New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1913-11-15


see how his craftsmanship was based
no less upon actual contact with Amer
lean life than upon a students refi"c-
tions.
In the second volume, given TO
Biography. History and Journalism,
there are collected number Of those
portraits and more personal, more liter
airy. productions. In the writing Of which
Mr.. Reid found peculiar recreation.
He was By instinct man OF letters
nossessed of a keen sense Of literary
form. interested in matters OF STYLE
finding pleasure in the well balanced
working ont Of an inspiring theme. He
loved above all the art Of omission.
feeling that "A page was we'll written
only when 1t had been reduced to lfs
simplest. most effective terms with all
surplusagc dismis ed. At the same
time that very page was worthless. IN
his opinion, unless it was suffused with
the human warmth belonging 10 It's
subject. He wrote. as a rule Of men,
not Of abstract. academic matters, and
the result is that his biographical
studies here united make a singularly
rich and moving little gallery.
The Abraham Lincoln" is probably
the best ESSAY Of it's kind he ever wrote.
packed with substance. impartial as the
seyerest scientific" criticism is i'm
partial. yet fairly kinding through the
large and sympathetic view that II
takes Of a man not only admired but
profoundly understood II would like
TO strip his name and fame from the
incongruous and imaginary attributes
under which so many eulogists have
disguised him." he says. and in the
process he only reveals the more clear
ly Lincoln's originality and strength.
The Thomas Jefferson Is an instance
OF the pen used with the delicacy OF
practsed surgeon manipulating the
scalpel. II is a tour de force. ungrudg-
ing in It's tributes TO the patron saint
OF the Democratic party. pitilessly
trenchant I'm its exposure Of his foibles.
and as just on the one hand as on the
other. Students OF political portraiture
will delight i'm this consummate piece OF
Interpretation. They will relish, too, the
brief sketch of Burke. brief but vivid
in it's disclosure of the British states
mans outstanding gifts, and finally
they will recognize in the "Talleyrand'
a stroke like that used i'm the Thomas
Jefferson" stroke all truth and judS-
ment Himself diplomat. Mr.. Reid
figure of French diplomacy with type
significant Of some of the worst policies
that have ever disgraced "A noble pro-
fession. Talleyrand was to him. in
word little more than antipathetic.
But he knew genius when he saw it, and
Talleyrand had genius. Moreover, III
was a passion of Whitelaw Reds TO
be Just, intellectually as well as In the
estimate the memoirs of that versatile
Frenchman. who. well serving many
masters. contrived always to serve him-
self, he met the test of the historian
and made all that could be made OF the
service that Talleyrand also rendered to
France. one reverts again, on reading
this chapter, to the authors powerful
INTEL ct. which drove straight to the
heart of subject and put that subject
in sound perspective.
That was the habit of the editor OF
The Tribune when, as happened more
than once in his career. he spoke his
mind on different phases Of his pro-
fession. The present work Is termi-
mated with a series of AN Editors
Reflections" four considerable chapters
In which he treats of Journalism as a
Career" THE Practical Issues in a
Newspaper Office" Recent Changes in
the Press" and journalistic Duties
and Opportunities" All these pages
are written out of a vast practical ex-
perience and they include an abun-
dance of data covering the everyday,
prosaic side of life in newspaper
office. But even when he Is citing
figures from the salary list or is talk
ing about the cost Of white paper and
the business of advertising Mr.. Reid