The Birmingham age-herald., 1902-06-22
BOOKS

In "The Conqueror," recently publish ed and a most extraordinary piece of work. Gertrude Atherton has done two things with unusual and pronounced sin cerity and veracity from her own person. al point of view. She has idealized Alex ander Hamilton until she has made something a little less than a god of him; and she has denounced Thomas Jeffer- son with equal intensity of conviction.
 In defense of this she said recently of the former, Ut is possible that I ldolize Hamilton, but I have not ideal ized him. And as I brought him up from his babyhood l should like to ask who should know him better" And of the latter, she writes: "I have never denied his great mental and even creative pow CTS, that he was man of genius. But my quarrel was first with his character which is the most despicable in history, then with the present effects of his mis- directed genius He has p.ebeianized this country with such thoroughness that 1t Is more uncomfortable to live in than any kingdom of Europe. I am, by no means, the first to dcnounce Thomas Jefferson, but If I could contribute my
 
 demoralizing idol I should feel that had not lived in vain. As for the De- claration of Independencc-he was the literary arthcr, no more the sole crea- tor than was Franklin. Adams, Livings- ton or Hamilton" When Mrs Atherton writes in this strain upon her personal attitude one is not surprised at the cha-acteriZatlons of her books. That she Is a good hater as we'll as an ardent lover Is perfectly apparent; and that she has the full courage of her convictions Is also painfully apparent. As Is well known, Mrs. Athertons first intention was to write the biography of Alexander Hamilton, as sine explains in her pre- face to ''The Conqueror:' but she says, 'the Instinct of the novelist proved too strong. l no sooner had pen in hand l than l found myself working in the ia miliar medium, although preserving the | hist orical sequence. Having unburdened my imagination, l shall in the course of year or two write the biography first had in mind.'
 There has been a great deal of serious and really suggestive discussion recently upon the value of historical fiction. Much has been said for and against, and one writer even went so far as to declare that he did not approve of so truthful portrayal of great hero as might tend to lower the ideals held of him in the minds of his countrymen. For this expression, MT. Churchill has been widely criticized; and yet 1t Is an assumption that deserves consideration. The possi- ble dangers incident upon the disturb ance of popular ideals of great men Is no where more sArikingly embodied than in ''The ConQueror."
 Alexander Hamilton was a very great man; and few, If any, understand his n-1tw H. part his intellect played during the for nation period of this government. But that a portrayal of him which seeks to make pigmies of Washington Jefferson Madison. Adams, and all the others in order to prove the giant proportions of the youthful Hamilton is a very dan gerous performance. In strong contrast is the complete demolition of a character for whom so vast a number hold the tenderest respect and admiration. To so unqualifiedly denounce character of the proportions of Thomas Jefferson proves without an argument the grave dangers of historical portrayal in fiction. We would not tolerate for a moment in our history such an estimate of either Ham, l ilton or Jefferson as Mrs Atherton gives us. For, while the accepted histor- ian must possess the love and en- l thusiasm for his hero and sub l ject as will insure spirited recital and l fervency, yet it must be tempered with Veracity and above all with cool calcu- 1 lating judgment, and a discriminating balance of events and results. Unlimited scope Is tacitly allowed the writer of historical fiction; but when Mrs. Ather- 1 ton finally comes to her proposed bio- graphy of Hamilton she will find that she must temper her pen and cool It's ardent point with justice.
 Richard LeGallienne said that Gertrude Atherton was the only woman in Amer ica who could write like a man. '"The l Conqueror" sustains this opinion; and yet no one but feminine writer could have been so completely carried away 1 by the warmth of her own admiration and enthusiasm for Hamilton as to have 1 influenced her to make of him a demi- 1 god. while all who opposed him or differ l ed from him receive less justice at Mrs. Atherton's hands. The apotheosis of 1 Hamilton at the expense of his coadju- 1 tors is well illustrated by the following | contrasting portraits of Hamilton and l Jefferson:
 Hamilton, the High Priest of Energy, had long since declared war against the genius of American people, who believed l In God and the art of leisure. Hamilton | believed in God and a cabinet of jealous ministers. He was already a thorn in 1 the side of estimable but hesitant pa- triots, and ir times to come his unre- mitting and remorseless energy was to be subject of reproach by associates l