Evening star., 1926-10-24

brought upon nlnlSelI the COHtuIHcIE
of scores of outraged hero worshipers.
| Yet. what public disservice such an
attitude achieves. Take those early
men-Washington. Jefferson and the
rest. The problems that confronted
them are strangely like the ones that
we are called upon 10 face. Read. and
YOU will see that this is true. What
| those men actually thought on these
! great problems, what they really said
! and did--often said In the heat Of
passion. of'en did in premature haste
these are vital matters for us TO
! have straight. with no EFFORT at con.
cealment in the interests of silly
reach for an impossible perfection.
Did Jefferson for example. sometimes
| show poor judgment. was he some
times indirect in gaining good point.
did he shift this way snd that under
perpiexing, problems? Wen. suppose
he did. We need that. too. as we need
the truth about all those men who
made our free country. They have
proved their immortality, as immor.
tality goes. despite the fact that they
were oil Of them tremendo""lv human.
I'm talking about Mr.. Noc'i's "Jeffer-
SON" Here you have the man. With
faults. many and real. but man for
all that. and one for us to know as
he was because Of our need for him,
lust as he was. A straight. true. dis
cerning study of one Of the great men
Of American history. one Of the great
men in a democratic government.
TALL TIMBEES: Giants in Contrast.
BY Che,sa c. Sherlock. author Of
Homes Of Famous Americans" &c.
Boston: The Stratford Co.
TT IL the method Of this study In
American history that gives II
both originality and strength. Com
psrison and contrast. "a method, is
in constant use by the scientist. 1t
Is not go commonly nor so definitely
employed by the historian. Yet there
is no other way to secure such vivid
impressions Of personality and event
nor such striking effects as by this
way Of drawing characters together
by their general likeness to one
another and by then separating them
through certain important differences.
Such is the plan used by Mr.. Sherlock
in this study OF certain Americans
who were influential in the formative
years OF this Government. There are
no new facts here. These men are
generally well known to the student
"
them together, showing them side by
side. that gives such good substance
to the study itself. Here are the
practical political philosophers. George
Mason and Benjamin Franklin. Two
great soldiers appear, George Wash
ington and Andrew Jackson. Next
comes a pair Of statesmen. Alexander
Hamilton and James Madison. And
last are two champions Of the people,
two advocates of human freedom.
Thomas Jeff rson and Abra ham Lin
coin. a passing glance calls this :"
strange combination of famous men.
a reading Of the book brings out the
fitness Of the plan used by the aut hor.
for il is by these contrasts that each
steps out into clearer representa-.
tiOn of his actual service to the cOun-
try that all were trying to serve. |
have already said that there are no
new facts given here. There is. how.
ever. new arrangement of facts.
deeper emphasis here, certain novel
fronting there. all OF which serves IT,
reinterpret these men in SUCH a vital
way as to move them and the periods
which they represent up into the i'm
mediate present OF interest and Ger
tainly into q better understa nding OF
this country from the time of the
Revolution to that of the Civil War.
An admirable and helpful book for the
student Of American history and foi
the general reader as well.
OUR AMERICAN CARDINALS. BY
James j. Walsh. NJ. D.. Phi. d.,
Lift. D.. author Of THE Thirteenth
-Greatest of Centuries" ETC. New
York: d. Appleton & Co.
THIS book covers the life story of
each of the seven American
ca arlinals-McClosky. Gibbons. Far
ley. O'ConSll touei>erty. Munde-
lein and Ha -. These stories. COM
hinrd. are or Cd in answer to the
question. ~ hot Is the place Of the
Ca holic chm III in great liberty.
loving country like ours?' The
growth In America OF this institution
is easing the point and frequency
OF the question Itself. Therefore. DR..
Walsh spreads ont the work and in
f,uence Of the Catholic Church in this
country by way of these, its repre-
sentatives and leaders 1t Is an init
mate and personal story sourced in an
acquaintance with all of these men
Americans ell OF them. The most Of
them sprung from the people, sig
nificant and worthwhile fact. Their
America nism, according to this au.
thor, has teen ths keynote of their
character. Upon such basis the author
makes a study of the life OF each of
them-a study covering birth and
early circumstance. the personal quail
tiles and general character. the de.
votion not only to religion. but to the
Government as well: the definite con-
trihution Of each through his gifts
and influence to the sum Of Amer.
lea nism as 1t Is conceived and repre-
Sented by the great body of our peo-
pie. A most interesting book. like
seven stories. easy and natural. pic
turing one ot the spiritual forces OF
This country. Each varies from all
the rest by virtue Of the central char
act"r from which there flows into the
general stream Of. Catholicism a spe-
cial quality &c spirituality and effort.
The whole offers a wide view OF the
patriotic work oe these princes OF
the church--work that counts coun-
Try as well as purely spiritual do.
main. A good book for any one tc
read since it IL a record of good
deeds, a record. too. calculated to do
away with a deal of misundersta nd.
ing and even of apprehension.
JORG ENSEN. BY Christian Tupper.
author of ''Adventuring." etc.
Philadelphia: ]. r. Lippincott Co.
A SORT OF mystic figure Tristram
Z Tupper makes Of Jorgensen. What
he achieved and how he did things
are made shadowy. in spite Of their
reality Here Is man with a pas
sion for building. for building ways
across the country for laying down
shining rails as highways. Here IL
man who feels q dread of great oh.
stacles like mountains to be spa nned.
human things these obstacles are. like
himself. but with greater powers OF