New-York tribune., 1901-05-11

| the motives and conduct Of the revolutionists
1T is difficult" they say. TN reading the de-
| bates on the troubles in America 10 credit the
sanity of the majority of the speakers. These
advocated a colonial policy that should only
| have commended itself To a session Of Bed
amites. and clamored for a treatment Of the
colonists that might well have shocked the
susceptibilities OF a savage. No Virginian
planter could be more disdainfu Of the rights
| Of his slaves or more resentful at any attempt
| 10 assert them, than the average member Of
Parliament was disdainful OF the rights OF the
American colonists and resentfuI at their asser-
ton" The acts OF the government though more
rational were directed by the same spirit
Many Of the grievances OF the colonies were
grave enough. II some OF the injuries that Eng
| land inflicted upon her great dependency seem
petty in the enumeration. a number Of small
causes Of irritation are no less dangerous 10
peace between nations than some great Injustice
But lest the small stings should not be enough
the government was resolved that the great in
justice should not be wanting" In short, II
there is anything that be said In defence OF
the English Government one need not look for
IL In these volumes
OF the sketches of character with which as
has been said. the book abounds that Of the
character of George III is perhaps the most
| elaborate though not the most interesting The
dull and egotistical monarch is not an attractive
hgure. Our authors him up well in the
statement: He was OF the country squire's or
der of mind: his tastes We're wholly those of the
! stolid we'll intentioned, bucolic country squire
He would probably have been a very respecta-
bic and successful sovereign II only he had not
! been plagued by the ambition to be a king"
But their denunciation of him is perhaps a
little too severe. Speaking OF his Journey from
Kew to London with Pitt, after the latter had
announced to him his accession they say:
Truly this journey of the King and the Prime
Minister from Kew TO London was what George
Meredith calls supreme ironic procession,
WIN laughter or gods In the background" The
ignorant unwise young King led the way the
greatest living statesman in England followed
after. One can hardly imagine a procession
more supremey ironic Almost all the whole
range OF human intellect was stretched out and
exhausted by the living contrast between the
King, who went first, and the minister who
meekly went second. Pitt had made for young
George the Third great empire. which II was
the work Of George the Third not long after to
destroy so far as its destruction could be COM
passed by the stupidity of a man.
Georges dulness and stupidity were not quite
as abysmai as that! Of the Kings great an
tagonist. Wilkes. an account is given which errs.
perhaps. on the side of approval as much as that
OF George errs the side OF condemnation
The offensive side Of the great agttator's charac
ter and career is not concealed but the fact that
he became. in large measure, the defender of
popular freedom against royal tyranny is al
lowed 10 cover too completely the multitude of
his SINS There are interesting sketches also OF
Grenville Burke Johnson. Fox Pitt and many
more We have space to quote from them only
the Following tribute TO Washington:
The war that gave the world a new nation and
republic greater than Rome added one OF the
greatest names. and perhaps the noblest name
10 the rolicaIl OF the great captains of the
sarth. No soldier OF all those that the eyes of
Dshte oiscerned In the first circle not even
cesar. all armed with gerfalcon eyes" adorns
the annals OF antiquity more than George Wash
ington iiiuninates the last quarter OF the eigh-
.eenlh century. His splendid strength his sweet
a,usISrisy, nus proud patience are hardly to be-
rivalled in the previous history of humanitv and
nave perhaps only been rivalled since his day
oy children or the same continent and of ths
same southern soil, who sacrificed qualities
niech akin TO his own in cause that unlike
ms, was not the cause of freedom. First In
| his countrymen." N