The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1913-11-16

with the welfare Of the Old Dominion
ever his dominant thought. Through
all his policies could be traced ms
love for his native State--a love that
no circumstances or change OF Tor
tunes could diminish. Furthermore.
the old man off his fathers soil, was
as a Samson shorn Of his locks His
very strength seemed to come rom
his native heath
This was strikingly and rather
pathetically demonstrated in the lat
ter years of Ritchies life. In recog-
milton OF his services in 1914. and as
an instrument for uniting more firm
~ the North and the South, Polk In
vited Richie TO Washington TO be-
come the national spokesman of the
Democratic party. AS the editor OF
the Washington Union. which he
founded in ls45 and edited until 1852.
Richie perhaps underwent the most
trying and humiliating experiences OF
his life. To use the authors words,
he became a football for the poll
ticians. He could not adjust himself
10 his larger field. Great in his
former sphere" says DR.. Amber. his
ldiosvncrasy was not national, Both
in the North and the South the poll
teal thunders continued to rumble
and the old mans strict construction
doctrines and constitutional ahstrac-
tons We're placed in the catalogue OF
provInCialisms Drafted as con-
cflIator and pacifer, Richie had been
too long free man now to play the
role of politician on natlonal scale
or to assume the livery OF parasite
on any scale. He had opinions of his
own. a self-respect and regard for
the rights Of the people which made
II next to impossible for him to nat
ter the vanity OF the officials In high
position or to sacrifice principle for
personal gain or favor"
DR.. Amber in his estimate or
Richie. has extenuated nothing and
yet has set down naughI in malice.
He has presented his subject to the
reader IN a calm unbiased and judi
ctal way, in short, he has left the
reader to form hts own judgment OF
the man. We fancy, however. that the
hiorrapher has written con amore.
Of the resourceful and eVer-taciul
editor and that In his heart Of hearts
ne puts Richie on a lofty pedestal.
Certainly his closing chapter en-
titled The Editor and tho Man
leaves a pleasing picture in the minds
Of the reader Editors should note
this paragraph from the chapter IN
question;
ITO Richie more than to any one
Of his contempora rtes, the press OF
today owes a debt Of gratitude for
the high ethical conceptions when ne
brought to and made n part or mis-
profession. Although caustic and at
times severe In his attacks upon pub
lie men be never rioted in an unneces-
sary massacre Of private character
and always proceeded to such at
lacks with the recollection that ne,
too. had n character of generosity and
uherality to maintain and that abuse
and sCurriity are not always anudotes
for ignorance and vice When he en-
tered the editorial profession the Bil-
! iinEsgate Of foreigners was It's ehlef
characteristic, necessltating as II mad
done the enactment Of the sedltlon
! laws and redering the profession
dangerous of life and limb. Actuated
! by high conception OF his calling ana
the Importance Of a free press as the
basis of popular government he
sought to remedy these conditions by
/ proposing to his fellow editors code
/ of rules. which served to elevate the
/ tone Of the press Of the whole coun'
editorial 1FafeSsief'
upon higher plane
I DIR. Amhler's book begins with
delightful description Of Richmonn IN
/ 1903 when Ritchie--a native OF Es-
sex countv-frst cast his fortunes with
the Old Dominion capital. All
through the volume famous Wiz
ginians appear in action, though the
SCOPE of the work is much more than
local and it's subject matter VIII prove
yalua Bile to historians in every part
Of the Union,
Dr. Amber has presented his bia-
graphy under the following headings:
/. The Beginnings, II. The Peace
Regimeh Ill. Natonalism and Par-
ltfcuIarism; ". President Making; V.
Local Reforms and Nullificauoni VI.
Jackson and the Wings; VII. Van
Buren, and the independent Treasury;
VIII. Tyler and Texas; TX. The Ma
tional Spokesman; Y. The Great Com
promise: XI. The Man and the Editor;
Genealogy
Space forbids extended comment on
the valuable historical material
brought to light by the patient re-
search of the author, though there Is
a large class of readers who Will prize
the book chiefly on account or its
additions to the history of the ante
bellum period. Richie In the volume
under review Is always the central
fgures-a figure of somewhat Titanic
dimensions, too--but he stands forth
against a background crowded with
great Americans and prophetically
suggestive of brewing storms. DR.
Amber, who is a master OF the con
densed literary style, has sketched the
period with consummate skill.
incidentally he has shown us thai
they played politics" in Ritchie's
time quite as much as they do now
and that even In that remote period
Virginians were no tyroG in the game
Today when the tricks of these old
timers are laid bare we smile and say
they were making history In theil
peculiar way But If our own ring
or "antt-ring' crowds were caught a.
such practices we would be mex
pressibly shocked and would profess
that the times are altoge Their out OF
Joint,
1t Is well to encourage such un'