The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1910-12-11
GoLDw1N SMITHS MEMORIES

"Reminiscences of Goodwin Smith. y. c. l.
Edited by Arnold Haultsin. NJ A. II
lustrated The Macmillan Company
Publishers. New York
This is "A fine, large volume, elegant
1y presented by the publishers aS II
deserves to be, for ii is one of the few
largely notable works of the year. In
it the rscollections of man of power
and highly trained thought are given
to the world. And that man had much
TO do with the thought Of his times in
fact, with the thought OF two genera
tions OF alert and magnificent men
He wns important in England, among
the foremost in the United States az a
lecturer at Cornell. and most advanced
years were passed. And vet, he re-
tanned 10 the last vivid interest in
the public and educational affairs of
the United States, while occupying n
position of emineuce in the higher
thought of the world.
The editor of the "reminiscences had
no easy task. as he explains; for the
bulk of the book was not composed
until the writer had passed his seventy
fifth year; and although the manuscript
was first written out BY the author S
own hand, then dictated to me, twice
typewritten, and constantly revised, yet
not only is septuagenarian s memory
solicitude for accuracy is abt to be
liable. also And he explains that
much had 10 be corrected, and perhaps
many errors escaped correction. Again,
Much of the manuscript was in II
chaotic state: some Of the chapters, in.
deed, consisted merely of fragmentary
and inconseQuential paragraphs. With
these, he saws. he has dealt as best he
could. In so far, however, as all this
may be apologetic, il is quite nnneccs-
sary. for the work is one of the most
engrossing interest; no apology is re-
quircd. In so far as it may be meant
TO magnify the task OF reduction, II
is ungrncious and small
The book comprises 4IS pages, IN
twentysi4 chapters. 1t begins with
p narration of family affairs on the
date of Goldwin Smiths birth, in 1923.
describing the home. the living, and old
customs, His memory of the Duke of
Wellington and other uotablcs follows,
then his school DAYS, 1891 to 1910, with
Queen Victoria. His Oxford days, both
as student and tutor. are recalled. then
his travels on the European continent
Then comes an account OF the uniyer
sty commissions and of the Educa
tlonal Commission. lS5S-lS6l. His ]aw
studies are described, there being in
cluded IN the chapter comparison OF
London comes in for special chap
ter, with views of Macaulay, Hallam,
Thackeray. Tyndall. Herbert Spencer,
Carlyle Tennyson. Wilberforce, Brough- |
an, and other noteworthies. In tho |
chapter on Journalism he has special !
references to Peel and Froudc and a |
description Of the Saturday Review and /
its staff. His connection with public
men, iDcludiD1 Disraeli (whom he
called down as a liar and posts as a
svcophant), takes chapter, and we
have views of Peel, Gladstone, CANNING.
Lord Aberdeen, Russell, Granville, Earl
Grey, and Joseph Chamberlain.
''Thc Manchester School of statesmen
comes IN for consideration. with its
peace policy, anti-inpcrialism and
estimates of Bright and Golden, of
Socialism. and of the Irish question as
that school viewed il. His Oxford pro-
fcssorship is next taken up. and the
interests involved therein. the interest
in all of them being retained keen to
jncluding the Crimean war, the uprising
of Napoleon Ill, and the general elec:
fions in the fftics come in for detail
and comment. Irish affairs, 1862 to
1881, are presented. and then comes the
great Eughshman lust and upright
estimate of the American Civil war.
and his Judgment of American public
,
ran affairs, with a considcrat lion of
Governor Eyre s venomous cruclties,
which were so brutally upheld by Car
Isle. is vivid and enlightening; and
in the course of it he expresses very
high estimate of John Stuart Mill.
Next we are told OF his resignation Of
his Oxford professorship and his invi-
tation to Cornell, which he accepted.
Then he tells Of his visits TO Europe,
TO Washington, and 10 the Northwest,
chiefly of Canada. He makes estimates
more or less favorable Of American
Of Washington socie,y
of the party system, of newspaper re-
porters. and of f. l.. Godkin Next he c
explains the relation of Canada TO the J
Imperial country, expounds Canadian I
politics, and the final chapter deals $
with his life and work in Canada, 1871
10 1910, {
1t is work of very high and rare !
interest. 1T will be sought for by $
every public library, and by hundreds
Of private Libraries, and it is eminentiy I
worthy of the Search for those who OBJ I
tain it get book worth while.
RApI Apt WNpE Il