The Portland daily press., 1899-03-21
HANNIBAL HAMLlN.
The LIZ. and Times Of a Famous states
mountaineering Political History Of
an Important Period.

mountaineering Political History of
an Important Period.
The life of Hannibal Hamlin, written
with a view also of the events OF which
he was a part is a fairly complete history
of the rolitics of Maine from 1885 to 1891,
and of the nation from 1870 to 1850. 1t Is
with this fact in view that his grandson,
Charles Eugene Hainlin, has written
Tho Life and Times Of Hannibal Ham
lin" Cambridge: Riverside Press; Pub
llshed by Subscription OF course a
work written by member of the hume
diate family of the subject has certain in
eyitablo and weli-recognized limitations.
gran 1son, writing Of an illustrious
grandfather. cannot be expected to treat
his subject with the cool Judgment OF
Macaulny writing of Warren Hastings, or
FroLde writing of Erasmus. But on the
other hand, as warm admrsr and near
relative, he has the spirit and the facili-
ties or clothing his subject with so much
OF personal incident as to make the mar
rative instinct with the life which &C
tally characterized the subject in the
Il esh. Biographies of this kind, when
well DONE and MIR. Hamlin has certainly
done his work welfare always highly en-
tertaining. And in this case the absence
of the critical spirit towards the subject
will hardly be missed by any lover OF
truth for the reason that there seems to
have been very little In Hannibal Ham
Inns career to criticize. He WAS a cleau,
honorable, lnborious, faithful and able
representative American, who fought his
battles valisntly on the side which he be
lieved was right and which he event has
shown to have been right. But of criti'
cism of men who opposed Mr.. Hamlin the
biographer is less sparing, and many emf
nent men of Maine are displayed in lights
which do not show them off TO advantage.
The pro slavery, or Hunker, Democracy
OF Maine were Mr. Hamlin's determined
foes, ard the biographer does not spare
some of them, whose names stand very
high in the history of the state. In
for the reader 10 rememb Der at the fall
ngs of politicians who happen to get on
the wrong side of question always APP
pear in an unfavorable light, while the
ruddy glow of success sometimes covers
with glory victors whose methods may be
even worse THAI the pale and siokly sins
OF the defeated This is not to be under.
stood, however, as implying that MIR.
Hamlin's supporters may have been AZ
unscrupulous as the Hunkers are credited
with being.
or tha ancestry and youth of Mr. Ham
lin the account is very full and interest
ing. The family line is traced from
Norman knights of the gallant company
that followed William the Conqueror
to the Conquest of England. EARLY
settlers In New England, the Hamlins
were always prominent, as well for deed
as for a;certains originality of thought
and popularity of ideas The old Massa-
chusetts Hamlin who named his sons
Scipio Africanus, Hsnnibal, Cyrus,
America, Europe and Asia because he was
tired of the Puritan Jobs, Shobals and
Ichabols then SO predominant In the
colony, showed the defiant independence
latent in the blood
Hannibal Ham!in had much of this
quality, consummate politician though he
was. Those who remember him only in
his later days, when his word was law
with the Republican organization of
Maine, will read with interest and sur
prise that most of the earlier years of his
career were passed in bitter battle with
the political machine OF his party. Mr..
Hamlin seems to have been drawn from
fame and successes Of Andrew jackson.
Men like jackson, Nathaniel Macon and
Thomas il. Benton We're his ideals and
his mentors. They were Democrats, even
slave-holding Democrats, out the Union
Yves dearer to them than Institution or
party. From the ideas OF patriots of
This stamp Mr.. Hamlin did not swerve.
Hence when the men Of the Calhoun.
Toombs and Atohison stamp obtained
control of the Democratic party and
placed the Piercss and Buchanans in the
White House. MIR. Hamlin found himself
out of harmony with the Democratic
machine in Maine For the machine, as
machines have habit of doing, turned
itself naturally towards the hands that
dispensed the federal patronage. Mr.
Hamlin met this machine in three great
battles, in 1876, in lS47 and in 1850. In
each OF these contests he was a candidate
for the u nited States Senate: and in each
the result may be said to have been de
termined by single vote. In is46 MIR.
Hanilin had majority of the Democratic
members of the House and Senate had
they held their oaucuses together; but 1t