Loyola College - Review Yearbook (Montreal, Quebec Canada)

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LOYOLA COLLEGE REVIEW 25 Parkman ЕЛ N the present century we [д аге ехрегїепсїпр а соп- 1 tinual change of world- thought. Tendencies spring я рб 9 up from time to time fol- Хх lowing опе another in quick succession; political, religious, and economic subjects are constantly taking on a new aspect. There is generally a period of conservatism, a radical reaction to liber- alism, succeeded ultimately by a gradual return to a happier medium of opinion. Activities of the past few years have shown us clearly that there is still a state of unrest as a result of the World War. Опе of its effects, to be noticed in connection with our subject, is a marked trend towards sensa- tionalism, which seems to pervade the literary and intellectual sphere. This is reflected to a great extent by the numerous centenaries which have taken place during this time. Моге especially to be noticed were those in honour of Byron, Browning and Parkman. These celebrations are truly laudable, for an account of the space devoted to them in the press, they attract public attention and encourage an appreciation of the esthetic. The keynote of the Parkman Centenary was eulogy and homage at the shrine of his renown in the world of Belles- Lettres. He was placed in a niche in the Hall of Fame, as the most distinguished of American historians. Strangely, perhaps, there are some who are less whole-hearted in their praise, and itis therefore incumbent on the student of national history to delve more deeply into the matter, to determine Parkman's place as an historian, after an analysis of his qualities and defects. We would take for granted that the reader has had some acquaintance with Parkman and his works. Parkman made it his life work to present the history of pioneer Canada by the portrayal of forest life and the Indian character. Through careful perusal of manuscripts over a long period, he brought to light many seemingly unimportant events and private adventures which lent much local colour to enhance otherwise bare historical situations, and give them a romantic touch. For example, in the preface to his book on the Indian war after the conquest of Canada, he himself states that in present- ing his history to the world, he has made it his endeavour to write so as to rescue from oblivion what he terms “the yet unwritten history of that epoch, so crowded with scenes of tragic interest and marvels of suffering, heroism and endurance, which up till now has been buried in the archives of governments and the records of private individuals.” To obtain the true atmos- phere, which he deemed so necessary to the narration of history, he prepared to acquire knowledge other than that of the study by repeated journeys to the wild regions of the west among the primitive tribes of the Rocky Mountains. Searching out their remote haunts and mingling with them around their camp fires, he sought to familiarize himself with their customs and characteristics. Yet the question never- theless remains—is Parkman a true his- torian? With all his skill as a weaver of works, with his unequalled power of des- cribing the mountains, the plains, the forests, and the Indians who inhabited them, does he still deserve to be called the great American historian? Before proceeding further it would be well to hear an appreciation of Parkman by a noted man at letters, Dr. John Fiske, in his Preface to the Frontenac Edition of Parkman's Conquest of Canada. Dr. Fiske considers that Parkman was not only great in natural gifts, but that he has made the best possible use of them in the treatment of his subject. He was a profound analyst and pre-eminently cosmopolitan, Dr. Fiske continues: “His description of the events of pioneer days and of the decisive British political victory over the ideals of French colonial life, has all the qualities which will perpetuate his works for pos- terity. His charm increases as we adapt =

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ҮЙ ЫН 24 LOYOLA COLLEGE REVIEW A Skin You Love To Touch R four solid years we are toiling In the throes of a Classical Course, From no sort of labour recoiling In our clamour for knowledge perforce. In Freshman we studied the nonsense у Of Cicero, Homer and Keats; With an ardour aroused by our conscience We performed most miraculous feats. In our Sophomore year while at College Our ambitions for learning were such, In the course of our search after knowledge We involved a Rhetorical touch. In our final two years I might mention We acquired a logical mind, We conceded whole-hearted attention To Aquinas and those of his kind. But why this mad search after learning Is a question I cannot quite hush; If good dollars we had all been earning, By now we might fairly be flush. Tis but two golden letters that fire us, For which we all study so much; Tis a parchment degree that inspires us, Tis that skin that we all love to touch. С, Scorr, 26.

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26 LOYOLA COLLEGE REVIEW ourselves to his atmosphere. Possessed of a striking individuality, his masterpieces are comparable only to the works of Herodotus, Thucydides and Gibbon. More recently, Senator Lodge, speaking at the Centenary, said: ''He is ever new, he ranks among the greatest of historians. Any attempt to throw a new light on the subject has been rendered useless; in a word he has given us the essential atmos- phere.” Such unstinted praise from men who are recognized as worthy critics of literature would seem to show that Parkman was our foremost Canadian historian. But easy as it is to find those who eulogize his achieve- ments, it is equally easy to find at least mild detractors. He has been more than once subjected to the severe criticism of men well versed in the history of their country. Abbé Casgrain openly declares that despite Parkman’s many good quali- ties, the really true history of the French regime and the English conquest is still to be written; his writings give an untrust- worthy picture of the pioneer colonies and his characters closely resemble, not the real flesh and blood settlers of a new land but the rather fanciful figures of some romance of adventure. All these are statements which carry considerable weight since they come from a man who is known as a scholarly historian. Parkman set himself a great task in his attempt to relate the complete course of events which took place during two cen- turies of turbulence and strife. То attain his end, he required singular gifts—a marked ability for narration, strengthened by a deep love for his work; but, above all, that rare desire to be exact in his recordings and impartial in his conclusions. These are the essentials required of the historian. The slightest acquaintance with his work shows that his is imbued with a love of books and of nature; that he is a master of style and is innately literary. Further study reveals his wonderful power in the description of external life and surround- ings. He has made the picture of New · France part of himself in order to paint for us its true outward colour. He excelled in describing the forest, the Indian and the land itself. As gems of word painting, these descriptions are without parallel in our historical literature. The following short passage will illustrate clearly the manner in which he has caught the domin- ant notes of Indian life: “In the long winter evening, when, in the wilderness without, the trees crack with biting cold, and the forest pines were clogged with snow, then around the log fires of the Iroquois, warriors, squaws and restless naked children were clustered in groups, while with jest and laugh, the pipe passed from hand to hand. Perhaps some shriv- elled old warrior, the story teller of the tribe, recounted to attentive ears the deeds of ancient heroism, legends of spirits or monsters, or tales of witches and vampires.” If, on the other hand, we are to draw a distinction between science and literature in history—for we do know that this distinction exists, will our criticism of his work be favourable? Furthermore, if we maintain that this science consists in an exact recording of events with the circum- stances connected with them, narrated in a clear and impartial manner, will investi- gation show that Parkman exhibits this quality? Following this line of reasoning, it will appear that the question is not only open to debate, but that the decision will favour the negative side. In fact a devil’s advo- cate in a trial of this nature could say without fear of contradiction that Parkman made use of documents since proved to be doubtful and even false. For we are all well aware of the fact that the Government archives of his day were incomplete to such a degree that it was indeed a difficult matter to obtain precise information and practically impossible to form definite conclusions. Our archives, have since demonstrated clearly, оп more than one occasion, that Parkman's deductions are erroneous. Moreover, technical mistakes occur frequently with regard to dates and certain phases of transition. Epochs over- lap one another causing an inevitable repetition of the same incidents. This in particular, would help to destroy the