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Heretics is somewhat neglected in Chesterton's oeuvre, possibly because it is an early work (1905), and many of the writers discussed are out of fashion now. Yet, I believe Heretics contains not only his best writing, but it already establishes the main themes of his life's work.
Technically, it is a book of literary criticism, but from an unusual point of view, that of his subjects' philosophy.
"I am not concerned with Shaw as one of the most brilliant and one of the most honest men alive; I am concerned with him as a heretic--that is to say, a man whose philosophy is solid, quite coherent, and quite wrong." (p. 22)
Brilliant though he was, Shaw expected reality to conform to an inhuman ideal:
"He has all the time been silently comparing humanity with something that was not human, with a monster from Mars, with the Wise Man of the Stoics, with the Economic Man of the Fabians, with Julius Caesar, with Siegfried, with Superman. Now, to have this inner and merciless standard may be a very good thing, or a very bad one, it may be excellent or unfortunate. but it is not seeing things as they are." (pp. 62-63)
This is excellent writing, whether we entirely agree or not. It may be a little unfair to Shaw, but it is fair to life.
Chesterton is often called an optimist. But he knew the other side, as anyone reading Alzina Stone Dale's life, The Outline of Sanity, can find out. Joy in living, good beer, conversation, balance, sanity, these were achievements, not just nature.
I have never read, or even found, the books of Mr. George Moore who wrote an autobiography. Chesterton attacks his egoism, the interest in the world as related to his own temperament:
"We should really be much more interested in Mr. Moore if he were not quite so interested in himself. We feel as if we were being shown through a gallery of really fine pictures, into each of which, by some useless and discordant convention, the artist had represented the same figure in the same attitude. 'The Grand Canal with a distant view of Mr. Moore," "Effect of Mr. Moore through a Scotch Mist,' 'Mr. Moore by Firelight,' 'Ruins of Mr. Moore by Moonlight,' and so on seems to be the endless series." (pp. 131-132)
That has to be one of the funniest sentences ever written, and I could barely type it for laughing. A bit later on the page, Chesterton gives his vision of originality:
"Thinking about himself will lead to trying to be the universe; trying to be the universe will lead to ceasing to be anything. If, on the other hand, a man is sensible enough to think only about the universe; he will think about it in his own way. He will keep virgin the secret of God; he will see the grass as no other man can see it, and look at a sun that no man has ever known."
There is no space to mention all the wonderful writing in Heretics. I will mention his often expressed view of the narrowness of the larger world, where one can choose one's companions, as opposed to the nation, the neighborhood or the family, where one has to take people the way they are, with all their foibles.
"The best way that a man could test his readiness to encounter the common variety of mankind would be to climb down a chimney into any house at random, and get on as well as possible with the people inside. And that is essentially what each one of us did on the day he was born." (p. 190)
As always, Chesterton's ideas are eminently discussable! No commentary of mine could do justice to the variety, wisdom, and good humour in this book. The best thing would be to find a copy and read it.
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One can readily understand why some of his contemporaries did not wish Miles well. For instance, supporters of Jefferson Davis found it difficult to forgive Miles, when, as jailer of the fallen President of the Confederate States of America, he had his prisoner temporarily placed in chains. Equally apparent is how, in the post Civil War army, at a time when there were few opportunities for advancement, jealousies naturally sprang up between Miles and his rivals for promotion. It is also evident why officials in Washington would resent his outspoken criticism of mismanaged bureaus and campaigns. For example, in his 1886 annual report Miles complained about the shoes manufactured at the military prison at Fort Leavenworth and worn by his men on the Geronimo campaign. The Adjutant General had earlier praised the prison for its products. Miles faultfinding partially explains why the government made little effort to honor him for his victory over the Apaches.
A painstaking search that took over fifteen years, of both manuscript collections and nineteenth century newspapers, unearthed information that justifies reexamination of Miles' career. For instance the Adjutant General's bruised feelings concerning the shoes made at Fort Leavenworth does not completely explain Miles' difficulties following the Geronimo campaign. Miles also had to contend with bureaucratic intrigues emanating from the headquarters of his superior officer at the time, Major General Oliver O. Howard. For example, Howard muddied the details of what actually happened when Geronimo surrendered to Miles. As a result, Miles fell into official disfavor. Miles did not publicly air his exasperation at this disservice, but he reacted after he read the published correspondence of the surrender and realized what had happened. In a letter found in Howard's papers, which has not been fully appreciated by some students of the campaign, it is clear that Miles was aware of how the mischief damaged his reputation.
Seething at what he read in the government document, Miles accused Howard of keeping his report "pigeon-holed at Division Headquarters for nearly a month notwithstanding that I was being denounced, meanwhile, from one end of the country to the other for not reporting the fact of the surrender."
In some bewilderment, Miles continued: "You not only failed to set me right when it was within your power so to do, but you seem to have gone out of your way in the opposite direction."
Another instance in which history has misjudged Miles resulted from strained relations between Miles and the Commanding General of the Army, William T. Sherman. Most Indian War historians have been negatively influenced by an impulsive letter written by Sherman, which Miles probably never knew existed. Greater insight into their feud, however, would be gained by considering an interview of General Sherman by a New York Herald reporter that has not been commented upon in other studies of this period.
Miles, who President Theodore Roosevelt dismissed as a "brave peacock" because of his vanity and love of pomp deserves a more accurate epitaph. A Hero to His Fighting Men reminds its readers that in 1910 a balladeer honored Miles, asserting that the general, who was "solid with the ranks," might be a Little partial to the medals on his chest. He's got a darned right to be; He earned 'em in the West.
Note: Great care was taken to insure that although A Hero to His Fighting Men, Nelson A. Miles, 1839 - 1925 was a scholarly study of the General's career, it was also a very readable portrait of a military leader who deserves greater appreciation for his services to our nation.
1998, c. 568pp., 23 illus. Isbn-0-87338-594-
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