New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1914-03-22

| Britain. The Times" remarks that his
political enemies have sometimes ac-
counted FOR his enmity by pointing TO
tho Very considerable influence of the
Irish vote in Massachusetts, but thinks
il more charitable 70 believe that the
Senator mas been moved by his conyic-
tons. Then comes a characteristic
passage:
In view Of all this il would he pleas
ant if one could he enthusiastic over
Mr.. Lodges book Apart from the
piouS satisfaction of Selling so public
an opportunity OF lavishing kindness on
an enemy. there is the inevitable dread
that any dispraise may be regarded as
the child Of prejudice"
But the duty of critic is to he
critic. and so:
NO yearning toward 2 scriptural
mcekness can blind one to the fact that
the book, as a book. is curiously dis
appointing and barren"
\ conclusion to which at least one
! American came some time ago. ! read
, what | could Of the book Is it appeared
serally in "SCribners" | knew Boston
and knew all or nearly all the leading
! figures about whom Mr. Lodge gives us
| his memories. Sumner LongfolloV,
Agassiz. Motley, Wendell Phillips,
Emerson. Aldrich. Lowell. Bancroft and
many more-all these ! knew person
ally and some OF them intimately. Mr..
Lodge was in a position to tell us
| much; 10 give his own point Of view,
to add something 10 what was already
known of them. They are famous
names. They lived in historic times.
They were illustrious in public life, at
taching in private relations They
| made or helped make American history
and American literature in those grea
days. There were portraits TO be paint
| ed. characters to be depicted, great
events in which they had their share
10 be freshly described. Mr.. Lodge is
himself man OF proved abilities as a
public servant. He has been a volu
! minous writer Of biography, of hstori
cal studies and essays. II is distress
ing to find him making so inadequate
a use Of great opportunity. There
are good passages, but they are islands
OF thin heritage in brown desert.
/ do not wish to overrate the mischief
which Mr.. Lodge does in England. He
is known here chiefly among people
who have shown him kindness, whose
guest he mas been, or who have met
him in society. To the great middle
classes and laboring classes who year
by year become more and more the
masters his name means little or Moth
ing. Everybody here knows that a
| section of American opinion has al
ways been hostile TO England. If they
try TO place Mr. Lodge at all they place
him as a mouthpiece Of that section; in
company with Mr.. Hearsts gamboge
newspapers. 1t would be unjust to Mr..
Lodge to bracket him with Mr.. Hearst,
but he is himself responsible for the
| error.
Even his name seems unfamiliar to
writer's who ought TO know him. Black
wood calls him Mr.. James Cabot Lodge,
which is careless touch for so spir-
tied a periodical nor can it be agree
| able 10 MIR. Lodge to find himself james
in place Of Henry. In his monthly
| Musings Without Method which,
whether methodical or not. are always
vigorous and acute Mr.. whitley deals
roughly with our Senator's One Hun
bred Years of Peace:
| He is the most belicose pacificator
that the human brain could imagine
| He talks Of peace with his coat off and
'his dukes up. lie is quite sure that
| England has never done right nor said
what she should, since the beginning
of time"
! Mr.. Lodge. moreover. is supposed to
be angry because the English arc not;
and TO be most annoyed by the per-
sstent Indifference of England TO in
suit. SO perhaps it is TO relieve his
mind on this point that Mr.. whitley
turns and rends him
The imperturbability Of England, it
/ appears, has been n constant cause OF
offences Clearly. we have done moth
| ing right. On the one hand, we have
dared 10 oriticise the Great Republic
! which should be immune from criti-
cism. on the other, we have not sufil
GENTLY resented the hostile criticism OF
the Great Republic, and have proved
by our very indifference an overween-
ing pride
Such is the impression which Mr..
/ Lodges Hundred Years Of Peace
makes on friendly observer. For this
English writer is friendly. He says:
I'VE can imagine no wiser policy
than a policy Of friendship between
England and the United States
| Blackwood" is Tory Magazine. Mr..
whitley is a Tory. We in America
are wont 10 suppose the Tories our
enemies and the Liberals our friends.
But there is on this question no polit-
ical division. In the past we have had,
do not say enemies but political OPP
ponents in both parties. They are dead
and the dead past may bury its dead.
II We come down 10 the present day. |