New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1897-02-24
NEW PUBLICATIONS.
WOODROW WILSON AS EssAYIsr.

MERE LITERATURE AND OTHER ESSAYS.
BY Woodrow Wilson l2mo, gp; ~; h Ssa
ton. Mifiin & Co. Boston and New-iorH 1851
In the present volume Professor Wilson mas
come nearer entering the domain OF the purely
literary essayst than In any Of his earlier WORKS
His tastes and ideas are primarily those OF SUI
dent OF constitutions and of politics, but his views
have been evidenced and his powers oeVeiopeu
by generous literary culture. Although the sub
1ects of some of these essays-"Mere Literature
1.-THE Author Himself and ION An Authors
Choice Of Company"-seem TO he foreign 10 a ms
torians library. they are very interesting Inc
author takes us into his confidence and discioses
his ideals, methods. opinions and aspirations as
a writer and interpreter OF history. Ihere are
many delightful passages Of real autobiography
but they do not take that form of expression.
Perhaps Professor Wilson'S most conspicuous
and attractive qualities are his insight and
IMAGINATION The one sees the truth and the
other gives 1t proper setting and winning form
These are the faculties that have won for him
much popularity and 1t will both please and
beneft all who read history to know our authors
theories as to how II may be written well. ana
why II is generally written so ILL., Charles La'ho
exclaimed: Hang the age, VIII write lor an
tiauity" Professor Wilson suggests that most
of our historians seem TO perform their TASKS as
IL they were writing for oblivion. The phenom-
email growth Of historical study and composition
during the last two decades has been greatly in
fluenced by the thorough and patient put dreary
and inartistic German method. Thousands OF
volumes of facts and footnotes have been pun
lished, but few except specialists have read more
than their titles James Parton was once asked
IN name the qualities necessary to a successfu!
b,orranhy He replied: First Of ALL IT must De
Interesting or no one will read it, the graou-
stes Of our schools of history and politcai SCI
ence are still too young TO have had time 10 pro-
duce the best results but nearly every one Ia
rniliar with the system and products OF histo'c'i
instruction in our universities must nave lei'
that hundreds Of men were spenohg vast
amounts Of time and energy and none! IN an
occupation which would attract or instruct le"
event the individual workers themselves. Why
"a thiso Chiefly because a Few score teachers Va
history have tried to transplant. the German
sam,nar,um. where facts institutions and bur-
sowing are everything and artistic. lucid, attrac-
tive exnression are either unknown or are re-
Rarded as unnecessary
The German historians and their American
disciples have yet to learn that schoiarship 10
merely the foundation and framework Oh d
truly effective and pleasing historical s'u''
ure Here are some relevant opinions vi oui
author taken from different parts OF 'his F"'-
ume: There ic indeed, natural anita So'hsA'.
10, Il be frankly said between the STANDARDS u
scholarship and the standards or literature
Exact scholarship values things IN propor'io"
as ttey are veriiable: but literature hno"'
nothing of such tests Nv ~
,nos,er Of thought without being also a master
~ st ,ebicis and instrument style. that subtle
medium of all its evasive e1ects Oh iisn . ufo
shade Scholarship is MATERIAL IL IL io, ,.o5 |
II becomes immortal only when IL Is WoineSS
,,non hv conviction by schooled and chasleheu
in1agina lion, by thought that runs any, AM, end
the inner fountains OF lndviu ios,rnton leads
,urnose" Learned inVestlsa'loh ieo
~ Honv good things but one of these is not |
GREAT literature. because learned invesusatiU.i |
Commands as the first condition OF us suV 60
the repi eSroniclers he says would not for |
\fhe world contribute any spice or ther oM ,tu -
the narrative, and they are much 100 ioar
cjrcurnspect and dutiful In their carr " ~
their method pure and untouched by an.
thought Of theirs to let us eaten gnllp'e Vi
the chronicler underneath the cnrohlcie'
Dr Wilson maintains that lmaglhaticii aiId
xrit are great aids tn serious writing, and' mgr
dentally he illustrates their use IN VIVA. ne
himself produces. Here are Few sen. ~
from his refreshing pleas for Wit: VII uo.o
mot make a subject light: II simply beats IL ii'1
shape to be handled readily. For my part
make free acknowledgment that no man s. .Is
20 mo master Of his subject VINO carrot take
liberties with il; who cannot slap IT'S PROPOSE
tons on the back and be BATTLE-GROUND IN
with them. Suspect man or shao ,,n;s wi,
always takes himself and ell that h, thinks SER,
ouslv For light on q dark subject commend |
me 70 a ray of wit Most of your solemn eN-
plantations are mere farthing candies IN the
great expanse Of a difficult question
Rut does the author show that ne hnsei eau
illuminate subjects and employ the ar's ioI
which he pleads? No Will doubt IL al'ed
reading the essays "A Literary Poltlcial
(3aeehot) The Interpreter of Engllsh LlperS >, |
f3urke) and "A Calendar Of Great Americans.
He EXPLAINS most interestingly Bagehots TRAITS
and the sources of his extraordinary influence
and popularity We have read much or BURKE
and still more about him, but THIS essay re-
moves the shadowy outlines and makes MN
thoroughly ineligible and admirable IN thrice
the space we have nowhere else found so many
ant and brilliant characterizations OF the grea'
nolitical leaders Of the United states as are 70
I've read in the paper entitled "A Calendar Oh
Great Americans .,;.
Parts Of the volume are not above crlticisii.
Here and there the dash and the struggle lot
effect becomes apparent. An affected use vi
"'tis'-generally at the beginning or sentence
and fondness for weaving strange or ooso-
Iete words into his most ambitious sentences
mar the effect at times. Perhaps some reau-
ers will cynicay suggest that Dr WILSON,
nreaching would be more effective AFTER uoihs
more practising But those who welcome the
truth whatever its source and those VINO M
70 come in contact with an active nina VIII
find instruction and cOmpanonship IN TINS VOL
Ume