The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1908-05-17

torcal material in the country at that
time, and only less valuable to-day
than the vast storehouse Of manu-
scripts now In the Library OF Con-
lily. since the days of the stamp Act,
as well Us tits makers They havs,,
therefore, been careful to collect all
kinds of letters and documents bear
ing upon our history for a period of a
hundred and fifty years, with the re-
suit that Mr.. Charles Francis. Adams.
the present head OF the family. now
brothers this magnificent collection.
Thus equipped and thus rooted In the
very foundations OF our national evo-
luton. Mr. Henry Adams began about
1850 his great work as historian.
In ono way only was this superb man
saw things naturally from the Adams
point OF view. which. happily how
ever, was the nationalist outlook. 1t Is
nevertheless a drawback for the his
the fortunes OF any great family of the
country whose institutions he intends
to portray.
And what added to this difficulty
was the fact that he was Massachu-
sets man. bred in the bone" and his
chosen field was Just that period which
was filed by tho activities and rival
r!es OF his own great grandfather and
nny bt Ss the wfsan No,
Quincy Adams, had suffered from the
management and intrigues Of the great
virginian leaders Of the early nine
cshusetts we're the poles 81 our nationa,
life and history from 1776 to 1928. and
what seenad well and pleasing u ...d
of these great Commemorative was
sure to appear the opposite OF all that
was good to the other.
It was certain, therefore. tina t. Hen
ry Adams would labor under great dis
advantages, yet with the most stirring
incentive. FOR none OF his house, whose
names and flames 1t would fall to his
lot to defend had ever covered up a
black page In their careers. The lives
OF the Adamses have been open books
in this country, and none of them have
beer, Of character to cause any man
The preliminary work to Henry
Adams's History of the United States
from 1901 to 1917" was the Life and
Writings OF Albert Gallatln" and the
Life OF John Randolph" both OF
which are excellent books. though the
latter Is rather unsatisfying to the
more ardent and jealous Virginians.
The brilliant but eccentric Virginia
genius was not quite the kind Of maj,
that Henry Adams would have chosen
as a hero. Albert Gallatin, on the con-
trary, the sblest member of Jefrerson's
y
Adams ever made hero of any his
torica character 1t was that OF the
pennsylvania Republican who so wise
ly managed the nations finances for
more than q dozen troublous years.
Turning now to the masterpiece of
Mr. Adams. the most remarkable piece
of historical writing known to our lit
erature, The History of the United
States" az 1t is commonly called.
which appeared In 1889 to 1890, let us
note some OF Its qualities. 1t is n
work OF nine volumes, duodecimo. ein-
braclng In all about 1000 pages OF
compact Print The style Is unsur-
passed and. the. concentrations are
brilliant md striking. seldom II ever
missing the mark The. book is not
suffer greatly in Its treatment Of con-
troverted points. The chapters maxi
ing up the first volume are extremely
interesting, treating, as they do, the
physical basis OF American civilian
ton, the intellectual traits of the diff
terent sections of the country and
American ideals ana purposes In gem
eral. Nowhere does tho present writ
er recall other such strikingly Just ana
!umlnens estimates Of our early ma
tionnl life end civilization.
lefrorson's admnistrations-th the pur-
chase Of Louisiana. the impeachment
of Justice Chase, the trial Of Aaron
Burr, the conflict with Chief Iusttce
Marshall. the painful iembargo. the
phrtlcularlsmg Of New England, and the
War of 1S12--is able and compelling In
Interest. There are no dull pages IN
The whole comprehensive work Meas
4ured BY the great classics or histortcni