The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1904-09-04
SOME NEW hooks.
The Colonization OF the South.

lie NOl0nlZhbOH OF ufe bOu"'
In a notice of the first two volumes o
the work We pointed out the scope and tn
method of the new syndicated history o.
North America, now in course OF publica
ton under the editorship of Prof. GUY
CARLETON LEE Of Johns Hopkins lJniver
sity George Barrie x Sons) The thiro
Of the projected twenty volumes is devoted
to an account Of the Colonization OF tn
South beginning with the Spanish settle
ment Of Florida and ending, 30 far as the
English-speaking colonies are concerned
with the Peace Of Paris Q763), although
the story of Florida is continued up to the
Peace Of Versailles, concluded twenty years
later The author of the volume before
Us, Mr.. PETER JOSEPH HAMILTON. hitherto
known as the compiler Of the Code or Mo-
hile," and joint compiler OF the Code OF
-.labama," and as the writer OF soTsral
books on historical subjects connected
with the South. is qualified for his task,
not only by literary skill, but by residence
in the heart OF the section which he describes
and by his intimate acquaintance with It's
records and with relevant documents In the
archives of Spain, France and England
We scarcely need to remind the reader that
the history of the Southern colonies was
fraught with more romantic interest, ana
is therefore capable OF more picturesque
treatment, than was that of New England
or of the Middle colonies, with which In
this work Maryland is coupled we DO
Mr.. Hamilton but justice when we say that
he has made much Of his large opportuni-
ties and that we should look in vain else
where for a more satisfactory account OF
the section and period chosen for portrayal
than is to be found in his 476 pages. VI
unique interest is the study of that inter-
esting but abortive colony, British Florida,
which existed only twenty years. We call
the study unique because so far as we
know, there is no other description OF this
colonial experiment which is at once ade-
quate and trustworthy. The short MARIA
tive s mainly based on the Haldimand
Papers -Haldimand was a British subject
who held an important command in British
Florida-and on manuscript material Oh
tanned in England. We learn with interest
that the late John Fiske urged the author
to take up this particular field as being at
once a fertile and neglected one.
As Mr.. Hamilton notes in a preface. the
topics considered in this volume would fall
naturally into five divisions. The first would
attempts at settlement, and would embrace
the first three chapters. The second part
would place the development OF British COL
onization during the seventeenth century.
particularly in Virginia and Carolina, and
incidentally would depict the evolution OF
their institutions. A third part would be
concerned with Louisiana in the widest
meaning Of the name. The fourth would
cover the time OF conflict between Latin
and Teuton in trade and war, and would
include view Of Georgia, the buffer colony,
which it will be remembered was founded
az late as 1888 The concluding part, from
chapter 10 to the end Of chapter "a, has to do
with the growth Of the English speaking
colonies after the Peace of Paris, and would
comprehend the authors references to con-
temporary Latin expansion within the
present bounds Of the United States, and to
the Americanizng process which on the
Atlantic seaboard paved the way for the
Revolution. 1t would be. or coufse, inrprao-
ticable for us to follow Mr.. Hamilton through
his twenty-four chapters, but we can indi-
cate the value OF his contribution to Ameri-
can history by marking what he has to say
about English colonial life In the first three
quarters of the eighteenth century; about
the condition of Louisiana under the French
royal governors and after the ceesion OF
the province to Spain; about Great BHtain's
attempt to establish q colony in Florida,
and about the relations OF the English
speaking colonists to their Latin netghbors
during the twenty years preceding the Peace
Of Versailles.