The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1900-11-12
RECENT PUBLICATIONS.
Theodore RooseveIt's Life of Oliver
Cromwell.

The life of Oliver Cromwell is far from
being a new theme, but in this work Gov
ernor Roosevelt invests it with new inter-
est. Himself a man of high and strong
convictions and the liver of a strenuous
life, he would naturally find congenial
theme in portraying the character and
career of the greatest Englishman of the
seventeenth century and one of the great
est rulers the country ever had. The main
facts of Cromwell's life are familiar
enough to general readers. The only fresh
interest that can be given to new life OF
him is in bringing out the dominating in
fiuences Of his life and character and the
motives that shaped his conduct. Incl
dentaily this involves a picture of his times
and environments. Governor Roosevelt has
done this in a thoroughly admirable man
ner and has given one of the best accounts
Of the movement which resulted in the
establishment of the commonwealth of
England and of the great leader or the
movement that has been written. The
work is divided into six chapters. each
completing the treatment of particular
phase of the subject. These chapters are
entitled, respectively, THE Times and the
Man, THE Long Parliament and the
Civil War" THE Second Civil War and the
Death of the King" 1.-THE Irish and Scotch
Wars, THE Commonwealth and Protec-
torate" and Personal Rule" The open
ing chapter on 1.-The Times and the Man
Is a comprehensive review of the political
and moral conditions which prevailed dur.
Ing Cromwell's early life and of the forces
which made him what he was, and the sue
ceeding chapters give a very complete ac-
count of his public career England's great
ness during Cromwells rule is portrayed in
sharp contrast with the imbeciity that
prevailed after his death during the resto-
ration. OF the latter period the author
says: For twenty-eight shameful years
the restoration lasted; years of mis-
government and persecution at home.
of weakness abroad, of oppression of
the weak and obsequious servility to the
strong; years when the court of England,
devoid of one spark of true greatness OF
any kind, was scene of tawdry and OBJ
scene frivolity. Then, once again, the
principles for which, in the last analysis,
Cromwell and the Puritans stood. tri-
umphed; the Dutch stakeholder came over
the narrow seas to ascend the throne of
England; and once more the current of
her national life set toward political, in
teflectual and religious liberty" In a final
review of Cromwell's career the author
says: He could, in all probability, have
been such a leader at the end as he was
during the early years of his public life;
and when he permitted himself to fall
from the position of a leader among free
men to that of master over men for
whose welfare he sincerely strove, but I'm
whose freedom he did not believe, he marred
the great work he had done. Nevertheless,
1t was very great work. There are dark
blotS on his career-eSpecially his Irish
policy-but on the whole he was a mighty
force for good and against evil, and the
good that he did, though buried for the
moment with his bones, rose again and
has lived forever since, while the evil has
long withered. or is whitening.
Sooner or later he will be recognized, not
only as one of the greatest of all English
men, and by far the greatest ruler of Eng
land itself, but as a man who, in times
that tried mems souls, dealt with vast
questions and solved tremendous problems;
a man who erred, who was guilty of many
shortcomings. but who strove nightly
toward the light as ii was given him to
see the light; man who had the welfare
of his countrymen and the greatness of
his country very close to his heart, and
who sought to make the great laws of
righteousness living forces I'm the govern
ment of the world The book is worthy
of the authors well-established literary
reputation. IT contains some interesting
illustrations and is published by Charles
Scribner's Sons.