New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1900-01-10
ROOSEVELT'S "CROMWELL. I"
AN INTERESTING EXPERIMENT IN HIS
TORICAL WRITING

Despite
publications, of them biographical and
historical. the Cromwell papers he is contribut
ing to "Scribner's Magazine" supply something
in the nature OF the usual surprise. They would
be interesting under any circumstances. They
particularly interesting just now when the
simultaneous publication in THE Century Mag
azine" of a life Of Cromwell by John Morley
enables us to make of the most attractive
comparisons ever available to the critic, that
Of a man of letters who has engaged in poll
ties with & politician who has from time to
time essayed the practice of letters Governor
Roosevelt would doubtless be the first to appre
ciate the appraisal of his work Cromwell
in the light of a work the same theme by
a eminent historian and biographer who is
also one Of the acknowledged masters of Eng
lish prose.
The contrast is peculiarly effective if made
with reference to the opening chapters of Mr..
Morley's Life" in the November Century
and the first instaIment of Governor Roosevelt's
sketch, which appears in 'Scribners' for Janu-
airy. In writing of this sort attack means
much. Mr.. Morley exercises pre-eminenty the
scholars method He traverses briefly the
ditions from which the conflict between Court
and Parliament arose, but it is with oliver
that he is chiefly concerned, and he plunges
almost Immediately into the task Of portraying
his hero. Governor Roosevelt, the other
hand. is anxious to exhibit Cromwell as the rep
resentative figure Of a great modern movement
linked to own time, and he therefore dwells
at more length on the subject of English poll
tics in general. 1t is in this part of his work
that the young American has most to learn
from Mr.. Morley. The latter fixes unerringly
the relative position of each parsonage or event;
he treats his material syntheticaly, and the
situation be grasped as a whole in his pages.
is
ence to take the stages IN his narrative one by
one, and frames labortously a record, not al
ways coherent or relevant. Of the things which
make the prologue to Cromwelrs rise in Eng
lish politics.
The inexperience may be outived. What is
more dubious in the Governors writing is the
lack of historical imagination which it sug-
gests. We note this especially where the analy-
sis of character is concerned. Charles I, in
Governor RooseveIt's Introductory chapters,
leaves the impression of a man who, in public
life by his treachery, mendacty, folly and
vindictiveness; his utter inability to learn by
experience or to sympath1ze with any noble
ambition Of his country; his readiness to follow
evil counsel, and his ingratitude toward any
sincere friend" proved himself las unfit
either of his sons to sit the English throne"
moments reference to Mr.. Morley's terse but
profound passage on Charles will show Governor
this view of his. He will that the trained
historian goes to the root of the matter, with
unmstakable justice, in the single penetrating
line: His falkland no statesman can have a
worse-was that he never saw things they
were"
We are puzzled to find Governor Roosevelt,
always a fresh and self-con1dent writer,
banding his text by trite moralizlngs, scarcely
compatible with the dignity of the historic Muse.
Stability Of government and therefore order,
depends in the last resort upon the ability of
the people to come to a consensus as to where
power belongs" Rebellion, revolution-the ap-
peal to arms to redress grievances; these are
measures that can only be justified in extreme
cases." I'VE admit a matter Of course
that any man may, in religious matters, profess
to be guided by authority or by reason, as suits
him best; but that he must not interfere with
similar freedom Of belief in others" The justice
of all these statements is unimpeachable. But,
when it comes to that, is the truth Of the
observation that two and two make four. Gov
ernor Roosevelt. we are sure, only needs to have
these devations into pauitude pointed out to
him to avoid them in the future. 1t is likely
also that, as he considers further the problem
of writing history, he may see the error Of al
lowing it to lure him into something that re-
sembles stump speaking and political pam
phleteering mot only the greatest statesmen,
but all men who truly wise and patriotic,
recognize that peace is good only when it comes
honorabIy and is used for honorable purposes,
and that the peace OF mere sloth incapacity
is as great a curse the most unrighteous
war" We recollect more than one deliverance
of this sort from the Governor, one of them. If
we mistake not, bringing light and leading to
Mothers Meeting But the point seems trife
labored when it in biography of Crom-
we'll
The truth is that Governor Roosevelt has wan
dered little from his true vocation, as in these
pages he unconsciousy confesses. From these
dreamers of dreams Of whose 'cloistered virtue
Milton spoke with such fine contempt" he re-
marks, the men who possessed the capacity to
do things turned contemptuopsly away, seeking
practical results rather than theoretical perfec
ton, and being content to get the substance at
some cost of form. AS always, the who
counted were those who stroye for actual
achievement in the field of practical politics"
In these words the Governor describes himself
with admirable completeness, and why after all,
should he let his opportunity 60 merely to dab
BILE in form of literature where theory
counts great deal? It is true that he is not
without a fondness for theorizing. Though the
practical man is better than the mere theorist"
he declares "he cannot do the highest work
unless he is a theorst also" But such powers
of theory, of intellectual coordination, as Gov
ernor Roosevelt may possess, we would far
rather see put to good purpose in the Executive
Mansion. He is striving for actual
achievement in the field of practical politics"
1t seems unfortunate that he should choose such
a moment for submitting himself to unfortunate
IL not disastrous comparison with a noted
writer like John Morley. OF course, no one
Lob lie