than occurred on hundreds of bloody
battle-fields. The exciting period of Secession, the departure of
Senators and Representatives from Congress, the proclamation of war, the
call for troops, the great uprising of the people of all sections, North
and South, against each other, the act of Emancipation, the sanguinary
battles of, and the close of the war, the return of peace, the
assassination of President Lincoln, the election of Grant, the Electoral
Commission and the seating of Hayes, the resumption of specie payments
and a host of other equally impressive episodes and events, find in Mr.
Cox an impartial historian. Of the importance of such a work, there is
no need of saying anything, and it is quite enough to remark that the
book taken all in all, is perhaps the most important, because of its
impartiality and accuracy, that has so far been published during the
present year.

We have alluded to the fact that the author was a prominent actor in
nearly all the legislation of this long period, and that he consequently
possesses that personal and absolute knowledge which comes from actual
participation. The following extract which is taken at random from page
117 of the volume discloses something of the author's happy faculty of
seeing and describing things as they occurred to him. He says:--

"Being upon the Foreign Affairs Committee of the House of
Representatives when the Trent affair occurred, the writer attended a
dinner given by the Secretary at this then happy home. This was at a
time when men held their breath in trepidation, lest Great Britain and
the Powers of Europe might make the Trent matter the pretext to
consummate their recognition of Southern independence. Some feared that
a disparted Republic would have to give way before the jealous
encroachments of those who sought to divide our country as they
endeavored to imperialize Mexico.

"The delightful interchanges of thought between the persons at that
dinner are not so important as the fact that transpired toward its
close. After the ceremonies of introduction, and the tenders of
politeness to Mrs. Frederick W. Seward and Miss Olive Risley--the
adopted daughter of the house--the guests who had been received by these
ladies moved to the hospitable dining-hall. On the right of Mr. Seward
was seated burly English heartiness incarnated in Mr. Anthony Trollope,
the novelist. His presence was almost a surprise, if not a satire on the
occasion, as it concluded