New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1903-10-30
SUDDEN DE4TH.
Il Grescsome List of Historic
Tragedies.

FAMOUS AssAssINATIoNs OF HISTORY
From Philip OF Macedon 1886 B. c. 10 Alexander
limo. pp. xii, 4S4. Chicago. A c McClurg
& Co
In making a selection among recent assassina-
tions for his grewsorne theme Mr. Johnson ornits
the attack on President Garfield on the ground
that It grew out OF the morbid alteration Of
one diseased mind rather than out of the gen
sral spirit Of the epoch in which he lived The
transformations Of William Mckinley and OF
Abraham Lincoln are, however. included 1t
might be thought that they At this rule OF ex-
ciusion But the author finds the assassination
Of Mckinley representative Of political murders.
inspired by anarchist teaching. Czolgosz dis
PEELED this idea Of conspiracy. but averred that
he had committed the crime as duty to society.
The radical wing OF anarchist thought, which
finds a use and virtue in political murder, may
show growth in recent decades but il is hardly
Indicative Of the general spirit OF the epoch
II Il viii not DO TO hold the author TO strict &C
count for an apparently careless expression in
his nreface. il is stin trile difficult 10 dis
tinguish exactly his sense Of the causes Of
1,incoln's death. one might suppose that not
word Of regret or Indignation was heard south
OF Mason and Dixon's line, that the horror re
sided In the North alone. Some difficult his
torical questions could be cleared up too. if the
sdea could be accepted that the assassination
was the handspring OF reconstruction evils,
which. the author observes. were Terminated
TO the satisfaction of both only during the last
few wears when the sons Of the South fought
shoulder to shoulder with the sons Of the North
Yor the deliverance Of Cuba from Spanish op-
preston under the glorious banner Of the
Union Evidently leaders Of opinion North and
South are worrying their heads over problems
to-day that. cid they but realize it. have ceased
mill -fa
readers attention in this volume He viii find
the, the emancipation proclamation has been
entered by Clio. the muse of History. in i'm
,cerishs bic letters on the asbestos leaves Of
national annals" Clio is progressive muse,
and has probably taken 70 heart the lesson OF
General Ross's bonfres in 1914
The author draws q parallel between the char
ac.ers OF Lincoln and Henry " Of France. and
between the assassina lions Of Lincoln and Philip
OF Macedon.
The surroundings and execution Of this plot
bear a strong resemblance TO the assassination
Of Abraham Lincoln. In both cases there was
an individual murderer. the scene theatre
the act was done with incredible audacity IN the
presence Of a large concourse OF people, ana ne
murderer was crippled by misstep after the
fatal blow.
The death OF Julius Cesar. the author sup
poses would be among the things not generally
known by Americans but for the tragedy by
Shakespeare. Il may justly be doubted that the
sramarist ATTEMPTED to solve the difficult prob
lem OF combining the task Of the dramatic poet
with that Of the historian" except in the de-
mands Of the stage and the tastes Of an Eng
fish audience Of The time. And if he placed be
fore the spectator Cesar himself, with his
worldwide and imperalistic ambition. as the
central figure OF the play Il is both doubtful
that Rome would have been the happier" had
be lived. and curious that his death occurs at
the middle Of the play. The ernperors Tiberius,
Claudius Calgula and Nero are disposed Of in
one short chapter with expressions of relief.
The story Of the enc Of Hypatia is helped out
by Kingsley's description; that Of William Tell
and the apple is recited in the chapter on Cess
Ter; the much disputed facts Of Mary Stuarts
career are handled without hesitation in de-
scribing the deaths Of Darnley and Rizzio. and
the book in short. is not compiled with any
careful historic intent But the tales are inter
estingly told.