Page:American Historical Review, Volume 12.djvu/674

 664 Reviews of Books of such historical importance would still remain to be done, were it not for the energy and pure patriotism of the ladies of America. Every student of the eighteenth century should therefore feel grateful to Miss Kimball and to the National Society of the Colonial Dames of America for the publication of these two excellent volumes. The purpose of the collection, as outlined in the introduction — in itself a scholarly piece of work — " is to present in chronological order all that is of historical importance in the correspondence of William Pitt with the colonial governors and naval and military commanders, on the continent of North America and in the West Indies, during those years in which he held the position of secretary of state." This period covers scarcely four years of the career of the great statesman ; but nevertheless within that space of time the political course of Europe was changed, the power of France in North America was crushed for- ever, and the United States became a possibility. For the people of this continent in particular, these letters are of absorbing interest because they permit one to follow stage by stage the development of the colonial policy of Britain and to trace in a measure the work- ings of the master mind and guiding hand. But since good judg- ment has been exercised in the selection of the documents and in the addition of useful notes, one would have wished that the earlier letters which throw light on the personality of Pitt could have been included. The measure of success, however, which will surely attend the present publication may induce Miss Kimball to continue her good work. Pitt was the greatest orator of his day. The music of his eloquence compelled the admiration even of his critics. He was the man of whom England had need, the one man who, when her fortunes were at the lowest ebb, could restore her prestige with a single stroke and place her amongst the foremost nations of the world. These are facts which we recognize and admit ; but still we marvel how it was all accom- plished by one man, and a study of the letters before us will still leave one in doubt. Pitt was a skilful tactician. He controlled vast fleets and armies without interfering with them, and harmonized all the forces with which he had to deal by his policy. At the time when he began his administration in December, 1756, politics in England were of a low order: and although war had been officially declared between France and England six months before, no definite plan of campaign had been formulated and indeed the weak-kneed ministry had been averse to war. Pitt, while he maintained a high standard of personal honesty, did not hesitate to make use of men whose character he must have despised, and the compromise he effected in the spring of 1757 can be defended only on the ground that he saw in it a means of serving, his country. But England and France had been at war in North America for several years before 1756. The French had pos- sessed themselves by right of conquest of vast stretches of country which they might expect to hold by colonization, but which we know now they never could have so held. Bordering upon these lands for