The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1897-10-10
on matters literary. educational. scisn-

annum.
SUNBEAMs: October. The Sunbeam Com
pany. rs. Fulton street, New YORK; 81
per annum.
PROFESSOR WILLIAM =. TRENT. OF
the University Of the South. on SOUTH
ern Statesmen OF the Old Regime. Dy
r. X. HOWISON, l.. l.. ID.
The volume containing these lectures
on the lives. characters. views. and opin-
ions Of George Washington. Thomas Jei-
ferson. John Randolph. OF Roanoke John
c. Calhoun, Alexander H. Stephens, ROD
ert Toombs. and Jefferson Davis was
issued during 1897 from the publishing
house OF Thomas Y.Crowen Co. OF
Boston and New York. and has been
adopted as one book Of the Library OF
Economics and Politics under the edi-
torship OF Prof. Richard 7. Ely, OF the
University Of Wisconsin. who seems to be
an intimate friend Of Prof. Trent.
These lectures. in form somewhat
less organized than as now published
were originally delivered nominaliy 10 a
class. but really TO a large audience
composed OF representatives OF the Uni
versity and city Of Madison, in Wisconsin.
And in his preface, the learned professor
who delivered them says: III 1 may
Judge from the kindness OF my own re-
ception, Madison Is a very paradise Tor
lecturers; II Is also one OF the least
sectional and biased places that nave
ever known"
Thus il appears that these essays found
no birthplace in the South. Ihey were
born I'm the northwest. nursed INFO some
thing Of infantile strength by trained
man-nurse Of that region. published IN
the Northeast. and have been chleily read
an n
line.
But some Southern critics lave
read them, and have commented
on them, I'm sharp and caustic
censure Professor Trent is ma
tive Of Virginia, and has been reared
and educated chiefly under southern
skies. i'm the schools and colleges OF Nir-
ginia, and in the Johns Hopkins univer-
sity Of Maryland. And he gives very
frankly certain facts concerning his own
age and his opportunities for acquiring
knowledge wisdom. and proper feeling
on the important subjects and personages
treated by him I'm these lectures when
ought TO be weighed by us and may tenn
per to moderation judgments upon him
which would otherwise be hot with con-
demnation.
IN the lecture on Jefferson Davis, page
go. Professor Trent says; stranger
things happen than the waning OF pref
udice and popular hatred. Mr.. Davis
when he camped near this very spot
meaning Madison. Wisconsin, in the
summer of 1929, little thought that nearly
seventy years later he would here be
made the subject of a lecture by South
erner who cannot recollect ever seeing
a slave. and who has never believed In
. ria &c go
Thus. this juvenile professor, who has
thrown aside the toga of fealty to the
most Justly cherished emotions and ira
ditions Of his own native State, seeks 70
confess and avoid" his fault, and his
expected condemnation by plea Of nom
age. and Of unbelief in a doctrine i'm
movably founded on the rock basis OF
historic truth.
But let us 90 him full justice and
award TO his lectures the praise they de-
serve. The criticisms Of them appearing
I'm the current prints of the day naturally
led me. as an humble student of history,
to read his volume and 10 seek 10 form
and express fair and impartial opinion
as 10 his views and teachings. / nave,
therefore. read every part OF the book
wi.h care and caution and with tull
purpose to permit neither sectionalism
nor prejudice nor profession 70 warp the
judgment into error.
The vehicle Of thought used by this
Young professor f. certainly attractive
and efficient for his purposes. His En-
pllsh is vigorous. impressive sometimes
epigrammatic, fascinating. He deserves
better fate than that Of being a South
ern native. educated in the South, ana
with unlimited means Of sound informa-
ton I'm his hands. and yet Of being
professor in 1.-THE Southern University
whose views. opinions. and feelings VIII
lead him to teach nothing but centraliza-
ton and consolidation and overthrow OF
state rights as the true principle and
policy of the government Of the United
Statesi To what frightful and destructive
results will he be leading all students and
all minds that can be Influenced by his
hcrosis.
His lecture on Washington is worthy Of
being read by all. IL is q very noble and
very successful vindicatiOn OF the great
est Of Americans as really great
man-great IN character, great In mind
great and symmetrical in personality
great as a soldier. great as statesman
even great as a politician. and yet so per-
fcctly balanced I'm the equilibrium OF MS
faculties and powers that IL has taken
time and study TO discover how great ne
was IL IS true that I'm this lecture on
Washington Professor Trent begins 70
exhlbl; tho effects Of his blindness on
State rights. He begins 10 show that
he cannot discriminate between the mere
admission that the people Of the United
States collectively are "a nation and
the admission that while. for all external
and general purposes and policies. we
are "a nation" vet the nation IS made
up Of separate and originally sovereign
States. united by government compact
I'm which general and federal powers are
delegated TO the central government. ana
all powers not delegated are reserved 10
the States. and as TO them, the states
remain sovereigns.
The examples Of ancient Greece ana
Of the very modern empire OF Germany
though not perfect in all points OF par
allelism. are quite sufficient 10 show
that "a nation may exist in the form
OF separate sovereignties confederated by
a bond of union, and that each OF these
one independent sovereignties may re-
tain its local autonomy.
Washington may have regarded the
great people who united in electing him
President as "a nation" But he never
forgot that each State continued TO be
sovereign as TO proper state powers. This
IS positively demonstrated by his course
in 1890, when the Congress voted on the
petition headed by BENJAMIN Franklin
praying that measures should be adopted
by the Congress for the ultimate aboli-
ton Of African slavery as II then eX-
listed in the separate states.
The Congress on the sd Of March, l'N'
adopted a resolution as follows:
"That Congress has no authority to In
terfere In the emancipation OF slaves