The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1900-03-25

ORIGIN AND GROWTH OF THE ENG
LISH CONSTITUTION, by Hannis Tay
lor l. L. D. Two volumes. Publish
ers: Houghton, Mfflin & Co, Boston,
Mass
Bound in two handsome volumes of
over six hundred pages each, this new
work by DR.. Taylor will take rank with
Brice's Tho American Commonwealth"
Wilson's Congressional Government
and other like works that. while treating
of great subjects that are Old, illumjne
them with a new style OF treatment and
bring out the hidden meaning of much
that is the mudsill of our own Con-
stitution. It is the work of a scholar, a
statesman, a lawyer diplomat Dr.
Taylor has been a close student of the
English Constitution from his youth and
in his two volumes has treated with in
terest subjects still untouched by exist
ing publications. The lawyer, editor and
pubicist will find it an invaluable wade
mecum and it is only question OF Few
months before it will be a standard work
in all our colleges and universities. 1t
is not too much to say that for the Am
erican student it is the best and most
instructive discussion of the English Con-
stitution that has been written. The
man who wishes to know the fundamen-
tails of the American Constitution will find
a flood of light thrown on every article
and section by following DR.. Taylor in
his treatment of the growth and origin
of the English Constitution. No Const-
tuition can be created in a day 1t must
grow like a tree. The amendments TO
the Federal Constitution that followed
the war were rushed through in haste APP
Of
had been growing since Wendell Phillips
made the first abolition speech and the
seed of every one of them was embedded
in Uncle Toms Cabin In the consti-
tutional changes going on in the South,
by which the negro vote is being elmi-
mated, the same process of slow growth 1
is seen. 1t has taken twenty years for
The craftsmanship of the South to find
solution of the problem which unrestrict-
ed negro suffrage required. Written con-
stitutions come about not unlike unwrit-
ten ones.
Dr. Taylor's great work has been we'll
received by scholars and statesmen in
fhis country and in England. 1t has been
approved by the faculties of the universe
ties in Dublin, oxford, Cambridge and
Edinburg, and is in use in these uni !
versities The Cambridge News in its
review says
Or Taylor has sought to make his
book of human interest and in this he
has fully succeeded. The subject unfor-
tunately appeals comparatively speaking, |
only to a limited number but were all
works of this kind written in DR.. Tay-
lor's style who shall say that the num-
Oar of those interested in constitutional
history would not be greatly augmented!
For instance, the manner in which the
rise and progress of local government is
dealt with could not be more concise or
more fair. Impartiality and liberation are
distinct features throughout the work
The success of the work is assured, and
although it has had cordial reception
at the hands of those best fitted to judge
of it's worth and Importance, thus setting
at rest any anxiety which the learned
author may have felt, we do not hesitate
TO say that full greater measure of
praise will fall to DR.. Taylor as the
years creep on for this most important
achievement of American scholarship.
In America it has received like corr
mendation The Catholic University bull
ietin, of Washington, d. c., says:
Mr. Tayor's work does not aspire TO
supplant the works of the great inves- |
tigators of the modern English school
For example, it does not assume to set
aside the constitutional history OF Bishop |
Stubs but supplements and comoete6 IL |
in the light of researches, made since |
his time. The history Oy StubbS Will
doubtless long remain the Standard FOR
the period OF which It ireats-'the period
covered by Taylor's firSt volume. He Was
one OF that brand of pioneers who delvsd
into the rich mines of English historical
records, and gave us the superb results
of their own researches. For the student
these volumes of the bishop of Durham
4n;lst in the appTeciative words ot ray
SOF. ever remain rich mines or fact ana
thought which NAV be worked without |
limit and without exhaustion. Stuops
was an original investigator. Taylor Is
an analyst and an expositor Taylor,
-ayailing himself of the researches or
Stubs and his fellow investigators, sets
himself to drawing out the story that
these researches unfold. He has done
we'll what ne set cut to do, and ms COOK
stands as a model of the eXpositors art.
But it is something more. His keen an
aiytical mind and his legal training have
given him a peculiar fitness of material
ready 40 his hand and his book is note
worthy addition to historical literature,
for which every student of British and
American political institutions will feel
grateful The tone of the work is calm
and impartial and the author shows a
spirit of fairness toward Catholics that
we are little accustomed to find in his
torcal treatise by nonCathoics.
The high position which DR.. Taylor has
won in the world of law. letters and di-
plon,Ccy is particularly gratifying to
the pecoie of North Carolina. He was
born in New Berne, September 18th. 1s51
and was a student of the University at
Chapel Hill when it's doors were closed
in 1867 He began the study of law and
settled at Mobile, Ala. He was from the
first a diligent student and made STEADY
progress toward leadership in his profess
sion. He never held public place until
he was appointed Minister TO Spain by
Mr.. Cleveland in 1898. and remained there
six months of Mr. McKinley's admins
tration. He made reputation for tact,
wisdom and ability. He gave much study
TO ba ripht %