Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-05-20

- UGH the longest and most i'm
Ia ~ portant OF the ESSAYS grouped
IN" in this volume is the one Of
fered in vindication of Daniel
Webster. As a basis for this
act Of justification, the author reviews
what are known as the compromise
measures Of 1Sln'' through whose opera
ton the civil war, though not averted.
was deferred, at the least. for a decade
The attitude of Webster toward these
measures, an attitude defined and crys-
tallized in his famous speech of March
e brought upon him an untempered
whirlwind Of wrath from indignant abo-
ltionists The full strength Of the su-
preme intellectual power of the north
was turned against him in denunciatloi-
From press and pulpit and street the full
tide Of arraignment flowed. To what APP
peared to him 10 ne this great states
mans irredeemabIe fall. Whittier owed
inspiration for the finest of his poems.
Webster was openly charged with being
a traitor to the cause Of liberty, a true
kIer TO the powers OF preferment behind
the institution OF slavery. a political rene
gade Seduced from rectitude by ambition
TO become the President of the | nlted
States. From an attack upon MS pupilc
character. the descent to an attack upon
his private life was easy and swift In
the order OF this decline the author
works, examining first the public career
and then the private life OF Danlel "ep-
ster The physical material used here Is,
as a matter of course, historic record
The method is argument Supreme. now
ever is the authors intellectual ana
spiritual and literary equipment Tnrough
this particular phase Of equipment the
fun meaning of history comes INTO use
its events, its philosophy. its effects BIZ
ography, too, takes its place in right re-
lation to general history. lnnumerable
side lights are at hand to do their part
these brilliantly revealing. If not whoiiy
conclusive. Here, also. is the fairness
II the scientific mind, intent, at any
hazard, upon truth in all its bearings
an inpersonal unbiased mind. capable of
a straight course from motive to act and
from that on to effect. These incompafa-
bile instruments of work serve this act OF
vindication BY the formalittes of ar
gument the author separates the general
question into the topics that underlie the
accusation. searching the conscience OF
Daniel Webster for the motives of that
18th of March speech and the conduct sub
sequent to it. Not only the conscience of
the man, but the patriotism, the wisdom.
the consistency Of him as we'll are
brought to reasonable Judgment. The
whole is an act of Righteousness, carried
out in a mastery sobriety of patriotic
Intent and addressed to every American
citizen
THE GREAT ENGLISH NOVELISTS;
With Introductory Essays and
Notes. BY William j. Dawson and
Conongsby W. Dawson. authors of
The Great English Essayists-" New
York: Harper & Bros publishers.
A unique and Illuminating plan of
comparative study opens out in these
two volumes on the subject of the Eng
lish novelists. The tables of contents
run like this: Love Scenes ''Humor."
Historic Personages," Children in
Literature and so on. The method is
10 group under each of these themes GER
tain illustrative scenes taken from i'm
lortant novels. each. far possible,
a complete unit in itself. These scenes
are selected and arranged TO show Spe-
officially the modifica lions that have come
to both the material and the technic OF
this form of literature through the
progress Of those events which 1t is the |
function of the novel to portray. AS
example: Under 'Humor" illustrations
are made in ascending scale from
Henry Fielding, Goldsmith. Scott and
Jane Austen, on through to Meredith:
Barrie and Mark Twain Selections-of
more or less promiscuouS sort-to expand
themes. are not new. nor are they of
much account The study in hand bears
neither near nor remote relation to such
haphazar1 cole ctions. Here the direct
point of both selection and arrangement
Is TO set out tie growth and development
of the novel through a comparative
lures. An essay on the English novel
Introduces each of these volumes. The
two taken together review its rise and
growth depict its variant forms ana
make a running appraisement of the
great masters CT English fiction. The
immediate of these essays. the use at
hand. is to furnish a general scheme
into which TIE succeeding details of
study may be fitted each in its proper
relation OF tlrne and other sequence. In
mcdelnity Of view, in simplicity of out
line, in CblcCtivity and in their own III
erary manner. these predatory discussions
are models of exposition. The general
reader, OF good literature. desiring to give
a place 10 his reading and to account for
It, will find these volumes of inestimable
value. The student yet under systematic
direction Will obtain from them an order
~ and simpiified view. That other stu
dent, the one striving TO produce Ntera-
ture on his own account, viii gather from
them definite instruction and important
suggestion
THE PASSING OF THE AMERICAN.
BY Monroe Royce, author of Amer
leans in Europe, etc. New York:
Thomas Whitaker.
With unrestricted immigration as both
theme and grievance. Mr.. Royce, IN no
uncertain terms. depicts the passing OF
the American through an overwhelming
foreign invasion. That this is a peaceful
invasion delays the issue. but does not
change It The discussion IS In part
Jeremiad. in equal part mere scoldtng
The first IL lament over the decadence
OF American spirit through lack OF thor
oughness and thrift. coupled with will
ingnees to leave the genuine labor of the
country to alien hands. The author at
this point says truthfuily and peril
nent1v: Now the people who do tire
work OF a country, II they he not slaves.
will In good time possess that land" Cn-
checked immigration. coupled with our
growing tendencies toward unthrift ami
sUperficiality. accounts for the evil days
upon which, according to Mr. Royce. We
have so surely fallen. Corrupt business
practices. the overdose partnership be-
tween business and politics. the frailty
OF statesmen the inconpetency of Off
Gals. the fin siness OF educ alton. The hcl-
1owness Of the churchill these and
more are affirmed and traced To Ameri
can degeneracy through emancipation
from labor by the presence of millions
OF foreign workmen. Much thai the
writer says is sound sober. arresting
To convince Americans of national en-
ace and 10 give timely warming one as
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