The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1913-12-01

, 'r%'n, ,i ana after al II is only the
These thoughts are suggested by
leading III" recently published Life OF
Amber. professor Of history in In ran
dulph Macon College. Here is a work
modelled after the IDEAS of inodcfi,
up date. It does not prof~ss 10 be
mere eulogy OF Mr. Richie but 4
study OF 4 powerful ana versatile
king OF til" Democratic press" Th,.
vast field which IN Amber has con-
tiont toll ana unCunqucrablc industry
lis task WAS to depict Mr.. Richie amid
INC complicated conditions of Virginia
poltlvs' ana, ~ Very often he cNasEcr
htcS the influence Of Nj. RitchIc ana
gives him credit tas in the case of the
compromise tariff Of 1880 for what
valuable work, nevertheless MI.
TitGhic's importancc I'm tn" public Held
jefferson. ANA In uuraVeilnp Virginia
politics from that time and depicting
tho changes ana vicissitud"s OF party
pr. Amhier Is more Than ordinarily
successful one thing especially i'm
which he shows himself distinctly su-
tory is his jus, conception OF both tho
democratic. and Wing parties as only
~. precautions unions of diverse in
,n"' pufI"Scs ana lianlc ~ any mo-
amy real solidarity
Ia rs general aspects, then, tho book
may b" considered a success and
stimulativc to further study IN our al
most untouched historical materials
When we come down to Dr Aniblor's
statements OF details ana conclusions
drawn from them cannot Conscicn-
errors seem 10 be traccablc to several
sources; the tirSt being, doubtless. his
i;iien origin IN spit Of his name, Or.
In OHIO AND trained in the West, one
cannot rail L. soc that he is wholly
out Of sympathy with tho Eastern sec
ton. from which his forcbcars came.
and. in fact. he rather prideS himself
upon being its critic Ills picture Of
OF poor whites cringtng with caps OF
before slave oligarchs and scrvilely
following them into secession In 1851.
has no better foundation than some
1amboyant remarks intended ;tS satire
~ William Writ in his british SPY"
The fact is, there prevailed less ser
Witty among the white people OF East
crn Virginia than perhaps existed any
where else on the face OF the globe
and can be readily produced TOO
young myself 10 enter the army. and
ton that went into secession, feel
thai | can personally deny this picture.
o. East Virginia society thus approved
by Dr Ainhler
The second source Of error on tho
part OF Dr. Amber is found in his too
close identification with the subject of
u,
one reads one is puzzled to know
whether Or Amblcr is expressing his
own views or. merely quoting the worda
"i Mr.. ittchic's Enquirer In various
places tpagc -. ctc.) he attempts TO
mako consistent political character
OF Mir. IsttchIc. and yet. according to his
Ritchic changed his views on every
question and looked only To present
the tariif, for internal improvements,
ant AGAINST internal improvements,
against the indcpcndcnt treasury and
for the independent treasury. Mr..
ltitchic shifted and varied his views
Ike the glasses OF Kaleidoscope. 1t
il absurd TO style such q man IA sen
tincl upon the watch tower of State
rights" Politically lncorruptiblc, ho
had som" excuse for his changing
acutciy sensitive to public opinion. but
he had none ~ identifying himself with
s.nch. a crowd ~ the Albany rcBcmcy--
the Tar'";,iy Hall of ancient politics
These men. controlling the Democratic
party under Jackson and Van Hurcn.
ana eventually allied themselves with
the Free Soilcrs." The Wing party in
~ Inception ~ was protest against The
Democrats. THIS Dr. Amber does not
altogether, secn to appreciate.
Under 'hat ronfmsion Of personality
fcrred DR. Amber often seems to state
as facts what arc merely charges Of
M y,,,l RitrhiE ThnS' on page lSa; nr
uulliti<r aId scccdcr" Now, one can
readily understand that this might
have, proceeded from Mr.. iiitchie for
political effect. but Whites vote FOR
The force bin in 1888 shows that there
was no Foundation for tho charge. The
statement on pages 81 and 1G2 that
in 1881 H. w. Leigh was "a friend OF
the bank is similarly faulty. Leigh
had voted and spoken against the
hnnk. and the Whig party in 1895 and
1910. in their regular state addresses.
took emphatic grounds against the
bank. II is true that in 1871 the larger
part OF the WhiS party. under the
plcto somersault and went for the
| bank, but that was not their position
! In 1871. when Mr.. Leigh was cIccicd
! TO the United states senate.
| Again. Chapter VIII. entitled Tyler
and Texas appears to bc too largely
| II version % what Ritchie and his;
| fricnds-I{enton Blair and Van Buren,,
| Of tho Albany rcgcucy--thought npon
! subjects, and thcre Is not /, slnxlo