Evening journal., 1907-06-11
GENERAL WILSON
WRITES OF DANA
Had an Intimate Acquaintance
With the Great Editor Whose
Life Is Portrayed

est addition to his many literary pro-
ductions being "The Life of Charles
A. Dana" which has been printed by
Harper and Brother of New York. Cen
eral Wilson had the advantage Of
many years Of personal acquaintance
to aid him in writing the volume. This
acquaintance was exceptionally inti-
mate and has enabled the biographer
to illuminate the life story of a re-
markable man. Mr.. Dana was not only
distinguished among the most notable
individualities in the history Of Amer
lean journalism, but in his career, he
entered into close relations with the
great men and participated actively
in many of the great events of more
than a half a century.
General Wilson's narrative, inter-
spersed with many OF Dana's letters,
reports and editorial writing, is dis
tinguished among the biographies Of
our time in offering all the materials
from which a character portrait of the
subject is almost unconsciously evolv-
ed as the reader progresses through
the pages.
Intense Amerieanism
Dana's intense Americanism was the
heritage of an ancestry dating back to
the earliest settlers in New England.
An attenuated strain OF Italian blood
has been traced to a remote ancestor;
otherwise his forebears were English.
A village in Western New Hampshire
was the birthplace of Charles Ander-
son Dana, on August 8, 1919 His youth,
-F 4
was passed on a farm ~ the Connecti-
cut River Valley. He was fortunate
in having for a teacher in the neigh
boring school a man who took an in
terest in developing young Dana's ex-
traordinary gift for languages. The
beginning was made with Latin under
this teacher; but the stimulus carried
the student through the ancient and
modern languages Once late in life
he complimented Carl Schurz, in the
presence of General Wilson, SAYING:
General Schurz, you speak English
with greater purity and precision than
any man I have ever known" Cen
eral Schurz returned The compliment
by rejoining: well, Herr Dana, you
speak German better than any man /
ever heard speak it who was not born
and educated in Germany"
Gift for Languages
This gift for languages remained
with Dana in his old age. For instance
when he became interested in Isben's
works, he was not content to read
them in translation. but learned Nor
wegian for the purpose. The biograph-
er devotes considerable attention I,
the studies of young Dana throughout
his youth and early manhood, in ant
oht of school and college. These wer,
but preparatory years. At Harvard
he studied and learned how to study
but his education was never complete,
to his own satisfaction. All his life h,
was a student; all through life his at
tainments were increasing, and hi
freshness of intellect and application
continued until the end Of his days
Much as he gained from books, III
doubtless gained as much from mel
and from his contact with the worl,
whether in those five years he spent n
Brook Farm. in the years of his eai
nest service in active journalism a
home and abroad. during the perio,
| when he was Assistant Secretary O
War and supported Grants plans, or fl
his long term as editor Of the "Sun."
Sheds Much Light
A biography like this covering tn
most momentous period in the annal
Of nineteenth century Europe an,
nineteenth century America is NOR
} than footnote to history. 1t shed
much light on men and events an
enables the reader to view the pano
rama, as it were. through the eyes q
the reflective contemporary observer
] Ihus we can. accompany Charles A
Dana to Paris at the time of the revo
luton of 1S4S. All the sympathies n
the American journalist were with tn
democratic aspirations of the Frenc
people. Louis Napoleon loomed I'D a
an OMNIBUS figure whom Dana re
garded as a danger to the Republic.
italy. Hungary and Germany wer
at that time in a revolutionary stat
OF mind. Everywhere there seemed
hrm determination to substitute ro
publicanism for despotism. Aid fror
France would have been welcomed b
the democracy of every other Euro
pean country. The provisional govern
ment wisely determined not to initat
the earlier provisional government a
the time Of the French Revolution b
sending out armies on n democrati
crusade. Dana commended this cours.
When Louis Napoleon was electe
President of the French Republic tn
American journalist was foremos
among those who doubted the sincerit
OF that adventurer He was not bac
long in the United States before tn
Coup dEtat proved the accuracy q
his provision.
There are five exceedingly interestin
chapters of the association of Greele
and Dana on the Tribune" before tb
war. General Wilson naturally devote
especial attention to Dana's record an
services as Assistant Secretary of Wa,
lie allots eleven chapters. maxim
about one-third of the volume. TO mi
crowded period. Incidentally our an
thor deals with the siege and captur
Of Nicksburg. the campaign of chat
tanooga, Grants overland camnaie-
against Richmond and the Confederat
operations in Northern Virginia. III
energetic Assistant Secretary spen
much time at the front with Grant
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