Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-12-07
THE LIBRARY TABLE


opinion that readable history Is melo-
drama the true story Of the IL tragic
years that followed the death of Lin
coin should be entertaining" With this
sentence, Claude G. Bowers begins his
preface to his book, THE Tragic Era;
the Revolution After Lincoln" The
book is, of course. a history Of the
reconstruction period, of the admin
istrations Of Andrew johnson and
Ulysses s. Grant. In the view of most
modern historians, whatever their po-
litical Affiliations, this Is not a period
In our history to be proud of. Mr..
Bowers treats 1t dramatically, with
obvious Sympathies and indignation, yet
with serious attempt at fairness. It
is doubtful If any historian can be COM
pletely fair in interpreting a historical
period In which SO much bitterness and
hatred swayed all the participants in
public affairs, all those who were Great
ing the documentary evidence from
which history Is made. Mr.. Bowers,
like Lloyd Paul Stryker in his Andrew
Johnson; a Study in Courage" makes
considerable use of the published
volumes of the diary of Gideon Welles,
Secretary Of the Navy under both Lin
coin and johnson. He also quotes
freely from the manuscript diary of
George w. Julian, member of Congress
clusion about this poSt-Civil War period
Is expressed in his preface. He saws:
so appalling is the picture of these
revolutionary years that even historians
sential things. A complete
understanding of this period calls for
a reappraisal of many public men. Some
statesmen we have been taught to
reverence will appear in these'pages in
sorry roles. That the Southern
people literally were put to the torture
Is vaguely understood. but even his
tortans have Shrllnk from the unhappy
task OF showing us the torture cham
bers."
The chaos in public affairs during
the tragic era" did not prevent gayety
and extravaganza in the society of the
National Capital. Mr.. Bowers chap
ter Washington: the Social Back
ground" tells of the famous restau-
rants, bar rooms, gambling houses, ho-
tels, headquarters of statesmen and
lobbyists, receptions, expensive dinners,
society weddings, pretty women, ele-
CANT costumes and social scandals,
which made Of Washington a smart
town" by the early seventies. ugly
as was the SPRAYING town, there was
charm enough in its environs. A IA
vorlte drive was out to the park Of the
Soldiers Home, from which one could
look down upon the town; another to
ROCK Creek Park, as wild as the Rocky
Mountains where here and there a
Negro log cabin alone disturbed the
dogwood and the Judas tree and the
laurel The restaurant and gambling
resort OF John Chamberlin is describ-
ed as the most exclusive Of the l1unner-
GUS places OF its type. 1t was at first
located near the Willard. but was later
transferred to the former British lega-
ton, on Connecticut avenue. at Seven
tenth and I streets. This, for sew
place OF many statesmen high in the
councils of the state. Chamberlin
served meals which piqued the taste
OF the epicure, and after q satisfying
dinner, and smoke in the luxuriously
furnished lounging room, the statesmen
could go upstairs. where were many
small rooms, and sit down at the black
walnut tables for play. At midnight,
every night, the players paused, for OBJ
SequiouS and discreet walters appeared
with lunch and the compliments Of
Chase Sprague, daughter of Chief Jus
tice Chase and wife of Senator Sprague,
was the almost undisputed dictator.
wherever this enchantress went, she
dominated the scene" Almost a sue
cessful rival Of Mrs. Sprague was Mrs.
"Puss" Belknap, second wife Of the
Secretary of War. Her wardrobe Is
opulent from the loosest negligee to the
most elaborate ball gown, and it is said
that when Worth received the order for
her trousseau he retired to q cave and
tasted for seven days." A few Of the
many scandals Of the period are narrat-
ed in the chapter "A Season of Scan
dals." ut was q decade Of none too
much Sensibility, when strong men with
the instincts and daring of pirates and
buccaneers were amassing fortunes by
hook or crook, to the admiring applause
of the multitude"
The English tourists Jan and Cora
Gordon, who toured the Atlantic Coast
Of the United States in their motor
car, secured more data for judgment
about American customs than some
English writer's who spend two weeks
in New York and Boston and 60 back
to London to write complete criticism
of American life. Mr.. and Mrs. Gordon
motored as far North as Bar Harbor
and as far South as Georgia and West
to the Ohio River. Their vehicle was
secondhand car bought for $3.50 and
dubbed "the respectable ruin" and "the
ION Wandering Wheels" which Mr.
Gordon illustrated. They found New
England suggestive of Old England in
topography and in the names of
places-Plymouth. Yarmouth, Manches-
ter, Sudbury, Portland, Salisbury, Dart
mouth, Cambridge and dozens of other
names. The South interested the Cor
dons very much. They found It deserv-
ing of its reputation for hospitality and
the primitive emotionalism and humor
Of the Negroes fascinated them. Mr.
and Mrs. Gordon have previously pub
lished two books of similar tramp travel
In Europe-"Two Vagabonds in Albania"
and "On q Paris Roundabout"
Y + +
Canada and the United States" by
Hugh l.. Keenleyside, third secretary of
the Canadian department of external
Canada and the United States can
not be separated. Canadians cannot
escape the shadow of the United States.
American influence can be diScerned in
almost every aspect Of Canadian life.
The result has been q comparative
unanimity Of opinion among Canadians
regarding the United States and its
activities. The situation also makes 1t
quite possible for the American people
seriously to offend Canadian opinion
without ever being aware Of the fact"
DR.. KeenleySide says that citizens of
the United States have $4,000, O00, 900
worth of investments in Canadian in
dustries and own S.5 per cent of the
wealth of the Dominion of Canada.
Canadians have 1922 900 900 invested in
the United States. Many American
industries have branch factories and
offices in Canada.
\ \ n
Tberius Caesar appears in q new
biography, "Tiberius Caesar" by G. P.
Baker, as statesman not unworthy to
ho the t1Olitico1 onnoefnr 80 AK,,r~o1i,oi