New-York tribune., 1907-12-03

--Ch
Bos
Nj Hill Is = lawyer and he is also noVelisi
IN the making Of She present collection OF
studies q both faculties have been called INTO
.,'av. His legal training mas enabled him TO
make an intelligent examination OF old court
records. and, when rl2e facts Of q case are TO be
-astated 10 keen the main issue always clearly
- the foreground. His novelist's eye. on the
other hand. distinguishes what is still humanity
Interesting and alive-the stuff Of a good story
from what has gone, once and forever. TO
.ob,;y-ion Tire combination has resulted in al
unusual piece OF writing.
Out OF the vide range OF American legal an
ua!s the author has chosen eight contests, each
o< which was Of national Importance for one
reason or another. and he has recounted the
proceedings in q free. vivid manner that brings
the various dramatis persona upon the
scane in flesh and blood. much in s
-veu-toId story. This is something OF q feat,
undoubtedly, and on the whole, quite worth
While. TIE majority OF Us lack the heart-grant-
i-c that We possess the head-to study out the
u-digested facts Of legal history for ourselves
But give them = fresh vivacious. journalistic
treatment and we viii absorb them almost un-
coasciously-anding some special Zest, perhaps
IN the fact that our reading has an educational
justification
considered rather as historical fiction than as
mere history Nr Hill "storihes' his material
II 50 far as possible He knows the value OF
suspense; prepares skilfully for the dramatic
moments: he sees his character hero and
villain n,adnan. tyrant, clown, rabble-some-
times e little too distinctly, even, 10 keep Up
the desired historical illusion This is history
wearing the aura; II viii not DO 70 accept II too
implicitly. a sentence like the following might
have come out Of g fuIl-fedged romance. instead
ot introducing the first study" The United
states vs. Calender: : Fight for the Freedom
CT the Press: Early in the morning OF June
8, 1900. q number OF hoTsenen could be seen
straggiing along the rough country roads toward
Richmond. each encircled in q little cloud Of
dust"
When = -eviver OF the past goes SO far 70
tell o. little clouds OF dust,
PEELED 10 enroll him among those who pirOuette
OF the steps OF the temple CT history rather
than worship within.
Here IS the entrance q old Thaddeus Stevens
:ntc the Senate chamber On the opening day
OF the impeachment OF President johnson:
TIE et1eatio9 Of tie audience was suddenly .di-
S lem heavily 1,6 -55o.e ;1o ENG 9e5sea Z 9i
dragging crippled foot along the floor. The ap
Bur one glance ot MS fierce assreSsive face with
Is high prot-ading czeekocnes, grin mouth and
server that pity would be MISPLACED Even n MS
deus stevens mad 1eve- appeared more traplaca6Ie
and Fengeful than he dc when win ne hana 2i
chamber 70 aid il the prosecution OF his btteTest
trsiIty and Buffers 6ratai vitality vas suggestive
and as Tie t~o men faced ne galleries tag Sas ~;Gs
the prosecution in the fiesh-stevsas in the spirit
Here is the stage setting for the trial Of John
Brown:
wfoh gree5ea The aeTes oId ea7r,peigner as his
T6e a aSS ss Gaiis ss sfesTe and stained
with hand and heaa MARKS ne hlg2 90 stoyae
with their crude black crooked smoke EiPes 9s oT
es ss dFy ts sSg aGeT ssa g !1e PIt PheT1 WITH tie or
~ to5acco s-aokz ana the respirations OF Eve o.
x S'.-S-e5 ~ioseIv we5eed sDectators-ncne of the
surroundings or conditions was catcu!a'eo 10 eo'i
r1arG respect or 70 inspire herolzIn-
This chapter OF THE Commonwealth VS.
Brown" is. by the way. one of the most ably
written In the collection Frankly recognizing
The mad incendiarism OF the old mans projects
and The ir1possibiIity OF condoning his raid. the
author vet finds q certain passionate. even He
braic dignity in the tottering figure, cut and
bruised almost beyond recognition. that faced
2 hostile multitude so unfinchingly day after
day IN the courthouse OF Charles Town Rough
hewn, but Titanic, patriarchal but aggressive
he scorned TO ask any favors-even the favor OF
justice-from MS enemies; his only request was
that he should not be ''fooiishly insulted-" This
request made, he wrapped blanket about him
and sank down upon the cot bed that had been
set Id II front Of the judges bench. where he
closed his eyes and rarely opened them again
during the days proceedings" As the trial
progressed one single desire took possession OF
aim: that OF q death on the gallows He would
.zuow no argument OF insanity TO be made; he
continually coafounded his attorneys by cutting
thern short with fat contradictions He did not
want help He had prophetic conviction that
nothing that could happen would SO arouse the
North as the death Of q martyr. And he was
right
Very striking. too. is the picture Mr.. Hill pre-
sents Of Aaron Burr demanding the privilege Of
picking q jury from among his avowed enemies.
The dLscreditable motives of the prosecution IN
this famous case subtly and keenly dis
closed; the recorded evidence is recapitulated
with telling dramatic effect: and Burr's charac-
with Arnoid's. is vindiceted. An able account of
the intricate Dred Scott case deserves special at
tent;nn, and mention should also be made OF
The Alabama Arbitration" and of the Spies
Anarchist trial. IN each OF which difficult
terial is very sklfully used. In so far as the
.storsfyinx" OF history is legitimate-and GER
tainly IL has its pisce-Ar. HIS labors deserve
the heartiest praise His presentation is. for the
most part singularly fair, based upon careful