Historical Briefs |
Other editions - View all
Common terms and phrases
adjutant-general administration already American American Historical Association Andrew Jackson Boston Cabinet Calhoun candidate chief church Civil composition Congress course early Edisto inlet editor Executive experience expression facts father friends gained George Bancroft Governor Harvard historian historical honor House impression interest Jackson James Schouler January letter John Quincy John Quincy Adams John Rhea Kilbarchan labor Lafayette Lafayette's later literary lived Lowell Lowell Courier Massachusetts ment Mexican Mexico military mind Monroe Monroe's narrative never North Conway once paper Parkman party political Polk Polk's Diary popular prepared present President Presidential published record Rhea Rhea's says scholar Scotch Secretary seemed Seminole Seminole War soon strong style summer task Texas thought tion United volume vote Washington West Cambridge Whig whole William Schouler writing wrote young Zachary Taylor
Popular passages
Page 147 - As war exists, and, notwithstanding all our efforts to avoid it, exists by the act of Mexico herself, we are called upon by every consideration of duty and patriotism to vindicate with decision the honor, the rights, and the interests of our country.
Page 9 - The crude and promiscuous mass of materials presented an aspect by no means inviting. The field of the history was uncultured and unreclaimed, and the labor that awaited me was like that of the border settler, who, before he builds his rugged dwelling, must fell the forest-trees, burn the undergrowth, clear the ground, and hew the fallen trunks to due proportion.
Page 130 - ... who performs his duty faithfully and conscientiously can have any leisure. If he entrusts the details and smaller matters to subordinates, constant errors will occur. I prefer to supervise the whole operations of the government myself, rather than entrust the public business to subordinates ; and this makes my duties very great.
Page 145 - ... the public necessity for our interposition — will be such, — that we should not stand — quietly by — and permit — an invading foreign enemy — either to occupy or devastate any portion of the Texian territory. Of course I would maintain the Texan title to the extent which she claims it to be, and not permit an invading enemy — to occupy a foot of the soil East of the Rio Grande.
Page 108 - Your letter of January 6th, was received while I was seriously indisposed. Observing that it was from you, I handed it to Mr. Calhoun to read, after reading one or two lines only myself. The order to you to take command in that quarter had before been issued. He remarked after perusing the letter, that it was a confidential one relating to Florida, which I must answer.
Page 10 - Faithfulness to the truth of history involves far more than a research, however patient and scrupulous, into special facts. Such facts may be detailed with the most minute exactness, and yet the narrative, taken as a whole, may be unmeaning or untrue. The narrator must seek to imbue himself with the life and spirit of the time. He must study events in their bearings near and remote ; in the character, habits, and manners of those who took part in them. He must himself be, as it were, a sharer or...
Page 33 - ... the surface of past events, but prefers to probe, to investigate, to turn the soil for himself. It is original exploration which makes such studies attractive and stimulating. We walk the streets of buried cities and roam through the deserted houses, once instinct with life, piercing the lava crust of careless centuries; we place our hearts and minds, richer by accumulated experience, close to the passions and intellects of an earlier age; and we listen to the...
Page 41 - ... copy to the printers without submitting it to any mortal's inspection, I have pursued my own bent, in shaping out the task as I had first projected it. I have shown my manuscript to no one at all for criticism or approval, nor have I received suggestions, in any volume, even as to literary style or expression, except upon printed sheets from the casual proofreader, as the book went finally through the press. The counsel of genuine and disinterested literary friends, if you are fortunate enough...
Page 31 - ... upon that broader line which Niebuhr and others of his school had initiated for Roman history. And Macaulay achieved the additional trinmph of making such investigation attractive. Statutes and judicial reports (to quote Daniel Webster) are overflowing fountains of knowledge respecting S. Mis. 170 4 the progress of Anglo-Saxon society, from feudalism down to the full splendor of the commercial age. And from the modern invention of printing, let us add, and particularly since the growth and development...