Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1932-12-03
THE LIBRARY TABLE
BY SARAH C. BOWERMAN.

Following his Epic Of America" of a
year ago, James Truslow Adams has
begun q two-volume popular history Of
the United States in The March Of
Democracy" Volume I, recently pub
lished, il called THE Rise of the
Union" 1t Is q history Of interpreta-
ton. Of philosophizing. based on facts,
of course, but not merely recital Of
facts. It does not profess to find one
basic idea for this Interpretation, for
history, like human nature, is vastly
complex. There Is no one key-eco-
nomics, religion, politics or what-not-
to an understanding OF the whole. Here
again I have tried to hold the balance
even and not to substitute for the old
drum and trumpet merely the voices
and motives of the market place, or a
picturesque account of manners and
arts and thought" II there is key. 1t
Is the gradual growth of democratic
ideas, from the first settlements on the
Eastern coast of North America to the
present time. The early influence of
European nations on our country and
the later interaction Of the United
States and European nations are traced,
with the conclusion that the United
States has at no time been isolated,
and mot only streams OF immigrants,
but streams Of cultural influence have
steadily come TO us from across the
sea-" Political and military entangle-
ments with Europe have also compli-
Gated our history and are still doing so.
X y X
In discussing discovery and settlement
Mr.. Adams thinks that the question OF
the origin of human life on the Amer
lean continent, though interesting, is
OF little practical Importance. The
earliest ancestors of the American In
dams may have come from Asia via
Behring Strait, but whatever theil
origin, they have had little to do with
this country as it is today. European
colonists determined the kind of >civiliza.
ton we were to have, and England wa.
the chief determining influence. By
1853, when England had won her due
with France she possessed the lano
from the Atlantic to the Mississippi, ane
from Florida to the Arctic. The chapter
on American Life in 1853" is an inter.
esting piece of social history. Definite
classes OF society had already developed
in fact, they existed when the first set
tiers landed from their ships on the
! rocky coast OF Massachusetts or the
sandy shores of Virginia. There were
| in 1853 the rich colonists, who lived In
big Georgian houses and wore brocade.
and satins but there were also hundred.
of thousands of less prosperous farmers
traders and pioneers who were Away.
changing their habitat In the hope O
| finding better and more land. Their,
were, too, several hundred Thousand
slaves, 80 submerged in the scale as t.
not require thinking about at that time
except for the fear constant in ever,
plantation owners heart, of a possibl,
insurrection." The Revolution endel
the informal, unorganized phase of ou
history and left the new country will
a national hero and a host Of new
problems, many of which have endure,
to the present time.
Throughout the remainder Of hi
book, Mr.. Adams follows the "marcl
OF dem ?racy" up to the Civil War. A
soon as the new Nation got under way
politics became acute. Hamilton an,
Jefferson, with their opposing views o
government and of human beings, wer
soon lined up against each other
Hamilton thought from the Fedora
Government downward; Jefferson from
the parish or county upward" MI
Adams analyses the PHILOSOPHERS Of tn
two great statesmen of our early ma
tional period briefly and succinctly an
shows how their ideas have formed tn
foundation of political parties today
Many practices with which we ar
familiar today also had their origin Il
the first administration. The process
- . Of 1og-rolling,' that Is. of eacl
Congressman voting for a duty no
wanted in his district if a vote coul,
D thereby be obtained for q duty tina
was wanted, began within the very frs
week Of the national Government" TIL
War of 1912 is characterized by MI
Adams as worse than useless, for n
one gained by it and 1t merely left be
hind it an added accumulation of har
feeling between Great Britain and tn
United States. We are impressed. a
We read the interpretative narrative
with the swiftness of the passage c
time. The new country emerges froI
its struggle for independence, enter
the next struggle to form a stable gov
eminent and establish o sound cur
rency, Is busily absorbed in problem
of agriculture, trade, foreign treatie.
land annexation and the development
of national leaders. For brief perio
there is something like harmony, as a
sections sacrifice something for tn
strength of union. Then Washington
cabinet is divided by the opposing view
of Hamilton and Jefferson, but still tn
Union seems good. Then the SLAYER
question develops into a menace, val
liable property and the prosperity 9
one section are threatened, and-s
| quickly, it seems-the country, less thai
hundred years after its birth,
plunged into the inevitable conflict"
/ ~ ~
The persons Of Ellen Glasgow'ss re
cent novel, 1.-THE Sheltered Life" seer
to prove that the sheltered life is tn
inrowing life. With one exception, a
the neighbors on q once Fashionable
street Of Southern town, during tn
10 years preceding the World War, lea
lives completely turned In on them
selves. They have refused because c
sentiment to- desert the street, as a
their friends have done, and endure tn
industrialism encroaching almost t
their doors, and even the bad chemics
odor, with proud reserve. Their cod
forbids the mentioning OF unpleasan
things, Of emotions, Of family skele
temperament of q Don Quixote, ha
suppressed it in early life, has harnesse
himself to success and made q goo
living for his family, has married
/ woman he did not love because she wa
supposed to be compromised when the
were delayed out In sleigh until
late hour by q blizzard. His daughte
Eta is a neurotic invalid, with on
ailment succeeding another, when he
real ailment Is that she was born
failure, physically unattractive, men
tally commonplace, and has never bee
permitted an outlet for what vitalit
she has. The generals other daughte
Isabella, Tilted by her lover because {
q violation of the social code, puts In
brief period Of wild explosiveness alter
mating with moroseness, then sets her
self free by marrying handsome, 81
lent, successful carpenter, entirely be
meath her socially. The widow of tn
generals son, Cora, in charge of tn
Archibald household, Is entirely In
growing. never allows herself or an
Of the family to violate the establishe
standard Of pride and reserve, but sh