The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1897-11-07

rxsr f.powTu or THE FRENCH
ssTzos NV George Eurton Aeasi%s-
Hacrnsilsa CO. psnlis1sFs-
rso~~. pu~ou Asarus. professor q
,s.,evv IN Yale univerSity. has written 81
historical work n one FelaEne.
.svox-sh os ire French Nation" 3nzt pao-
f.ssssa ~ Macmillan co.
The difficulty sf including n woEx OF
.nss ssze al The matters 81 iaserest oe-
Isng4rg 70 French history is ~ once sp-
uzrent. ana Mr.. Adams canrol - 700
highly commended fer tne wtaeoFn ne has
saswn IN selecting THE most salient i@el@
that hear upon fhe national CROWN. ana.
o. the ether haad. MS material once Sc
lecsed, the theme f. treated IN concise.
iue3s ard nsasserfuI manner. and ~s1h
FIRE simplicity In the use OF EnsassA. &c
eaS.orsi reference is made IN the narEsH
% books "a the Engiszf language TAieA
are OF particular interest on speciai
periods. blss 90 attempt has been made 20
furnish a photography oE french history
TEE author's aim sseus to have been
eomprshe nsfvs history Of TIE French
nstlen for the average reader. rstnsr
than q work Of ersaitloa for the scholar.
prof. Adams begins his history WHEN
Gaeg makes SIS first appearance Ii record
Is tbs nome Of various bali-isAf-
bare TRIES with no connected
naglsaaI life. that IS. from
tine more than 10 years before
the Christian era. down 20 the end OF the
niaeteenfh century. when the same land
Is ire home CT a powerful and Thoroughly
united nation. ruling itself as a great re-
public. Ia tracing the decisive changes
walch have transformed THIS primitive
people into the highly organized nation o.
today, the author deals 8rat with the
Roman conquest which brought the Cal
lie tribes into contact with civilization
much higher than its own. and carried
their intellectual and political develop
n4ent 10 a point which they could not
have reached alone.
Following the Roman conquest came
The German occupation adding a naw
element 70 the blood and institutions OF
tie nation. ard exerting a profound In
fusnes upon is future. TIE laird stage
Of So history Vas characterized by the
breaking up Of the state into fragments
by the feldai system. afterwards united
~ the efforts Of the C2pstian family
ana formed into monarchy. Genera
tiea after generation. with steady pur-
pose. the Capetlan kings weakened the
fen5al barons. absorbed their territories
IN the crown domain. asserted and estab-
isshed one royal prerogative after another.
and created political institutions which
vested all the functions Of government n
the monarchy. The difficulties presented
az this time by the great English domin-
Ions 10 France. which threatened 10 split
the country Into two rival states. the
struggles over which lasted for 100 years.
retarded the French nation. but in the end
AIDED greatly In awakening national en-
thusiasm and patriotism. which were OF
value in the future.
As the formation OF the nation. both
geographically and politically. was due
almost solely to the efforts Of the kings.
Il naturally resulted IN the supremacy Of
the kings wlii-hence the next stage IN
the history Of France Is that Of absolute
monarchy. The age of absolute monarchy
was characterized by the rise of inter-
national politics. and by a long struggle
for supremacy IN Europe. first with Spain
Ia Italy. and then with the house OF Haps-
burg chiefly In the Rhine valley. During
this age England. not so intimately In
viewed In European rivslries. was slowly
hut steadily preparing for the next stage
Of history. the oonilc. for a great CO.
l0nial empire In the new world and in
india. In this later hundred years war
with England. France was handicapped
by her continental position. and. notwith-
standing the brilliant genius Of French
colonial commanders. the French empire
vas destroyed.
ion had been growing up in France. de-
handing a reform OF government. This
public opinion. created by a more general
spread OF Intelligence. scientific and intel
ieciual advances and more than all by the
keen sense OF abuses and inequalities
which even the lowest classes felt found
a special point OF attack In the financial
difficulties Of the state. and forced the
government 10 caIl a representative as
semlr. the Estates General 81 11s9 From
this peint France rapidly passed into the
revolutionary period OF Is history. and
fer ten years valnly tried 30 rale itself
bat It's lack or experience ana practical
knowledge made Il easy for the man OF
genius and power 10 create a new ALSO
iuta monarchy, 1t was easy FOR him also
q diFect the immense enthusiasm q revo-
mtonary France into a new attempt %
make the French power supreme IN
EHrepe. Following the failure o; this.
ore government succeeded another with
great rapi3lty-spparent showing little
growth Ia the nations power 10 rule Itself.
'0ut.' concludes the author. ''at last It
has entered upon a most hopeful stage. IN
which e II showing TIE wisdom " has
now gathered FROM experience and IS
really governing itself We may venture
O. hopo that our ancient friend and a,ly
has finally found the way 70 a government
81 she people, b ;hc people, and for ule
people"