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

Whatever allowance may he possibly made for
Mcssrs. Nicolay and Hay in their historical
spc"ulations, none can be made. In our authors
opinion. for their historical judgments rs 10 tho
true character of Mr.. Davis when they arc
couchcd in tho followin style: As Al blind man
may not be held responsible for his description
OF u painting. or II deaf mute he expected TO re-
peat accurately the airs of an opera. so We ran
only explain jefferson Davis's vehement denial
OF the charge of hypocrisy and conspiracy
through n whole decade by tho supposiiion
that he was Incapable of understanding
the accepted meaning OF such words as
patriotism loyalty allegiance faith
honor and duty" Prot. Trent declares
that, for his part, he can explain the insertion Of
this sentence in the Lincoln biography only on
the supposltion that the gentlemen who pcnncd
II were incapable OF understanding the accepted
moaning OF tho words they strung together: by
which statement no does not mean 10 imply that
they nrc not patriotic. loyal. honorable. and duti-
ful, but simply that they seemed not TO under
stand that patriotism, loyalty, honor, Sc. re-
Guiro objects. If they arc not TO Icmain nero
distractions, and that such objects differ in diff
fercnt times and places. riu patriotism. loyalty.
&c. acceptable TO Mrssra. Sicolay and IIay-and
the author or this book aid1 "to myself. "-Ipro
patriotism and loyalty toward tho United
states OF -NinCrlca, inc PATRIOTISM ana lOynIt"
acceptable 10 Mr.. Davis and 10 thousands
Of other true and brave men. were patriotism
and loyalty to tho State Of Mississippi. 1t IL,
submits the author, prepostcrous for Ncssrs.
Sicolay and Hay to nrgo that Jefferson Davis
did not know what patriotism ana loyalty
meant, because lo WAS patriotic and loyal in II
way different from their own. lntil we learn
TINT men can differ radically on the most sacred
subjocts-on religion, morality. allegiance, duty
and still no honest and true. rs far MS their
lights 20. We arc In great danger OF becoming
Digots in religion, pnrtisans in politics. and one.
sided theorists ana critics in philosophy. litera-
turc, and history. The author of this book dwClls
upon this matter. and does not hesitate to tako
Lincoln's bioSraplcrs to task. because he be-
licvcs that 1t will DO impossible TO arrive at
any true conclusion with regard 10 the his,
tory Of this country prior to 1868 until We give
up the still current method OF impugning the
motives of the actors in that great drama, tho
pivot OF which was the downfall OF slavery.
Until 1t is possible for ono and tho same
man to render justice both TO William Lloyd
Garrison and to Jefferson Davis within
tho covers of ono volume, we shall never
have an impartial historian or an impartial his.
tory. Let the future American historian char
~actcri2o actions per sc as they deserve TO be
characterized, but let him shrink from assuming
that nm act. which turns out fatal and disastrous.
prcsuproses n wicked motive behind Il. Tho
chief trouble with American historians up TO the
present time has been that they have not studied
American history widely and deeply enough,
and that they have had little knowledge of men.
The author of this book reDudiates the notion