
untouched There was great complaint against
paper blockades in those days. IheF WIRE oie
of the grievances Of the American people AS
10 these also the treaty was silent, anu yet III
later wars blockade that was inenectlVe mas
been treated with scant ceremony. IL was the
same in domestic affairs. compromises 'ha'
were intended to leave things much as they
were before really led to results CT the most
positive character, though these results ulu ho'
o,uavs annear until long afterward. Even the
long and apparently vain contest over Shaver! III
Missouri ended in a firm assertion of National
citizenship which would have been impossible IN
an earlier generation. The frequent complaints
ooa;,s, tho Union and the reiterated threats.
row from one direction, now from another TO
hreak the Federal compact only served to show
that II was growing stronger with years Every
ubere the processes Of National life had
tep,norizing character but the gains proved to
be permanent.
The disappointment with which one follows the
story Of the War OF 1912 on land is sometimes
very great. 1t is the first note of this volume
Professor McMaster has only censure Tor the
conduct Of such generals as Dearborn, Alexander
Smyth Winchester. Wilkinson. and very htue
praise for Van Rensselaer, or for Harrison. Inc
disaster Of which General Hull was the victim,
though II belongs to the time just before the open
ing of tho nresent volume has its echo here What
ever opinion may seem correct as to Hulrs mill
tarv capacity there can be none concerning the
duty Of an officer supposed TO be acting IN con-
cert with him. Dearborn was at Niagara when
Hull entered Canada, and his orders were 10
support the latter by a vigorous movement
against the British. But when the offer or an
arm,stice came from the English side he ac-
cepted il without taking means to INFORM HUI
or TO prevent concentration Of the BRUSH
forces against him. Hull and his army were
prisoners before the armistice was known TO
them Such was the management OF military
affairs along the Canadian frontier, up TO the
time when Jacob Brown arrived on the Niagara
River The campaign which Included the oatties
of Chippewa, Lundy's Lane and Fort Erie is
reckoned in a somewhat general way by Profess
sor McMaster as one Of the most remarkable in
the history of the country, all the more so be-
cause II was carried on under the direction OF
Secretary Of War who was never clear as -
what he wanted or what measures to take. But
taking the whole course of the war together, II
is noteworthy how few affairs on land showed
the capacity of the American soldier. The battles
first mentioned the charge of johnson and his
mounted Kentuckians at the Battle Of the
Thames. the successful defence Of Fort Stephen
son by Croghan, the signal victories Of Platts-
burg and Baltimore and the really great battle
OF New-Orleans comprise nearly all the land incl
dents Of a war that came near being a fight
x,,itb lam an
Americans ever engaged. This was not
due entirely to the inexperience or unwngness
Of troops nor TO the incapacty of generals. The
difference of opinion among the people as to the
merits Of the very great, and poll
tcians and military leaders were alike subject 10
this popular uncertainty and tndecison. The
army never numbered more than 10000 men. and
in the greater part Of the country, at distance
from the frontier or the Atlantic seaboard. life
went on as in times Of peace. In spite Of en-
bargoes and the miserable makeshfts for money,
the Nation grew in wealth and power daily. BY
the embargoes and blockades which were so
marked a feature Of the conflict the United
States did. indeed suffer. but not to the degree
felt In England. There the loss Of American
trade amounting to about $50 OOOO 900 annually,
meant starvation to the poor of a nation deeply
involved in the struggle with Napoleon. The
war and the provocatons which led to IT were
enough to convince England that she could never
be a gamer by war with the United States. The
fact was borne in upon her irresistibly that the
United States was continent To her the
would be a stimuant. building up her manu-
features, developing her resources, consolidating
her Government and making her independent Of
the whole world. Great Britain was cluster Of
small islands. owning possessions scattered all
over the face Of the globe and depending for her
prosperity on the welfare Of her manufactures
and a worldwide commerce. To her war meant
the idIeness Of every factory, every ship every
man engaged in the manufacture the trans
portation OF the $50 900 900 worth OF goods wares
and mercha ndise sent each year TO the markets
OF the United States"
The war. In fact was for the United States