The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1866-05-12
LITERATURE.

THn onIatH or THE LATE WAR By George Lunt D.
| Appleton Co.: New York. 1855. g., &. ..
| The author prefaces the work by an alluson to
the long controversy, sometimes active, then sub
dued, but never actually at rest. between the North
aud the South. He regards &c slavery, in the popu
lar sense, as much the cause Of the war, as pro-
perty is tho cause OF robbery" but, as we, have
not yet reached absolute results from tho emanci-
patton Of slavery, much Of the volume relates to
period some time past. He ,!trsces the anti.
slavery movement in, the North to the State OF
Pennsylvania, which established q gradual eman-
cipation. for the slaves within it's own limits in
17S0-not operating, however, with full effect until
near fifty years afterwards This he regards as
the committeeman of that spirit OF aeotionalsm
which subsequently led to scenes OF unparalleled
excitement in tho halls, of Congress, and finally
| culminatedin in such disastrous conseuuences.s The
bill reported for the admission of Missouri on an
equal footing with the other States, and the
amendment offered providing against the further
introduction OF slavery, he also regards as one Of
the questions In which tho seeds Of national dis.
| sension were sown. From that time, however,
the topic OF slayery in most Of its Aspects ceased
Tor series OF years to excite any particular in
terest In the popular mind.'"e. .-,..1 ,-.-s {,
In 1888 the Legislature Of the State of Vermont
passed certain resolutions for the consideration Of
Congress in favor Of the abolition Of slavery in the
District OF Columbia. These resolutions we're
strenuously opposed by Mr. Preston, Of South
Carolina, and In the debates which ensued the
House was converted into an arena for q battle
royal on the subject OF slavery. The author then
traces some Of the minor causes which led to a
disturbance OF che foundations Of the Government,
and then adyerts to the project for the annexation
Of Texas. While there, is no doubt that It was
conceived Gas the author asserts) ssfor the pur-
pose OF strengthening the political power OF the
South" he should have borne in mind that there
had been constant, accession Of Free States
to the Union, and the balance OF power was rapid
ily passing into the hands of an, Abolition party.,
The minds Of Southern Representatives were kept
in state OF nervous agitatonc dreading
Northern majority which. would attack their
rights and Institutions. ''si' =. ',.i" o,'' -
In 1914 the Legislature Of Massachusetts, sent to.
their Representatives in Congress resolution to
the effect "tha tho project for the annexation Of
Texas, unless arrested on the Threshold, might
teassto drive these States into dissolutipn Of he
/ While we have no doubt that these resolutions
were held as menace to prevent the, consum-
nation OF the object, still in later days. such an
action would hardly fail to incur the imputaton
OF disloyalty; and it affords, perhaps, one of the
most emphatic examples OF the assertion of estate
Rights, After the admission of both Texas and
California into the Union, there were sixteen Free
States and fifteen Slave States, computing Delal
ware amongst the latter, which was meerey nSm4fr
lsly in that category neeessariy' sSclrree;d
q majority Of Senators from the Free States, and
upon most questions involving any test of
opinions, the Delaware SENATORS ACTED in unison
with the Northern members The preponderance
with the North gradually increased, until q great
disparity was the result. This certainly was not
very encouraging prospect for our people, at
time when the il:omened cry OF the ''Save Power
was raised, and which was made the instrument
of exciting such fanciful dread at the North" The
author here proves conclusiyey thatit was simply
party cry, raised against tho alliance between
lovers Of the Union in both sections. ..y...cI
It was about this time TINT MIR. SEWARD made
an allusion to the "Irrepressble conflict between
freedom and slavery" as the! guiding and deter
mined principle of his party--that is to say, con-
fot between North and South, which was certainly
regarded by the latter section as a desperate
threat Of the struggle to come. And the author,
timely adds, "that even such contiicr, IL 'irre-
pressiIle,' might still have been kept within due
bounds, as it had been for nearly seventy years,
but for the resolute purpose Ct dominant party
and it cannot be denied that that party, composed
of q factious set OF men, would willingly lend it.
self to any cause Of sgtation that promised sue
cess at home. great portion of the work Is then
devoted TO- the several Compromises, Of which the
question of slAyery was fhs element; and the sup
positiqn ;is plausible that had the Ordinance OF
1887 been rigidy adhered to, future national trou!
.bles might have been obsiated The Compromise
OF 1920 whsi id n9importsht sense calculated It'd
maintain peace,abusit wasi violated inA spirit by
contihdods} aggrsssionS from the North. 81 A de-
mGllid VAS next made for the repeal 0f the Fugi,
tie slaye law of 1850 declaring that slavery was
Sin againat GOD and man, and that shumanity
ana patriotism alike demand it's abolition"
This was d decided blow aimed 1T the institu
ton Of the fsohth,a and although ths" resolution
received little Attention at that ntime It was fel
yiyed with the Kansas and Nebraska question The
author here asserts (and we freely coincide with
him) ''that OWL war n the United States began
in Kansas" The, bomb4rdment Of Fort Sumter
may have beenrthe frss act of, var which powerI
fully excited the Northern imagination, but the frat
gun was fred IN the Territory OF Kansas-the
second in the raid sof JShS BIowN. detailed act
countof the Kansaa troubles are then given, and
the other causes Of discprd which oooperated With
this one from time to time to produce deep-seat-
ed alienation OF feeling between the sections and
led them to contemplate the dreadful arbitrament
OF civil war. The i"Heiper" Book next appeared,
with such passsgesq As "NoT desperation With
Shareholders in politics; no Fellowship in religion;
no afllstion In society for the Republican party