New-York tribune., 1909-12-04


uaits. map and appendix. In three vol
umes 6v0, pp. es5. 6o1. 6eo The Baker
a. Taylor Company
These three volumes cover the first
nsty years 81 Mr BigelOw's life. from
his birth al Bristol (now Maiden). y. v.
on November -. 1917. 10 his resignation
as United States Minister 10 Paris. al the
end OF 1866 The frs, half OF she first
volume is devoted TO his childhood. boy
hood and education. his start in life in
New York as lawyer. and 10 his early
connection with The Evening Post. the
other half and The whole Of the second
and third volumes. 10 the decade that
saw the coming storm OF secession. 10
the great struggle for the preservation
of The Union. and MI Bigelows services
u thai END IN Paris, as American Consul,
and. during the Vexing complications and
dangers of the question of the Mexican
empire. as our envoy extraordinary and
minister plenipotentiarg. IN spite Of the
modest statement OF his Prelude" he
makes a valuable contribution 10 our
lnowledEe OF the diplomatic-the Euro
poan-history Of the civil War. In the
middle OF his second volume he says.
no member of ar. IAncoln's government
hao ans suspicion, on thu DAY OF his in
1ueUrauou. uf Tle extent 10 which the
minds OF TIE leading men on the other
siue of the At.antic. nnanclers as We'll
the government - Washington by the
unlc.ai relt .-aiites 4no satellites u the
recurring almiul~-Tatiou- To antidOte this
poison. 90 uectfy the Impressions thus in
sldlOusly Instllcd among The ruling classts,
and tO avert tlsif effects whore they could
not be corrected. vas the chief and most
urduous of the Cuues ~ the gentlemen
fau President Lincoln selected FOR for
eiEn service IN lsl. Contrary 10 eXpec-
tafiuns. France proved ultimately TO he the
stofEo centre from which The Union had
most 70 0pprehcud- When The perils
of GisluiOu were happily averted by the !
capture of Jefferson Davis and the sur
render ~ lee army, we were confronted
respects ftan those froin Nl1ch W had
iUsi beCu delivered. No history. q
thcse schemes, IN an Of which the dignity
Gu1 perpetultF of our national union were
Involved. can ever he properly written, nor
fhe fluctuations ~ our national fortunes
fully appreClated without careful study
0f the correspondence exchanged by the
rrspcctiVC governments during the four
wears which succeeded the outbreak Of the
Ec5cllCu Of thar correspondence, which /
was necessarily Tar more Voluminous Than
Tor amy corresponding period of our na-
tiQual annals. hut very inconsloerable /
part has been accessible. only q The very /
restricted class VINO read such OF these
esclnsnis as are PRINTED .,l ioT SengIeSs; s5
only IN the archives OF the state DEPART
lnent where it Is liable to rest unclsturned
Tor centuries 70 come. Tor the simple rea-
son Ihat us historic value is known 10
very few. probably 20 none VINO would
q kc the froalIe and could AFFORD or would
ei1e o. -uCur the expense az having n
.rrie- and printed. I aqureheud that ] an /
ile only one stiL living sufficiently IA I
a,lllr with The history of tht period COW
,..ea av that correspondeuoe 10 furnish the
see lights necessary 10 q proper coInpre-
hcUsl0n ~ much OF f. ] tuL have sur
Eivcd both the Presidents and an The MEM
Horr nj trsl~ respt CflFr cabinets who con-
stitltod tht executive 0flcers az our gov
V~ r i.. .r,i,.-s Fl ~ -..-,,5,,7 s.s
az Foreign AfLairs ln lOtl houses OF Con-
floss. anc. believe. au ms colleagues In
ftc diplomatic service ~ she I-lfed states
flte conviction nm i have undertaker 70
arrange and edit these papers ] am now
Submitting lo le public and placing where
tltN naN some .et prove perhaps, q con
il-Al-.'- t ~. -. ltli e- ---i,t 20 @ lle
historE of 4 s-Il---e -n NEicn government
a lhe n"0l'e f. ilt people. -ef ne pee
from which it ever aid. or Is ever likely,
lrlul1I Ha.-.t-t .H .--.tf-s-
Tho fun scope ~ the work is described
with striking exacutude in this long
quotation. II may he added thar not a
Uttl, of The value and usefulness Of
thcse volumes is due 10 the fact that
the.r author has uaI limited himself 20
official correspondence. but has freely
drawn upon private latt rs. which often
serve no keep clearly letCre the reader
tae course Ot events ~ home a. reportel
o. the American Minister - Paris by
hss friends This also enables him 20
r,.ut Some interesting letters from SYM
gathizers with the cause of the Union
ln England. John Bright al their head.
and from its friends iu France. among
them La5ouiaye. whose propaganda foT
TIE caus, deserves Vtder recognition
taan IL has SET f1uul Sol Should men-
tion boz forgotten hero of th- Inclusion
ot q number of Informing documents
pelncd by tlr Confederate agents ln
Europe Stewards name leads tho list
CI ar B.Eo..Us aspaulelts. as O.
uatter of course. tleu come TLurl1w
Weed and Bancroft. sumner ana Evarrs.
Charles Francis Adams Dana and
Bryant Mauey. and later John Hay.
\ Golden. Taine and Guizat. ~Our O1u
3Corrcspo Russell and many others.
amid hope and fear. confidence and
doubt. taa u.rE of watching aI Europe
Cl gu4rli-- Hlr interests th.r. went su
with uulb-ta5 zeal Complication fol-
lowed complication. protests inst rho
blockadinE ot southern ports and The
retention of rifles fur rht Northern
armies. priyateeriug and tLe encourage
meut of immigratI1r. tae Monroe Doc
Urine and th, status 81 French rlar.can
clrizens in tlt country - their birth. the
financing az thr Rar by the Federal
GoyernDcul and t.e 11st-ug of loans by
the Coutc-..lCy. rEo influence Of the
cotton famine or Eur psan public opin-
son. enc tie effect of news II Cnion de-
feats. an this had 20 be watched and
taken care of after dealing with the
outburst .n England over the Trent
affair. Ir. DiEeloW says
Tnc French press naturally took some
N.af u4O"t 4l- passion ale E.rt Uf the ssiz-
uEt. net Hrl.s directly Interested Besides
plate N.tH Christian ceulrus4re any event
which promises Io eulr1il their fnsu-
Jar ileirfla Hifh foreign powers. and al
this t.ut especially with Amelia Be
sides. .D Paris as lu London. tngse who
f0r amy one 90 manifold reasons desired
fle SUCCESS az Tie fHlfegeraf"s reDOiceG
over ,hf seizure nf The comm .-~Irners and
sought 90 give the gfitEauc great inter-
national importance. our J a zeal friends
among rht irrUcl people were thoroughly
dcm0ra ,lzel. There MAS q time
wltuir the three days which immediately
followed thc news uf tire seizure when one
c0uld have counted on Lis fingers about
an the people ir Europe not Americans
who sull retained any hope oT eNpecta-