V

PRESCOTT'S CONQUEST OF MEXICO

In his first article on Prescott as an historian Parker gave special attention to the work on Ferdinand and Isabella. This was followed in the Massachusetts Quarterly Review for September, 1849, by the present study of the History of Mexico. It appears that Parker had it in mind to write also of the History of Peru, but this article was not produced. The Mexico was reprinted by Miss Cobbe in her Critical Writings, the second volume of her edition of Parker's works.

Page 221, note 1. James Cowles Prichard, 17861848, was the founder of the science of ethnology in England. A graduate of Oxford, a physician in Bristol, he published in 1813 his "Researches into the Physical History of Man," two volumes, later expanded to five. In this work he taught the unity of the human species as acted upon by causes which have produced the several races. He showed also that the Celts belong to the Aryan family of races. This idea he developed, in 1831, in his "Eastern Origin of the Celtic Nations." His most important work was his "Natural History of Man," 1843, which is still a standard for ethnologists, though their investigations have been widely extended since his day.

VI

HILDRETH'S UNITED STATES

The History of the United States, by Richard Hildreth, three volumes, New York, 1849, was the subject of a critical article in the June number of the Massachusetts Quarterly Review, for 1850. It was

written in the same spirit as the articles on Prescott, though perhaps with less exacting preparation. Miss Cobbe reprinted it in the Critical Writings, vol. II, of the complete works edited by her.

Richard Hildreth was born in Deerfield, Mass., June 22, 1807. He graduated at Harvard, studied law, became editor of the Boston Daily Atlas, which represented the views of Rufus Choate, Caleb Cushing, and others of that school in politics. Favoring General Harrison for president, he wrote a campaign biography of him in 1839. For a period he was at Demerara, British Guiana, as an editor, and wrote an account of that country. On his return he was connected with the New York Tribune for several years, and contributed to the " American Cyclopedia." In 1861 he was made consul at Trieste, which position ill-health compelled him to abandon, and, going to Florence, he died there July 11, 1865. He wrote the first American anti-slavery novel, "The Slave; or, Memoirs of Archy Moore," 1836. It was reprinted as "The White Slave," 1852. He also published a History of Banks, Banking and Paper Currency," 1837; "Despotism of America," 1840; "Theory of Morals," 1844; "Japan as it Was and Is," 1855. He added three volumes to his "History of the United States," in 1852, bringing it down to the end of the first term of Monroe's administration. The work is free from prejudice, vigorous in criticism of men and events, and fearless in stating the truth.

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Page 270, note 1. Red Republic refers to the name of "Red Republicans" given by the French to those who held radical republican doctrines, which they would maintain even at the cost of bloodshed. The

term "bonnets rouges was also applied to them because of the red caps worn at the period of the revolution.

Page 272, note 2. This reference to those who were

66

called doughfaces has been already explained. They faced both ways as between the political issues of the day, or were ready to turn any way that would make to their own advantage. Page 283, note 3. Michel Chevalier was a French economist and geographer, who visited the United States in 1834. Among his works were Des intérêts matériels en France: travaux publics," Bruxelles, 1838; "Cours d'economie politique," 3 vols., Paris, 1850; "Mexique, ancien et modern," Paris, 1863; "L'industrie et l'octroi de Paris," Paris, 1866; and many articles on geographical and economic subjects. He wrote "Lettre sur l'Amérique du Nord," 2 vols., Bruxelles, 1837, and also "Histoire et description des des voies de communication aux Etats-Unis," 2 vols., Paris, 1840-41. It is the first of these works to which Parker refers, which was translated as "Society, Manners, and Politics in the United States, being a series of letters on North America," translated from the third Paris edition, Boston, 1839. Thomas Gamaliel Bradford, the translator, says in his preface: "M. Chevalier was sent to this country in 1834 under the patronage of Thiers, then Minister of the Interior in France, to inspect our public works. But, attracted by the novel spectacle presented by society in the United States, he extended the time of his stay and the sphere of his observations amongst us, and spent nearly two years in visiting nearly all parts of the Union, and studying the workings of our social and political machinery. His letters gave the results of his observations, the impressions made on his mind, his speculations in regard to the future destiny of our institutions, rather than a detailed narrative of facts and events, which, however, is introduced when necessary for illustration or proof. It will be found that M. Chevalier has studied with diligence and sagacity, drawn his conclusions with caution and discrimination.

and stated his views in a clear, forcible, and interesting manner. He seems to be perfectly free from any narrowness and prejudice, ready to recognize whatever is good or of good tendency, whether in character, manners, habits or opinions, without regard to mere personal likes or dislikes, and to be equally frank in condemning, whenever he perceives, in our practices, a violation of our own principles or of those of an enlightened philosophy. He tells many home truths to all parties and classes. Chevalier's work is regarded as one of the best which has been written. about the United States, because of its impartiality and because of his keenness of observation.

Page 289, note 4. The article by George Raphall Noyes on Whether the Deity of the Messiah be a Doctrine of the Old Testament, published in the Christian Examiner for January, 1836, is that indicated. The Attorney General of Massachusetts talked of prosecuting the author, but he finally decided not to do so. Dr. Noyes, 1798-1868, was the minister of the Unitarian church in Petersham, Mass., and professor of Hebrew literature and other oriental languages in Harvard College after 1840. He published translations of the New Testament, and of the poetical books of the Old Testament.

Page 289, note 5. Parker's sermon of 1841 at South Boston, on the Transient and Permanent in Christianity, was threatened in this manner. It was mere newspaper writing, however.

VII

MACAULAY'S HISTORY OF ENGLAND

The study of the first two volumes of Macaulay's history appeared in the Massachusetts Quarterly Review for June, 1849, with the title, "Macaulay's

History of England." It has never been reprinted, having been for some unknown reason overlooked by Miss Cobbe.

VIII

BUCKLE'S HISTORY OF CIVILIZATION

Buckle's first volume of his History of Civilization in England, London, 1857, deeply interested Parker on its appearance; and this study of it was published in the Christian Examiner for March, 1858, vol. 64. This monthly review succeeded other Unitarian periodicals in 1824, under the editorship of John Gorham Palfrey. At the time of the publication of this article the editors were Frederic H. Hedge and Edward Everett Hale. The article on Buckle was included by Miss Cobbe in her twelfth volume, Autobiographical and Miscellaneous.

Of

Writing to Prof. Henry D. Rogers of Edinburgh, on December 29, 1857, Parker said of Buckle's work, then recently published: "I think it a great book, and know none so important since the Novum Orof Bacon. I mean ganum none in English. course I except the Principia of Newton. This is a Novum Organum in the department of history-the study of man; it is a restauratio maxima. Nobody here ever heard the name of Henry Thomas Buckle before. If you can tell me, I wish you would; and also what is thought of the book in that northern Athens where you dwell. In many particulars it reminds me of the Vestiges of the Natural History of Creation. I don't always agree with the author, even in matters of 'great pith and moment;' but always think him a great man. His learning also is admirable."- Weiss, vol. I, page 334.

Parker wrote to Buckle, sent him his article and his works. Weiss prints at the end of his first volume