, Volume II. The Autobiography of Martin Van Buren._ By
JOHN C. FITZPATRICK. Washington, 1920. Pp. 808.

This autobiography of Martin Van Buren was presented to the Library of
Congress by Mrs. Smith Thompson Van Buren in 1905, at the same time
when the Van Buren papers were presented to the Library. It is a
manuscript copy in seven folio volumes, made by Smith Thompson Van
Buren, the son and literary executor of the President, from Van
Buren's original draft. The editor reports that portions of Volumes VI
and VII are in another hand and the last fifteen pages of the
manuscript have many changes and corrections by Van Buren himself. A
portion of the book was edited by Mr. Worthington C. Ford. The notes
of Van Buren himself are distinguished by letters from the numbered
notes of the editor of the work.

A study of this manuscript leads the editor of this work to the
conclusion that it is written "with engaging frankness, and the
insight it afforded to the mental processes of a master politician is
deeply interesting." Van Buren's desire to be scrupulously fair in his
estimates is evident, and if he did not always succeed, his failures
are not discreditable. Mr. Fitzpatrick does not believe that the
autobiography compels a revision of established historical judgments,
although it "presents authority for much in our political history
hitherto somewhat conjectural and records political motives and
activities of the period in an illuminating and suggestive manner." On
reading this work one must agree with its editor that, "in analyzing
men and measures, Van Buren all unconsciously paints a picture of
himself."

For students of Negro history certain parts of this work are both
interesting and valuable. This is especially true of Chapter XI, in
which Van Buren sets forth his own views on the slavery question and
discusses the men and their measures proposed for dealing with it.
This chapter not only gives a review of the history of slavery in the
United States up to the time of the crisis of thirties, but brings out
additional facts throwing light upon the situation at that time. In
the beginning of Chapter XVIII, and on pages 528-529, Van Buren takes
up the question of the concession of Great Britain by treaty
stipulation of the right of search to prevent the prosecution of the
slave trade under our flag, which he considered merely a pretense on
the part of Great Britain for the impressment of our seamen. Near the
end