The courier., 1902-03-29

ton Transcript, the New York Mail
and Express, the Pittsburg Times and
the Chicago Post are especially inter-
esting. The Transcript in a two col
umn appreciation calls II "a work of
remarkable value and interest" In the
final paragraph the Boston reviewer
objects to the authors rejec-
tion Of the claims of New
England to having made this
country: TT is a great pity that Mr..
Hanna should have marred his book
by the display of sectional prejudice
in the Introduction Of irrelevant mat
ter Frankly he has no use for New
England, partly because Of its English
character and partly because so much
credit has been ascribed to 1t for its
services in the Revolutionary war. An
entire chapter is devoted to showing
place Of American liberty. We have
no disposition to argue with the author
on these points. New England can
take care Of herself. But supposing
all these points well taken, what have
they to do with the history of the
Scotch-Irish in American"
As to the reviewers question: If
this country was settled by English
people alone and IL all the moral in
spiration which has resulted in heroic
action was contributed by the English.
what is the special significance to
Americans of a history Of the Scotch
Irish and their tenacious institutions
and traits Of character? The Dutch,
German, Irish, North European peo-
pies, the Huguenots, English and
Scotch Irish have all contributed to
the making Of that distinctive and dis
tinguished human being which all the
world now recognizes as the American.
Mr.. Hanna's claim is that the Scotch
Irish had large share in the making
Of the character Of that American. A
claim which, IL the assertions Of the
New England historians are fully ad-
mitted. can not be substantiated.
The Mail and Express says that Mr..
Hanna has made distinguished his
toric Offering to the substantial liter
ature and documentary riches Of our
day. There has never been lacking
resounding echo in the trump Of fame
Of the virtues and achievements of the
Scottish race. 1t has been an accepted
tradition and experience of this hemi-
sphere as well as of others that wher-
ever this hardy stock was grated it
would inevitably get on. thrive and
bloom and be fruitful of good result.
And in these volumes is contained the
great preliminary account of this Wig
orous and vital element Of Scotch
Irish in our own national life.
1t is curious how pride in Scotch-Irish
ancestry snerges in an almost personal
pride that those same ancestors got
away from both Scotland and Ireland.
This pride may be detected in This
work, blended with the serenities Of
the student Of a great historic move
ment. Americas debt to Scotland is
greater than most New England his
torians have admitted. The reaction
against the Boston view of the
making Of our country as chiefly
a Boston deed has possibly been
increased in recent years by the old
persistent certainties of New England
that she was the founder of the Ameri-
can commonwealth. They of New Eng
land have the habit Of writing them
selves up more than the people in other
parts Of the. land, Of less leisure. less
inclination for the pen and less Of the
dominating Anglo-Saxon spirit which
brooks no rivalry and sees no good in
ANYTHING foreign to itself"