The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-04-04

providence, and, above NIL. their accessibility.
When he drow UP in HIS shcll. 1t was because he
was shy. not because no was digni0cd.
Wo pass over tho chapter allotted to John
Randolph OF Roanoke, whose eccentric career
simply furnishes an effective foil to tho lives of
great and consistent statesmcn and an agree.
able contrast TO those OF certain mcdiocrities.
Wo pass to the man whose public life, at least
during tho more important part Oft, belongs pre-
cminently TO tho South. and not, as was tho case
With Washington and jefferson. TO tho nation.
We refer. OF course. 10 John G.. Calhoun, who
was tho coryphnus of purely Southern, and con.
sGQuently, sectional politics. 1t is trro, how
ever. that Calhoun himself was not In AL re.
spects n typical Southcrnrr. He had not tho
peculiar fcxibility and mobility of character
that marks tho average inhabitant OF his
region; his inherited Scotch-lrish qualities gavc
him n sort of stiffness and rigidity of tcmpcra-
mcnt which, whilc not uncommon In TIM South,
has never been characteristic Of II. Tct, though
not a member by birth OF tho dominant planter
aristocrat class, he was adopted Ivy It, he
cspouscd its cause. and became, in fact, is
leader. or Calhoun's private life, in truth. wa
know next 10 nothing. since 1t was simple and
retiring. and his hitherto published ccrrc-
sponuence practically deals with politics only.
His contemporaries were far from knowing or
understanding him. so that their comments AFRO
OF little valuo in estimating his character; the
author of this book deems ii doubtful II we ever
shall know him as we do most Of his
notable contemporaries. Is IL even possible TO
sum up the lifc and work of this man. considered
solely as a statesmnnl To Prof. Trent even this
task seems almost hopeless, 50 bcsct is IL with
contradictions. rho spectacle before us is thar
OF u devoted patriot, who spends the best por-
ton OF his life struggling against the manifest
destiny Of his country. Though possessing n
profoundly analytical mind. he fails utterly to
grasp tho true nature OF an institution which
he has known and studied for nearly n lifetime,
in spite OF the fact that the wiscst of his own
forerunnerSh had carefully explained It 20 him.
AT Tho outset n practical, lovcl-hcadcd politician
and man of affairs, he turns into a do"trinairo
fanatic about n metaphysical theory of politics.
A loyal, truc-hcarted gentleman. he eventually
brings himself TO write clubbing and almost i'm
pertinent letters 10 tho Minister OF n great
power, and lends himself to IL sly trick TO &c.
around n Constitution he has spent his life in
defending from insidious attack. What, asks
our author finally. arc we to say OF such "A man :
Prot. Trent. for his part, cannot call him n thor
oughly wise and great statesman: but he can
admire his strong, subtle intellect. lofty intcg-
rity and soundncss of heart. Mistaken he was
o.ltl, ulb l' ' uAl any I'M 'olN' Jus
that he thought was wrong or low. His pur.
poses were too high. whatever the means he
used to effect them. for posterity to forcgo his
example of manly Independence. We cannot
love him, indeed, although We respect him for
the noble and the pathetic features Of his career.
He stands too much apart from his fellows 10
elicit sympathy, and the words he speaks arc
those OF prophetic warning rather than those OF
encouragement or allurement.
We shall not dwell upon the chapter assigned
to Alexander II. Stephens and Robert Toonbs.
for the reason that, as the author admits, time
has already done much TO obliterate the names.
II Is nevertheless true that the period in which
they fiourishcd will always attract the attention
OF tho historian, aud that he will fail to under
stand il thoroughly unless he knows not merely
what manner OF men Alexander IL. stephens
and Robert Toombs were, but also, in the main,
what they wrote. and said. ana did. Prot. Trent
has this knowledge. and. although he frequently
has occasion TO find fault with them. 1t is Of
tcncr his privilege to approve. For. although
swept away at the last, they honestly
loved and chung to tho Union through
their youth and early manhood, and resisted
demagosucs like Polk AMI Ithott manfully, il
unsuccessfully. They could not. 1t is true. apply
Jeffcrson's dialectics. for that philosopher. as
tho author reminds us. has had ~IIegcl's fate. and
has left disciples OF thc Right, Centre, and Left.
each of whom is sure that he alone has the
masters secret, whereas the master would prob
ably be willing to explain with the great Ger
man metaphysician that only one man under
stood him, to wit. James Madison, whereas
Clay and Calhoun had killed him. Stephens
and Toombs could not even make deft uso Of
Clay's cement or of Calhoun's acid solvent. Yet
they did act truly and manfully, according to
tho liuht thay Ind