New-York tribune., 1901-05-01

THE TRENcH REVoLMT1PHf Sofessor sketfh 8 the 15y BY
versity Of Chicago. Octave, pp- x, @7 Long
mans, Green & Co
Professor Mathews's sketch" of the French
Revolution is an admirable piece of work 1t is
written in a clear and direct style which is the
result of literary skill well as Of precision of
thought The book certainly merits the popular
approval which Is indicated by the fact that It
has passed to a second edition within year
from the date Of its publication. A Large part
Of the volume-nearly one-haif, in facts de-
voted 10 an account Of the causes. political and
social TO which the Revolution must be traced,
while the events of tho revolutionary period.
strictly so called. are treated iu a much more
summary way. The reasons which justify this
seemingly disrroportionate treatment Of pre-
revolutionary conditions obvious; but Pro-
fessor Mathews's s;a:emen, Of them may be
quoted. since II makes clear the point OF view
from which his book was written. He says:
In France. just as in America a few years be-
fore and in England IN the preceding century.
revolution the outcome Of national conva-
lescence. OF a socialized conviction OF injustice
and OF a universal determination 10 install JUS
tice. The change Of temper which made
the old regime uncomfortable and compelled Louis
10 summon the States General was by far the
most important element of the Revolution. One
might properly call II the Revolution itself. so
completely were the years Of violence under the
convention the outcome of the attempt to pre-
serve advantages the Constituent Assembly had
gained To understand the conditions which
were outgrown and the origin and growth of the
revolutionary spirit, seems, therefore, quite as
necessary as TO trace the history of the destruc-
ton Of abuse and the struggle for liberty and
rights.
AS a result OF this conception Of his problem
events assume in Professor Mathews's narrative
their true relative Importance, and the readers
attention is directed away from the relatively
insignificant. though dramatic, details Of revo-
lutionary alterations and excesses to the great
social and governmental problems which were
being worked out Another result IS a clearer
understanding OF the Revolution in all its
phases. Even the Terror when regarded from
this point Of view becomes, If not less terrible.
at least more ineligible. Professor Mathews
treats II not as a carnival of brute passion or
the outcome Of anarchic forces become ascend
ant" but as deliberate attempt made chiefly
from patriotic motives. to win permanent sue
cess for the Revolution at a time when it was
struggling against tremendous odds Brute pas
sion was, Of course. in control on many occa-
sions. but Professor Mathews says:
The Terrorists were seekers after order not
after anarchy, and while Il lasted the Terror
WAS q genuine experiment in politics-crude
hideous and never 10 be confounded with the
work OF the generous idealists OF the Constituent
Assembly, but in a politically ignorant and NOR
ally weak nation like France possessing not a
single man Of first rate ability among its legis-
lators. probably inevitable.
OF the Committee Of Public Safety, he declares
that no government ever worked harder for
the good OF the masses. Life was proba-
bly, no worse under the absolutisn. of the Com
mittee Of Public Safety than under that of
Louis XVI One might almost say that the
masses Of France were actually terrorized into
happiness. Had the committee come an
der the influence Of a really great man. France.
during lfs4' would almost certainly have gradu-
ally returned TO normal condition"