New-York tribune., 1905-07-08

PIP W. 454 The Macmillan Company.
The third volume of Mr.. Paul's history main
tains the standard set in the first two. and in
ours the same criticisms which COM
PEELED TO pass upon them. The style is that of
a ready writer. 1t is never dull, and If it does
not sparkle with epigrams it is uniformly viva
cious and engaging. The shrewd and usually
discriminating observer is always evident. So
is the practised literary craftsman. That the
historian of broad perspective and philosophical
judgment is always present may not so con-
fidently declare We cannot avoid repeating
the complaint that sense of proportion is some
times lacking. Note, for example, the great
space and elaborate details given to the negro
rising in Jamaica in 1865 and the prosecution
OF Mr.. Eyre, and the cavalier curtness with
which the British purchase of the Suez Canal
shares is dismissed. Doubtless the former epi-
sode important. 1t certainly dramatic,
and there almost irresistible appeal to
the historian in the spectacle of Kingsley. Rus
kin. Tennyson and Carlyle arrayed on one side.
as champions of Eyre. and Mill. Thomas Hughes.
Huxley. Herbert Spencer and Goldwin Smith on
the other as his prosecutors. Nevertheless, the
incident void of general or permanent sig
nifcance TO the world. It did not constitution
ally affect British policy. even. not to mention
international affairs On the other hand. the
Suez transaction was one Of the most moment
Gus, not only to England but to Europe and
TO the world since the fall of Napoleon. Mr.
Paul mentions it. of course. but of its real cir
cumstances. preludes and consequences, and es-
pecially of the supreme part played in it by 2
distinguished fellow journalist. he gives US
scarcely hint.
Scarcely less regrettable is Mr.. Pauls prone
ness TO fall. himself. into of the very faults
which he properly condemns in others. In his
chapter on the Treaty of Washington and the
Geneva Arbitration he says that Mr.. Gladstone
was 'needlessly vehement in his discussion Of
the indirect claims in the House Of Commons
and he quotes some of that statesmans words
to prove his case. This" says Mr.. Paul, was
hardly the language of a statesman" No, but
neither is it the language Of a historian to
scream about ''unfounded pretensions, pre-
posterous demands" impossible claims" and
"prejudiced ignorance" all within dozen lines
of a single paragraph Neither can we regard
with commentator such injudicious observa-
tions as that President Grant depended in
politics upon wirepullers whom Lincoln would
have employed as TOOLS" which, as II stands,
IS unjust to both Lincoln and Grant. These
errors of the historian are doubtless tempera-
mental We cannot ascribe them to partisan
ship or TO anti-American prejudice. for those
are faults from which he appears to be pretty
free. Thus, in the very chapter we have been
citing he pays a fine tribute to Charles Francis
Adams saying that he twas a statesman. and
Sir Alexander Cockburn not" and again
adding that for his share in the arbitration Mr..
Adams Ought TO have statue at Westminster
as well as at Washington" Moreover though
Mr. Paul is a strong partisan in English politics,
he suppresses his party predictions with un-
common success in his history. He is fully
alive to Mr. Gladstone's faults. and he cannot
conceal a hearty admiration for Disraeh His
extreme and unphilosophicaI epithets are as
often applied TO Englishmen and English affairs
as to any others, and TO Liberals and Conserva-
tives with fine impartiality. The point is, that
he should not have used them at ALL
But that fault as we have said. is tempera-
mental, and it is intensified by the general style
in which Mr. Paul has chosen to write his his
tory We have hitherto described this as the
chronological style carried to an extreme. AS
a matter Of fact. it is chronological table.
much amplifed, or vastly enlarged diary. In
cidents and topics are arranged or grouped ac-
cording to time and little else. and are spicily
favored with the personal observations. opin-
ions and what not of the recorder. Such a work
makes interesting reading. 1t also supplies in
convenient form what we may regard as the
raw material of history. But it is almost in
evitable that it should, in places. appear scrap
py and that IT should be suspected, at least
OF abounding in ''snap" judgments. 1t would
be unjust to say that Mr.. Paul has employed
such method because of his journalistic train
ing and experience. The trouble seems to be
that he has carried journalistic style. which is
admirable in itself and practically necessary in
daily newspaper work, into permanent literary
production, for which it is not fitting. news
paper file is invaluable to the historian, but it
is not history
1t would be ungrateful and unjust, however
not TO mingle praise with blame. and we must
give much praise to some of the technical details
Of the work as well as TO its general spirit. In
these days. when some respectable writer's and
publishers commit the improperly of sending
forth important books destitute OF indexes, or
compel the readers of a book issued in success
sive volumes to wait for the last volume for an
index to them ALL it is gratifying to find Mr..
Paul providing a comprehensive and perspicuous
index to each volume. The sparing use of ref
erences and footnotes is also a boon. Doubtless
it is desirable, now and then, to supply infor-
nation in marginal note, Mr.. Paul does.
We have never been able TO sympathize with
the practice OF filling the lower half of each page
with a. b, cs and Y, Y, rs, which the average
reader will certainly ignore. and the chief pur-
pose of which is to advertise the extent of the
authors alleged researches. We must take
something on the authors authority, and
we must now and then assume that if man
is competent TO write a book he is probably to
be trusted upon ordinary matters of fact More
over there really are some facts which do not
need verifying by citation OF authorities on
the whole. then. there is much TO commend in
Mr. PauTs undertaking. and we shall await the
remaining volumes with interest. Histories of
modern times are in many respects the most
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