New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1899-08-04
LONDON NOTES.
ENGLISH OPINION ON THE PEACE nv.
GRESS-"THE QUARTERLY REVIEWS,
ATTACK UPON SIR GEORGE TIRE
VELYAN "A GENIAL CRITIC
London, July %

VELYAN "A GENIAL CRITIC
London. July q
The English press, under the Leadership a.
The Times Is now condemning the Peace Cor-
| ference at The Hague with faint praise IT,.
delegates are credited with having done a a..
| tain amount Of what may prove to be vaIr.,,.
work." although they have not gone very o.
toward the realization Of the great Russ,.~
project as 1t was originally proposed" Disarmo.
ment has been shown to be impracticable :,
though greatly to be desired; few safesuara.
for rendering warfare more humane have bsa.
adopted; a series of topics has been PROPOSED %.
future conferences and arbitration, which wa,
not mentioned in the original Rescript and w..
the last Of the eight topics in Count Murav,ear.
| list. has been taken up by Sir Julian Pauncefo,.
and is the only practical accomplishment TIL.
world has England to thank II Russian idea,I.r,
has been tempered by common sense and anv
good thing has come out Of the Peace Congrass
This Is THE Timess' summary reduced o.
simple terms, and 1t is generally adopted BY N.
English press, with the single exception Of 9TH.
Manchester Guardian" which protests agans,
the exhibition Of national vanity.
I am not attempting TO comment upon the ~.
suits Of the Conference, which are intelligibl.
in America they here. but only upon the
characteristic treatment which its work receives.
in England. Little was expected here from the
Peace Congress, and now that its acte final has
been drawn up Englishmen are asked TO 'recog.
nize with pride" the fact that the chief result
has been attained by the sound work and prac-
teal instincts of their representatives. That IL
the spirit of conscious pre-eminence which has
founded and defended an empire and carried the
English flag to the ends Of the earth 1t may BE-
unduly self-assertive and sometimes offensive to
foreign nations which are striving to cooperate
with England in the work Of civilization, but II
serves to emphasize and magnify the glory OF
the empire Of which two small islands on the
border Of Europe are the centre. Henceforth
will be a cardinal article Of English faith that
while the Car amiabe dreamer Sir
Julian Pauncefote brought the Conference down
from the misty clouds of idealism and enabled Il
to do something practical.
It must fairly be admitted, however, that there
is solid basis Of fact for this conclusion. which
is so Aattering to English pride. Apart from
the arbitration scheme. the work Of the Congress
has not been Of much practical importance, and
It was Sir Julian Pauncefote who perceived the
value Of the principle OF permanency In the tri-
bunal and the precise conditions under which Il
could be established. To him belong the highest
honors OF the Peace Congress after the original
rights OF the Car have been reserved. Other
delegations have cordially and intelligently sup
ported him. notably those OF the United States.
France. the Netherlands and Belgium; and I'M
doubtedly the English press would be more
graceful II it were more generous in admitting
this useful cooperation. The American dele
CATION had similar arbitration scheme, and Il
exerted great influence and displayed conspicu.
Gus tact In adapting means 10 ends In modify
ing German criticism and In helping on the good
cause. II the principal question with which IL
was identified. the protection OF private property
in time OF war, has bern referred TO subse-
ouent Conference. which can only be held with
the consent OF England, It claim largo
share Of credit for the adoption Of Sir Julian
Pauncefote's scheme for rendering arbitration
asier and more practical than 1t has been In the
past.
one OF the most graceful acts OF Anglo-Saxon
good feeling during recent years has been the
publication OF Sir George Treveyan's Amer
lean Revolution" 1t was a generous tribute
from an eminent Engishman TO the homely
virtues and high character OF the patriots OF the
American Colonies during the eighteenth GEN.
fury. English critics almost without exception
have reviewed that work in similar spirit OK
magnanimity and fair play. Sir George Trevei-
vans American Revolution Ike Mr.. Bryces
American Commonwealth" has been accepted
on both sides OF the Atlantic one Of the new
bonds OF Anglo-Saxon unity and comfy. me
Quarterly Review" after long delay, has al
tempted TO break the force OF this noble tribute
TO early American patriotism by challenging us
historical accuracy 1t does this under cover OK
nine other titles mainly American in origin put
the motive Of the performance is speedily re-
vealed In acrid structures upon Sir George ire
veyan's work like the following:
Animated by a spirit not that of history. and
should hope not that Of politics ne mas sa, nd
cred up all the Wing traditions, animosltieS anu
jealousies of the eighteenth century ana hsS
flung them by way OF defiance on the tnresho.u
OF the twentieth at a time when the dying NM mn,
teenth century had come to look upon thenl WIN
somewhat OF disdan He has endeavored 70 Uu,
do all the panegyrical portraits painted oy PDPo
lar artists In America OF the tathe1S OF the ne'
oution He has tried to outshriek the annual
declaimers against the Boston MASSACRE. 10 ~,
has contributed, so far as he can conltlpute,
revive in the minds OF Americans the hatreo VI
Britain which in past times has RETARDED INC INC
progress Of civilization, and when mas iatS'y ~,
had reason to hope been somewhat duIied os
the National recognition OF British itlenu LTa
at a critical time. He has exhibited a slhsulaI
and to US quite unjustifable hatred OF hIns
George III. OF the Parliament OF Ehgilsh Id w.,
English policy and English society durlhs '"'
period covered by his volume.
This acrid reviewer. in order to suppress wha'
he describes as Sir George Trevelyan's reoel'oh
against the authority of history and the COURSE
Of modern opinion. extracts from the nine o'ne'
volumes under examination evidence that '''
American patriots OF the eighteenth century
were not ideally perfect men. and that 'n'
Revolution was a hotbed of jealousies' enVSins
and sordd strife. He fills thirty pages Win
citations which place the worthless OF that STORMY
period OF independence in an unfavoreole hsn''
and he seems to be utterly unconscious OF h''
own part.sanship in giving prominence 10 every,
thing that is unpleasant and suspicious anu