The sun., 1916-09-17
SOME NEW BOOKS.
, british Life Of Abraham Lincoln.

.,re the least read or all printed mat
.r hut once in "a great while there
: cool occasion for them. At these
ines they are most likely to be dis
no,scd with ny too modest authors.
-b,, is iho ease with Abraham Linz
soIu bv Lord CnAEN woop lHolt), a vol
,,,e In the Makers of the Nineteenth
,.cn,;,ry" series, companion to lives of
nclone "of the Times" Abdul Hamid.
,iorbcrt spencer. Ii Hung Chang, Por-
fro p!aa. Cecil Rhodes. Lord Shaftcs-
,urv. Victor Hugo, Il. l.. Lee and Leon
c,mbc;,a. Lord Charnwood's chapter
a, E~nrland's American relations in
ttyil war times n SO candid and so
liar that il makes us regret the ab-
s,nce Of a word on the present Anglo
American situation.
A. an E~nglishman writing OF an
American public officer Lord Charm
wood has advantages and disadvan-
ages tina, American biographcrs do
,,, share. He gets "a longer view, he
can take tho grandiosc from the Lin
hin legend without depriving II OF it's
,are human quality. he can see TIE
,oliticlan in the statesman. ON n
o,ber hand, he accepts a good many
ch,p,crs of the myth which have been
A.carded by sensible Americans. He
ryes lIcrndon a credence which we
have learned to modulatc.
For the enlightenment OF his Brit
,,b readers the author begins with q
',rc chapter on the Growth Of the
American Nation" our Revolution
.-...tt aantp-t syrtox1ntta an
,-esslon, but against n resented politi-
cal system: THE cause appealed TO
,a,seeing political aspiration and also
:, turbulent and ambitious spirits and
"a whatever was present of revolution
s,v temper. but the ordinary law
hiding man who minded his W
business was not greatly moved n
way or the other in his heart"
On tho relation of the Federal Gov
srrment to the states and on the in
aience OF Jcfrcrson's political philoso-
rhv on the American political charac-
,er Lord Charnwood writes in "A man.
nor ,ha, will refresh American minds
AIDED with the repetition OF the formu-
las Of text book history. For instance:
The Declaration Of Independence was
10, A very candid state paper, and the
ponularitv Jefferson afterward created
FOR its sentiments was not wholly r
from humbug.' Must we not In can
dor agree with the British author that
many men who were ready to think
themselves the equal of Washington
ard Hamilton In respects in which they
were empLatically inferior refused ia
think a negro their equal In respects
IN which he actually did equal them?
p-. Johnson asked: why do the
ioudest yelps for liberty come from the
drivers ~ slaves" II will be a fab
by American who will agree with Lord
Charnwood all the way. but a stiff.
recked one who cannot see in his com
men, on our democracy a great dea
Of truth we'll worth thinking over.
The author acknowledges the diff
fcul.y Of doing full Justice to the par
,!san politics OF another form OF gov
c--:ect than that under which he ha:
lived, hut is not thereby deferred from
the effort TO describe the political en-
v,ronnent in which Lincoln grew Il
greatness. OF party machinery hi
says: There Is always a risk that {
Platform designed to detach voters
from the opposite party will be ar
!nsincere and eviscerated document. by
which active public opinion is rather
muzzled than expressed: ant
ina, the available candidate should M
some hlameless nonentity. to whom M
one objects, and whom therefore NJ
ono really wants"
rI-- A.. 49, z1Ip nArr'oo a.,
bates. Lord Charnwood says, discrim
ina,ingly, that while Mr.. Lincoln
speeches have some unsound argumen
and plenty OF campaign rough ant
tumble. they are so free OF hack
nevod' or falsely sentimental phrase
tia. when come upon In the report
such expressions are always "a laps
and y surprise" lie adds: Passage
abound in these speeches which to al
most any literate taste are arrestinI
FOR the simple beauty Of their English
80 In their own kind a ciassi
and probably unsurpassed achieve
ment." And, considering their efec'
10 says that while American publ
opinion has been timid In facing clea
cut issues. IAN apt phrase crystalllzin
tho uuspokcn thought of many is V
moro readily caught up in Americ
than anywhere else" Lincoln formu
lated tho Issue more boldly. NOR
clearly and more truly than any on
before him had done.
OF Lincoln rs an executive, BIRTHS
dsrcrnment reaches the conclusio
That ne had not that horror OF ap
lointment Ito office1 on other ground
than merit which ~enlightens. thong
i docs not always govern, more edu
Gated statesmen"
After some highly interesting char
tors on secession. the strategy Of III
VAR and the relative qualifications
Nor'h and South for its conduct, "
como 10 tho section on Foreign Po'
ICY and England" First. note
taken % the real danger of foreig
Intervention that for a year and
LAT hung owe the North, the fea
Wat European Powers would recoe
no the C%onfederacy and make n
offer Of mediation which It would haN
been lat the best" embarrassing (
reject. The relations OF his Govern
ment and people with our own in III
war, says Lord C~harnwood. have lie
much for both E~nglishmen and Amer
cans 20 regret, and much for each sic
10 remember with satisfaction. II
points out a paradox. "the chivalroi
South rising 'in blind passion for
cause Mt the bottom OF which lay II
narrowest Of pecuniary interests
While the practical Yankees. guide
ny a sort of comic backwoodsma
fought, whether wisely or not. for
cause AZ untainted as ever animate