The San Francisco call., 1896-05-10
NEW HISTORY OF THE UNITED
STATES.

HTHE latest volume of the Cam
bridge Historical Series (Which
are edited by G. w. Prothero, pro-
fessor of history in the University
of Edinburgh, and the aim of
which is to sketch the history of modern
Europe with that of it's chief colonies and
conquests from about the end of the
fifteenth century down to the present
time) is History of the United States of
America-1765-1S65, by Edward Chan
ming, Ph.D., assistant professor of history
at Harvard University. The authors aim
has been to trace the steps by which the
American people and its peculiar type of
federal state have developed out of such
heterogeneous and unpromising mate
rials" for nation building as were to be
found in the English American colonies in
1760 DR.. Charming has given less atten-
ton to campaigns and battles than is usual
in history, and has devoted the space
thus gained to the object of calculating
the deeper causes underlying the Ameri-
can Revolution and to detailed account
OF the period between the close of the
Revolutionary war and the Inauguration
of President Madison. With reference to
the Monroe doctrine the author says that
talized Monroes name were the
embodiment ofprevious statements and of
policy we'll established at that time in
America" DR.. Charming furnishes no
quotations or authorities to make clear
the latter position, although Washington,
Jefferson and Madison held sentiments
quite similar to those expressed in the
Monroe doctrine.
he nF \
ing been accomplished, DR.. Charming tells
Us that then 1.-The old international policy
OF the United States may be said to have
terminated" 1t does not appear SO, for
as soon as an occasion arose the American
Congress was swift to reaffirm the Monroe
doctrine and to give it standing in our
International policy more important than
1t occupied before. But, then, this history
must have been completed before the
venezuelan controversy began. The
transformation of party systems is clearly
shown DR.. Channing's treatment of the
causes underlying the Civil War deserves
attention. He is perfectly fair in the |
premises. The Civil War, he saws was |
fought to determine which of two concep-
tlons OF the nature of the Federal tie
should be adopted as the true interpreta-
e ton OF the constitution of the United |
States. las this Interpretation is hisrori- |
cally uncertain we cannot speak OF the |
war as rebellion, for it was fought, so to !
say, to determine whether the seceders |
were rebels or not. Then, too, a move |
ment on such a vast scale and
extending over such a long space
OF time Is something more than rebel
Hon-even when unsuccessful. Further
more, the war was not begun to secure the
destruction of slavery, although slavery
was abolished as a result of the conflict
The war decided that the Union was not
loose bundle of States, each at liberty to
go off and set up for itself whenever il
chose. The war made the United States
Nation, zone and inseparable." Several
maps, very useful, both from a geographic
cal and historical standpoint, illustrate
the volume. DR.. Charming observes that
sit is practically impossible to be abso-
lutely accurate in work of this size, cov-
ering such an extended period end dealing
with so many disputed events; but he ,
claims to have done the utmost that |
historical student can do-to have studied
and written without malice in his heart.'
The work is an improvement on most of
the short histories of the United States |
An appendix contains, among other docu- |
ments, the Virginia Resolves of 1869, the
Declaration OF Independence the Articles
OF Confederation, the Constitution OF 1877,
and the amendments TO the constitution.
New York: Macmillan & Co. For sale
by William DOXey. nrice 81 IN