Page:American Historical Review, Volume 12.djvu/182

 1 7 2 Reviews of Books ligible. Textual criticisms and explanations appear in foot-notes. Ex- tended comments are placed in an appendix. Among the correspondents are some of the most interesting persons of the day, such c. g. as Mar- garet Roper, Stephen Gardiner, Duke George of Saxony, Boniface Amer- bach, Conrad and Margaret Peutinger; but the great majority are dis- tinctly among the lesser names of the humanistic circles. E. Emerton. Studies in Constitutional History, by James O. Pierce (Minneapolis, The H. W. Wilson Company, 1906, pp. 330), is composed in considerable measure of a series of lectures and book-reviews. The topics discussed are in the field of American constitutional history. The lectures or ad- dresses are pitched in a somewhat exalted key and are calculated to stimulate patriotism and extol the progress of America. It cannot justly be said that any of the studies add anything to the well-known facts or disclose any remarkable skill in analysis or interpretation. Those that are directed to prove the nationality of the American people before the Civil War are not without force, but this subject has been gone over after this manner so many times that nothing of originality can be said, and the author, as is customary, fails to see the fundamental differences in the use of terms which have befogged discussion for generations ; he fails to see the elementary philosophic principles in which men have differed without knowing why. To discuss such subjects without a strict definition of terms, without a clear recognition of the basic prin- ciples of political philosophy, is a waste of time — if one wishes to add anything new or to convince those not already assured of their opinions. Judge Pierce has not always been careful in the use of authorities. If he relies for example on Cobb's Rise of Religious Liberty, what are the chantes that he will not fall into blunders (cf. p. 124) ? The statements concerning Maryland's religious history on page 113 are misleading, not to say absolutely wrong. The author accepts at the full the old notion that the migration of the people to Connecticut was caused by distinct religious differences — " by way of protest against " the Massachusetts " form of church establishment " (p. 106). Surely we should be told that at the best there is only some reason for thinking that dissatisfaction with the political and religious regime of the older, colony may have entered into the motives of Hooker and his followers; more than this is surmise. The author apparently cites Gerry as favoring the adoption of the Federal Constitution (p. 148). " 1778" on page 149 should read 1788. The treatment of the origin of the New England town again is an evidence of a lack of familiarity with local records or the best second- ary treatises. " An entire church organization emigrating in a body, established itself as a township in the new world in a selected territory, the government of which was vested in the members of the church con- gregation." On the whole we must conclude that the volume has no peculiar