The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1901-02-17
Grent Americans.

EuD-utle, an outline OF niteu states MS
tory from 17GO to 1865 and this describes
81 very well The history of this country
is mainly recorded in the lives of its great
men.
There are twelve chapters. and each
deals with one man. The subjects of these
brief biographies are Franklin, Samuel
Adams, John Adams. Robert Morris, Ham
ilton, Washington. jefferson. Clay, Jack
son, Webster. Greeley. and Lincoln. They
are full of anecdotes and interesting de-
tails. which are not to be found in the
larger history. and the book will be a val
uable work of reference for almost any
body. On can hardly open it al random
without hitting upon some fascinating bit
of information. The authors view is not
always conventional, though he does not
radically differ from most other his
torians. The details which he gives make
the times and the men more real to mod
ern eyes. and both conditions and charac-
tiers are faithfully pictured The illustra-
tious consist OF cartoons, reproductions of
historical paintings and facsimiles of old
documents. bearing upon the subjects dis
cussed.
Here, for example, is an account of some
of the proceedings which took place in
with facsimiles of two or three scraps of
colonial newspapers:
Franklin had suggested to Charles Thomson, Of
Philadelphia the lighting Of candles of industry
curing the night which would follow the STAMP
act; but Thomson replied from the colonies that
Franklin was much more likely TO hear OF works
of darkness Rebellion was evident in the hlaz
ing piles Of stamps and stamped paper; in the
stamps thrown overheard in the harbors; in the
forced designations Of stamp agents; in the
stamps forcibly replaced the ships for return
to England. Courts suspended; lawyers
sened agreements not to the stamped paper
and not to undertake suits brought by English
merchants A wag wrote n legal document on
birch bark. claiming that it needed stamp
since it was neither skin, vellum. parchment,
nor paper.
The Iwenty-six newspapers in the colonies were
vitality interested in the stamp tax. Many sus-
pended publication rather than print on stamped
paper, placing mourning lines about their last
Issue, and using a deaths head instead of the
stamp. Others. notably the Boston Gazette
dehsntly continued publication without the
stamps Mr.. Hall, the partner of Franklin, who
edited the Pennsylvania Gazette in his alb
sence, placed mourning borders about the last
number before the act went into effect. On the
next regular day Of the Gazette he issued a
small sheet and placed at the head Remarkable
Occurrence instead OF the accustomed heading
In the chapter on John Adams, there is
a glimpse of Philadelphia customs at the
also OF the character of Adams:
Washington was ffty-tour days in Philadelphia
yet dined at his lodgings but nine times jnclud-
ing Sundays. His diary confirms the letters
and diaries of the other members. Il is round
of feasts at DT. Shippers, or Chew's. or Joseph
Reeds, or vikings, or Pemberton's John
In his coach drawn by four white horses TO take
delegates out to his beautiful country home where
they could dine and talk politics. silas Deane
spologized TO Mrs; Deane for his brief letters 81
an really hurried and have many more engage
Inents than / wish for, though they agree
able; engaged to dine out every day this
week; once with Mr.. Dickinson and once with q
we do nothing else. but assure you it is hard
work. We meet at and sit until 8, by which
time we Unable to do anything but eat
and drink the rest Of the day."
John Adams, of Puritanical inheritance and
New England environment. shocked by the
display Of estables. His appetite oyercame his
scIuples. although after each feast he scourged
himself for yielding "a most sinful feast againi
everything which could delight the eye allure
Che taste" "a mighty feast again; nothing
less than the very best Of claret. Madeira, and
Burgundy" "A magnificent house. and most
splendid feast and very large company" 81
drank Madeira at a great rate and found no incon-
yenience'' But this plain Friend and his plain,
though pretty wife, with her thees and thous,
bad provided us the most costly entertainment;
ducks hams. chickens beef, pig, tarts, creams,
whipped sillabubs, etc, etc. To Mrs Adams
be declared that he should be killed with kind
ness in Philadelphia. Yet" he adds, Il hold
out surprisingly.
An interesting picture of the difficulties
attending the financing of the Revolution
is to be found in the chapter on Robert
Morris. The author says:
For three years he struggled with the many
financial problems organizing the Bank OF North
America TO which he subscribed $1,000 of his
own money, collecting funds on his private en-
oorsement 20 conduct the closing campaigns of
the war, and at last resigned in utter despair.
His management was at times daring when
he drew upon the American representatives in
Europe for money. Franklin once wrote in reply
from France asking If he thought him Gideon.
that he must draw water for all Israel. jay, in
replying assured him that he had exhausted
every bank in Spain save that Of hope. To add to
the difficulties this borrowed money was counter
feited as the paper money had been, and it was
also trimmed and punched until most of it was
light weight The enemy accused Of putting
out these counterfeits 10 destroy the hopes Of
the rebels. but the Americans themselves coun-
tenanced the clipping, until a quartermaster in
the army although confessing II "a shameful
business and unreasonable hardship pub
lie officer" compelled to solicit the loan OF
"a pair Of good shears, couple of punches, and
a leaden anvil TO reduce the foreign money hor-
Towed for the United States 10 the current stan
dard.
1t Is impossible to say how much OF the money
raised by Morris borrowed uT advanced by
him personally and how much through his agency
as a member of the various committees or a.
fnancier. Ia the troublous times marked By the
flights Of Congress, the loss Of accounts, and the
confusion attending the foreign loans, his ac-
counts were hOpelessly confused, and neither he
nor any accountant since has been able TO put
them Alright At the ciSse Of the his name
was paper amounting TO $4,000 which he
had secured for the service OF the United States.
This he was able to pay by the unusual profits
attending the impoTtati0ns Of his firm. Although
40 Of their vessels were captured by the enemy,
prices OF importe. goods had risen 10 such pro-
portions that one vgssel reaching America safely
from Holland. France, Spain would recon-
perlse for the loss Of several. Pins and writing
paper Ia fabulous prices. Mrs. John Adams
was willing 10 pay SIS thousand for pins, and
John Marshall said that his sisters used thorns
as Substitutes Writing paper worth SO
quire. The trimmed margins Of newspapers and
pamphlets attest the scarcity Of this commodity.
Thomas Paine. Secretary Of a Congressional com
mittee. was unable TO obtain sufficient paper to
write fully 10 Franklin. the agent in France.
Other commodities were equally unobtainable. 4
substitute for imported mOlssses was found by
grinding cornstalks and boiling the liquor. salt
could scarcely be bought at any price and ''all
the old women and young children lin Phila-
delphiel are gone down TO the Jersey shore &c
make salt. Salt water is boiling all around the
coast" Loaf sugar rose TO fifteen shillings the
pound.
Perhaps few of those who have watched
the making OF sorghum in the mountains
OF North Carolina or Tennessee know that
fits manufacture was an inheritance from
the days OF the Revolution.
Even in the chapter devoted to WASH
ington. much as had been written Of that
hero. there are some things which are not
likely TO be familiar 10 the reader. and
the illustrations. copied from old prints.
are particularly fascinating. One is a pic
ture of the triumphal arch erected in
honor Of Washington at G-ay's Ferry,
near Philadelphia. Another shows the trl-