Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-02-13


Johnson" New York: The Macmillan
Company.
Mr.. Dewitt sets out to examine the
tragedy of 1865 from the strictly historical
point of view in order to ascertain the
precise facts Had he maintained the role
of the unprejudiced Investigator through
out, he would doubtless. with his evil
dent powers of analysis, have produced a
work of great worth 1t is unfortunate
that he quickly fell into the attitude of
the special pleader, and the result is
brief against the prosecutors of Mrs. Sur
raft. II may be that Mrs. Surratt was
unjustly condemned; 1t may be that the
trial at the arsenal was without warrant
OF the higher law of the land, was I'M
necessarily severe and was accompanied
by what would now appear to be pre-
posterous and cruel precautions against
activity on the part of the accused. But
the events of that day must be judged
according TO the conditions that then
existed II the historian after calmly re-
viewing the record concludes that Mrs.
Surratt was condemned without due proc
ess of law and without sufficient proof.
he may I'm the same process reach the
conclusion that her condemnation was
inevitable In the state of the public mind
Al that time. Miss Laushlin in her book
reviewed above points out the circum-
stances which combined to render per-
fectly impartial trial impossible. 1t is
aSlOf0dtlc I1dt WITCH II man - OH tTldl LOT
his life he shall be given the benefit of
the doubt. but has been held TO be equally
automatic that when public welfare is
endangered. as in the case of the as
sassination Of a ruler. reasonable doubts
should be resolved in favor of the state
and not of the Individual
Mr.. Dewitt has done more harm than
good 10 the cause he has eSpouSed by
1ndulging in the Language of vituperation
and contempt for those who were involved
in any degree in Mrs. Surratts condemna-
lion. And IL may be questioned whether
II is wise or profitable at thiS~ti to
try TO solve such AN iuscrutable mystery
IS the Johnson-Holt controversy. to which
the author devotes a considerable portion
Of his space.
NEWT AMERICANS; edited by NJ \.
DeWolfe Howe-ABRAHAM In
coin. BY Brand Whitlock. Boston:
Small. Maynard & Co.
Mr.. Whitlock condenses in the small
compass OF this attractive edition the
substance of the whole Lincoln story. al
though he bewails the impoSSib!lity of
presenting within such limitations "a
life so epoChal. character so original
and yet so universal. For the use Of
ore who wishes to obtain an illuminating
glance at Lincoln this little volume is of
exceptional value.
LINCOLN'S LOVE STORY. BY Eleanor
y author OF lie nOol
of Lincoln" etc. New York: Double
day, Page & Co.
IL has always been known that Lincoln
did not marry the woman he loved with
all his heart. Ann Rutledge was the
one who should have been his wife. but
she died early in life and Lincoln was a
stricken man. 1t is believed that In
large part the sadness which marked him
IN after years was caused by this trag-
edy. In this volume is told Lincoln s
love story. simply. tenderly and effect
lively.
THE LIFE OF ABRAHAM LINCOLN
FOR BOYS AND GIRLS. BY Charles
w. Moores. Boston and New York /:
Houghton Mifflin Company.
\ children's study of Lincoln is not
necessarily much different from that of
the adult. for Lincoln's work and char
acter were particularly simple. though he
wrought a time of immense com
pIeXity. Nevertheless il IS well Ia place
in tine youthful hands Simply told story
Of Lincoln. and this is accomplished by
Mr.. Moores i'll giving TO children IAN
understanding of his great life, an ap