Mexicans. The Mexicans soon observed this and began to suspect that the colonists would some day try to take Texas away from them." This same spirit of fairness is exemplified on pages 127 to 128, relative to Fannin's surrender at Coleto. "The first article of this document [the capitulation] declares that the Texans agreed to surrender unconditionally, while the third says that they surrendered as prisoners of war subject to the disposition of the supreme government of Mexico." This in no way seeks to justify the Goliad massacre which followed the agreement, but it does Santa Anna the justice of giving him technical, legal right in the matter.

Again, the part of Texas in the Civil War is developed with unusual clearness and fairness, while the period of reconstruction is dealt with in the same broad spirit. Near the close of the book is a profitable discussion of the recent material and educational growth of the State.

It is another stated purpose of the authors "to make it a thoroughly useful tool in the hands of the teacher." In pursuance of this aim an unusual amount of "helps" is given. For example, in Appendix II, suggestions are made to the teacher as to the presentation of each separate chapter and a well chosen bibliography for each chapter is included in the same appendix. In Appendix III is a complete outline of the book by the authors themselves. Appendix IV consists of a list of Presidents and Governors, with the dates of their administration. Finally, in this connection, each chapter is concluded with a summary, a list of wholesome questions, and a suitable bibliography for children.

It is difficult to pass fair judgment upon a text-book without having put it to actual test in the class room, but if the accepted characteristics of successful history writing are sound, then this book ought to have generous treatment at the hands of the school public. J. A. HILL.

Texas

by Milam

by Milam

From several references in

the Lamar papers and from internal evidence it appears that Texas (Philadelphia, 1839) was written by Henry Thompson, a lawyer of Houston, who had early in Lamar's administration been the President's private secretary.

On August 18, 1839, Thompson writes Lamar from New York: "I send no's 1 and 2 of a series of chapters on Texas, they have taken very well, and are re-printed in the Balto and N York papers, they are intended to be correct pictures of T-The 3d no' is of more inport than the rest which are rather preparatory chaptersThe Boston papers have the chapters with quite a compliment to the Author"; on September 19, from Philadelphia: "I am publishing a little work on Texas small-with a map, Chapters &c-it will be out in one month"; on December 28, from Houston: "2000 copies of Texas by Milam sold in the North 2d Edition in press-Good! at last.”

The author of the book is evidently a lawyer, as appears from his familiarity with legal terms and procedure and from his use of the phrase "my brethren of the bar" (p. 49). He is a partisan of the Lamar administration: he gives merely a perfunctory notice of General Houston (pp. 70-71), since "the victor of Santa Anna; and the Hero of San Jacinto, must not be omitted in these pages"; of Lamar (pp. 18-20) and Handy (pp. 87-88) he speaks with personal knowledge and enthusiasm. His style resembles Thompson's in his letters to Lamar. Moreover, in the letter of September 19, noted above, the same objection is made to the bonding system of Texas in relation to the depreciation of the currency as is urged on pp. 63 and 64.

The map referred to in the letter of September 19 does not appear in the State Library copy, one of the first edition, the only copy to which I have had access; and there is no sign of its ever having been included.

ELIZABETH H. WEST.

In "Polk and the Oregon Compromise of 1846," Political Science Quarterly, September, 1911, Dr. R. L. Schuyler of Columbia University acquits Polk of sharp practice in connection with the settlement of the Oregon Question. "Because Polk refused to assume the responsibility of war with Great Britain, for the disruption of his party and for the failure of his administration— and these apparently would have been the result of rejecting the British offer-we need not infer that he had been playing a double

game." The paper is based chiefly upon Polk's Diary and the Works of Buchanan, both of which have but recently been published.

In Political Science Quarterly, March, 1912, Professor William A. Dunning reviews in a thoroughly interesting way the Diary of Gideon Welles (three volumes), recently published by Houghton, Mifflin and Company. "The value of these volumes as a source for the history of the times depends chiefly," says Professor Dunning, "upon two factors: first, the candor and sincerity of the writer, and, second, the accuracy and completeness with which his record has been reproduced in print. In both respects the value. of the Diary is unimpeachable." Seward, Stanton, Chase, Sumner and Grant are heavily scored in the Diary, but Andrew Johnson is in general staunchly defended.

In the June number of Political Science Quarterly, Professor L. S. Rowe has a discerning analysis of the causes of the recent Mexican revolution.

The Lewis Publishing Company, Chicago, has published the following works relating to Texas. These volumes have not been examined sufficiently to form a critical estimate of their worth, but are mentioned for the benefit of students who may be interested in the sections to which they relate:

A Twentieth Century History and Biographical Record of North and West Texas. Captain B. B. Paddock, Editor. 1906. Two volumes.

A Twentieth Century History of Southwest Texas. 1907. Two volumes.

A History of Greater Dallas and Vicinity. 1909. Two volumes. Volume I is by Philip Lindsley; volume II is edited by L. B. Hill, and has for its subtitle "Selected Biography and Memoirs."

Historical Review of Southeast Texas and the Founders, Leaders and Representative Men of Its Commerce, Industry and Civic Affairs. Dermot H. Hardy and Ingham S. Roberts, Associate Editors. 1910. Two volumes.

A History of Central and Western Texas, compiled from historical data supplied by commercial clubs, individuals, and other authentic sources, under the editorial supervision of Captain B. B. Paddock. 1911. Two volumes.

The Los Angeles Examiner recently published a volume entitled "Press Reference Library, Notables of the Southwest, being the portraits and biographies of progressive men of the Southwest, who have helped in the development and history-making of this wonderful country. Los Angeles, California, 1912." 4to. Pp. 500. The work relates almost exclusively to California, particularly Los Angeles; only eleven Texans are included. The work is an excellent piece of printing.

The Proceedings of the Navarro County Bar Association, held at the Carnegie Library, Corsicana, Sunday, September 24, 1911, in memory of Colonel Roger Q. Mills, have been published in a pamphlet of 32 pages. Not only the addresses delivered on the date named, but the tributes paid Colonel Mills by his friends far and near by the Texas press are included.

In The Numismatist (Brooklyn) for April, 1912, Mr. R. C. Crane has an illustrated article on the paper money of the Republic of Texas.

NEWS ITEMS

Mr. Charles Wilson Hackett will return to the University of California to study Southwestern History next year.

Professor E. D. Adams, of the History Department of Stanford University, is lecturing at Harvard University this summer.

Professor Eugene I. McCormac, of the History Department of the University of California, is lecturing in the Summer Session of the University of Illinois.

Professor C. H. Van Tyne, head of the Department of History in the University of Michigan, is lecturing in the Summer Session of the University of California.

Mr. John W. Curd, Principal of the High School at El Paso, will become a graduate student in Southwestern History at the University of California next fall.

Miss Anne Hughes took her Master's degree in History at the University of California in May, was awarded a fellowship in History in the same University, for the following year, and hopes to return to continue her work.

Mr. William E. Dunn, B. A., the University of Texas, 1909; M. A., Stanford University, 1910, who held a fellowship in History at Columbia during the past year, will hold a similar position at the University of California next year. He is spending the summer in the Mexican archives at Saltillo and the City of Mexico.

Mr. Charles E. Chapman, teaching fellow in History in the University of California, was awarded the Traveling Fellowship founded by the Native Sons of the Golden West, and has sailed for Spain, where he will spend next year working in the historical archives.

At the June Commencement of the University of Texas, Messrs. William S. Brandenberger and Stuart H. Condron took the M. A. degree in History. Mr. Brandenberger's thesis was "The Administrative System of Texas, 1821-1835"; and Mr. Condron's was "The First Texas Agency in New Orleans in 1836"-a study of