The Washington herald., 1912-07-07
BY A. d. JACOBSON.

BY A. ID. JACOBSON.
DICTIONARY OF NATIONAL BIOGRAPHY
5Second Supplement, Vol. !. Containing q Bio
Eapdy Of King Edward VII. By Sir sidney Lee
1t is impossible in a limited space
to do Justice to all that appears in THU
volume. Several may be selected al
random. DIR. Barnardo receives full
recognition. Sir Walter Besant Is estf-
mated quite admirably. and Mr. Belt
though called benefactor, is well
conceived and ably treated. In fact
the summary of the little known finan-
cfer is very interesting Sir Redvers
Butler is handled humanely. Lady
Burdett-Coutts is written down for
Just praise, though strange to say no
mention is made of the great ovation
given her at the time of Queen Vic
toria's diamond jubilee. Charles Dixie
is the subject of a highly informing
article, fair and adequately personal.
Quite naturally the criticism of the
character of Edward VII will be the
compelling factor in making the book
read by some who otherwise would
pass by a work OF this size and value.
To write what the author has had to
say about his late King in the manner
handled by him required courage as
we'll as great literary ability. The
misconceptions that have attached to
Edward Wis character are Topped of.
One sees the King, not in the limelight
of popular exaggeration, but in the
light of truth. He is seen in a differ
emit attitude altogether from what court
painters have shown him.
Hence 1t is a true portraiture rather
than euiogy, which especially in the
case Of the late King is very important.
because Edward himself never pretended
ito be anything else than he really was
in any phase of his activity. He never
Claimed to be a great general, a great
statesman nor did he aspire to be
great in any field. He was content to
be managerial. anxious to help In af-
fairs Of state. when his help was
needed. but never forward with opIn-
ions or interferences. All that he hoped
for was to hold the good opinion of his
subjects. This he did He was prob
ably the only really successful king
England ever had. because he did not
wish to be a king. He was quite con-
tent to be a man. Punctilliousness, even
at the cost of personal comfort. which
he valued greatly. was his chief char
acteristic. His duty toward his wife,
children. and friends. even toward the
least OF his subjects, was what he cared
for primarily. Like all good men, he
enjoyed publicity. Like all democrats,
he was most at home in a crowd. q
think he lived his happiest moments on
the day when he was jostled and ap-
pIauded by the loving and admiring
English mob when his horse won the
derby. There is not another king in
all Europe who would dare to mingle
with the crowd the way he did when
that great race was run.
Reared as a royal super-king he be-
came uper-man-of-the-world. But
u-hi or a a
lacked the intellectual equipment of the
thinker, and on occasions showed an
unwillipgness to exert his mental
powers. He was no reader Of books.
He could not concentrate his mind on
them. Yet he always was eager for in
formation and orally gathered very
varied stories Of information and know
ledge. A rare aptitude for rapidly as
sfmilating the outlines of a topic en-
abfed him to hold his own in brief talk
with experts on every subject. He did
not sustain a conversation with much
power or brilliance, but his grace and
charm of manner atoned for any de-
f1ciency of matter. ..s.
Many of the old-school royalists may
be shocked with such a method of plain
dealing with one Of the Amounted" for
there is a scholarly ruthlessness in the
way in which the able author tears
which the public in general has wal
lowed so long. But the aim of a biog-
raphy is not the moral edihcation that
ma come from either vice or virtue
and their survey. 1t Is the truthful
transmission Of personality.
GEN. JOSEPH WHEELER AND THE ARMY OF
TENNESSEE: BY John Witherspoon Du Bose.
The Neale Publishing Company. New York City. |
This is an interesting addition to this
years large output of civil war stories. |
though, ewing to the semi-cent rnial the |
literature was plentiful indeed. Mr.. Du |
Pose naturally is fri'.rdly critic OF the |
famous cavalry chiet;a:n. Three Of the
authors brothers gave their life to the
cause Of the South and ali Of them
served under Gen. Wheeler. Where he
deals WITH spectacular military move
ments Mr.. Du Bose is very interesting
and he has the facult:' OF bringing his
readers into the closest touch with me
firing line Moreover, although inclined
to exalt Wheeler he gives unstinted praise
to that officers associates and subordi-
mates in command.
When Mr.. Du Bose leaves the military
camp he enters the political arena and
lie would be tiresomc there were it not
for the fact that his conclusions are
It is Iatc in the day 10 t-y to
excuse the attitude of the South to-
ward slavery on the ground that in its ma
ture the peculiar institution was self
aus: Irat the sworl was
an intruder. In IFS very nature slavery
could not exist indefinitely according to
the author. Yet an institution that had
showed steady growth with each rScurl ];
ring census. and which demanded thou
sands OF square miles OF new territory
for its own expansion, hardly could be
c Considered decadent
The trouble with Southern biographers
Is that they will not stick to their text.
Fighting Joe" Wheeler needs no justi-
hcation or vindication in any books that
deal with his military achievements The
question is net whether he was right in
casting his fortunes with the Confeder-
acy. It is what sort of a soldier was
Joe Wheeler? His civic vindication would
nave been easy without touching upon
his attitude toward slavery at all. The
general served hts country ably and
with honor in the halls OF Congress
after Il was reunited.
Half century having passed since
The beginning Of that strife between
brothers the apologies no longer should
attempt to write its history. This book
s interesting to the general reader, be-
,ause Of his subject, Fighting Joe,"
cut It cannot be regarded as a valuable .
to the literature OF the great /! .
struggle.
The TURNsTILE: By A. Z. " Mason. Pub J
.lishsd By Charles sctbners Sons. Men York q
citl 4
The author knows well how to end a I
,l,o apAoba ,,so~ tbfe 80 hi. ,,,;.r n