The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1903-08-09

Prof. Goodwin smith and His writing

In q volume OF some TOUR nunuFou p@&op'
entitled Essays on Questions Of the Day.
tho Macmillan Company published some
time ago a revised edition OF some inter
esting and important discussions OF po-
litioal and social topics by Prot. GOODWIN
SMITH, well known to American readers
by his Political History OF the United
States" by his book on Canada and the
Canadian Question" and by many other
contributions to historical literature. Mr..
Smiths conception OF history ia Boiling
broke philosophy teaching by exam
ple"-and for about half century he mas
been recognized as the most distinguished
embodiment Of that conception IN his COM
ments on historical or contemporary per
sons and events. No man has been better
equipped by breadth and accuracy OF
knowledge and by the judicial quality OF ma
mind for philosophical Interpretation
OF current political and social phenomena
Mr.. Goodwin Smith is one Of the Few Oxon-
ians who have gained an extraordinary
reputation at the university and who nave
sustained il in after life. After leaving
Eton, he proceeded to Oxford and there
like Sir Robert Peel and Mr.. Gladstone,
that is to say, first class III hferR M
ndniores and In mathematics. he gained
other academic laurels which neither feei
nor Gladstone had attained, namely, the
Ireland and Hartford prizes for preemi-
nence in Greek and Latin scholarship
together with the Chancellor prize Tor
an English historical essay. So unique
was the position which he achieved at OS-
ford that, while still very young. he and
Dean Stanley were made secretaries OF
the royal commission appointed to plan
reform of the English universities, and ne
more than any other man should be creoited
with the resultant legislation How quickly
he rose to eminenoe will he evident when we
recall that in the fifties he was made hegius
professor OF modern history. post sum
eequently held by his coevals, Stuoos'
Freeman and Froude, 4, the order named
He might, had no chosen. have entered
political life and have been welcomed into
the inner councils Of the Liberal party IN
deed, nobody who knew the two men could
doubt that he would have been more sue
cessful than Robert Lowe, who became
Chancellor OF the Exchequer and Lord
sherbrooke His enlightened and pro-
gressive spirit soon found Itself out OF place
amid the Tory atmosphere OF oxford
common rooms, and. after a few years
he resigned his professors chair. though
not until after his lectures on Cromwell
had attracted profound attention and ex-
cited good deal OF controversy
From 1889 to 1855 he cooperated with John
Bright in defending by voice and pen the
cause of the North, while almost the whole
Of the British aristocracy and the majority
OF British statesmen, including Mr.. Glad
stone, desired or predicted the triumph OF
the Southern Confederacy. His influence
was e1erted In favor OF the Union. not only
On the platform and in writings published
over his signature, but also In his unsigned
contributions on political questions to the
Saturday Rerie,p. which was then at the
height Of its power. His sympathy for the
American republic has never waned, but,
since he became a resident Of Toronto,
has been fused with devotion to what he
believes to be the true interest Of Canada
in an earnest and unflinching effort to pro-
mote the reunion Of the Anglo-Saxon race
upon this Continent, His book on : Canada
and M pansa,s question S Is ii. sm arIS3iy of
convincing argunents for Canada CONNER
ciaI if not political, union with the United
States. His outline of the political history" 81
the United States liz a MASTERPIECES. not only
of condemnation. but OF illumination. In eA-
position he has the cogency and the per
suasiveness of great orator, 80 that with
whatever preconceptons reader may APP
proach his work he will find himself con-
them. Seldom, if ever, are political quea-
tions treated with so much sanity and fair.
ness, and at the same time with so much
rhetorical skill We add that, although the
powers of his sinewy and expert intellect
are employed for the mos, part in dealing
with problems of to-day he has never for
gotten the classic authors that disciplined
his tastes and enriched his fancy in earlier
wears Only the oi her dav be published
some admirable translations of H.schyius,
Sophocles and Eurpides and OF Lucretius,
Catullus, Tibullus, Propertius. Ovid. Lucan,
Martial and Claudian,
or the subjects discussed in the volume
before us some are British. such az THE
demand for Home Rule, which caused The
Political Crisis in England" i'll 1855, and
"The Empire" which has become the para
mount issue in Great Britain since Mr.
Chamberlain proposed an imperial COLL
verein Even these subjects are not with
out interest for citizen of the United
States. We shall merely confine ourselves
however, to essays upon questions in which
Americans are quite as deeply concerned
IA are Enxlishnen. Conspicuous among
papers of this kind is the initial essay or
Social and Industrial Revolution Here
the author begins by conceding that "nc
man with brain and a heart can fail 10 b.
penetrated with the sense of the unequa
distribution Of wealth, or TO be willing
TO try any experiment which may hold Out
a reasonable hope of putting an end i,
poverty BY the success Of such an on
pertinent the happiness of the rich, or u
least of such Of them rs are good men, woult
be increased far more than their richie,
would be diminished" II ia at the SAM
time as clearly recognized that 1t il beyonc
our power TO alter tha fundamental condi
tions of our being. There are inequali
ties greater even than those of weairh
which are fixed, not by human lawgivers
but by nature, such AZ health, strength, in
tellectual power and length of life, ant
these draw other inequalities with them