New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1904-12-17


England in America" the fourth volume in
The series. is the work of President Lyon Gardi-
ner Tyler of William and Mary College. He
wildly describes the notable characteristics OF
the English colonizing movement its early
operation through commercial companies it's
waste OF energy by failing TO meet conditions of
! life IN America and the innate tendency toward
self government in all the colonies The volume
covers the period from the first English at
tempts under Gilbert and Raleigh to compete
with the power Of Spain down to 1852 when the
original system Of charter colonies was practi-
cally overthrown by the English Civil War and
Parliament became the supreme power. At this
point Professor Charles Mclean Andrews, OF
Bryn Mawr College. takes up the history in
Colonial Self-Government." prominent feat
ure Of his work Is the presentation of the Eng
iish point of view concerning the policies which
the colonies often considered oppressive. Thus.
the attempt TO consolidate the northern prov
inces into one government under Andres was
not wanton tyranny, however much it ran
counter to American separatist tendencies. It
was partly provoked by smuggling and gen.
eraI tendency of the colonies to do as they
pleased, regardless of imperial law and it was
marked by the characteristic Stuart blindness
to popular tendencies Nevertheless 1t was a
statesmanlike plan TO weld the colonies into
strong power for the inevitable struggle with
France. 1t fell before the same provincial spirit
which all but prevented the formation of per-
manent union a century later
Mr. Elroy McKendree Averys twelve volume
History of the United States and Its People"
is frankly based, not on new and original in
vestigation. but the careful study OF Sec
ondary sources. 1t is intended to furnish for
popular reading trustworthy history lucidly
written and extended enough to invest the story
with interest, while avoiding minute and tedious
detail. The text is handsomely printed. pro-
fusely illustrated with portraits and cuts OF
historic places and objects. and is literally
provided with maps. The first volume. which
Is published, deals with the period of dis
covery. In addition to the accounts of voyages
of Columbus and his followers and the early
Spanish, French and English explorations, there
Is a chapter on the Indians past and present and
an extended photography. The author also de-
votes much attention to the prehistoric inhabi-
tants of America, believing in the extreme
tiquity of man on this continent, with how
much critical. authority may perhaps be judged
from his apparent acceptance of the Calaveras
skull a veritable relic Of prehistoric man.
The work of Mr.. Chancellor and Mr.. Hewes.
"The United States A History of Three Cen
turies,'' is planned to give in ten Volumes an
account of the population and politics. the wars
and conquests, the industry and commerce, and
the civilization of the country. taking up sep
arately each one Of these divisions in the diff
ferent periods treated. The first volume, which
is concerned with colonization, is a badly writ
ten and uncritical book, abounding in extreme
statements Vespucius is accepted as an honest
and scholarly voya ger without "a hint OF the an
tedating of the journal Of his first voyage and
other tricks 10 gain reputation We learn that
'1n 1925 James I the most despicable Of all the
monarchs England ever had. died, leaving the
throne and the kingdom to his son, Charles L
James had spent the last years Of his life in
intrigue by which to secure the throne for HIM
self upon the death of Elizabeth He thirty
seven years of age when that event occurred"
We are also told of William III that his mother
was Mary. daughter of Charles I and sister of
James I" We likewise have labored through
one sentence which by actual count contained
two hundred and eighty words!
Mr.. Elson has compressed into his single
volume, History of the United States of Amer
ica," an enormous mass of facts without robbng
them of interest losing sight of their sig
nifcance as contributions to philosophy of
American development He keeps the balance
between the political and the social and material
features of his story and has succeeded in pro-
ducng a book which is at once handy for ref
erence and entertaining and instructive as a
narrative.
Mr.. Thorpes Short Constitutional History Of
Inc OllISQ states Is a useful study adapted to
serve q book. 1t is based on larger
works on the federal and State constitutions by
the same author. He sympathetically traces the
evolution of nationality through the interpreta-
ton of the Constitution, and while traversing the
political annals of the country, gives great at
tention to its judicial history and the court de-
cisiOns which shaped Institutions. This at
tention is not confined to cases such as the bred
Scott and the recent insular cases, which dealt
with constitutional questions. but is extended to
the important decisions which. quite upper
ceived. shaped Constitution. An important
division of the book is that which treats of the
State constitutions and the tendencies shown in
them at different stages of our progress.
Though first published over fifty years ago in
the infancy of American archaeology and anthro-
poIogy Lewis H. 4Iorgans League of the
Iroquois" still holds its authority as the stand
ard work the great confederacy which held
sway over what is now New-YOrk State. Some
Of Morgan's theories have been discountenanced
by more recent Investigators out his observa-
tions and his statements of fact based on in
innate acquaintance with 1roquos tradition and
the Indians who remembered the league in its
days of power, are largely mistaken. No modern
scientist writes of these Indians without quoting
Morgan and this new single volume edition of
his work is most welcome. 1t is handsomely
printed and embellished with Illustrations in
color and excellent maps.
EARLY PICTURE POSTCARDS.