The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1866-11-15

THE GREAT REBELLION. By John Minor Bolts
Harper & Brother. Philadelphia Agents: j, B.
Lippincott IL Co.
If, instead of giving the caption of "The
Great Rebellion" to his BOOK, Mr.. Bolts had
affixed the appropriate name of "a Defense of
Myself" he would have displayed much better
discrimination in the selection of title. The
work is nothing more than an elaborate instance
of special pleading in favor OF the author, and
is intended to reply to the unklnd criticisms
which all have made on his remarkable course.
We believe that Mr.. Bolts is, from his heart
OF hearts, a good, consistent Union man,
and that he has always been so But
while we are willing to grant him all the credit
Tor his love of Union, yet his eccentricities,
prompted, as they doubtless were, by moral
cowardice, need the utmost use of the cloak of
charity. We feel but little interest now in the
bygone issues of the annexation of Texas and
the Kansas and Nebraska bill. The Missouri
Compromise; and that OF 1850 although of vital
importance to our country, are now things of
the dead past. They and we are of different
eTas, and it is only of that part of the book
that relates to the war that we will speak. When
we say that Of the work-a very good-sized one
but onetenth is devoted to the context, we
think our readers viii agree with us that the
production is misnamed.
We would, having allowed Mr.. Bolts all the
credit belonging to him as Union man, refer
to some of his deficiencies of moral, or possibly
physical courage. When the action of the Sc
cession Convention was submitted to a popular
vote, eight thousand citizens voted against it,
and yet Mr.. Bolts did not. VOTE because his
friends dissuaded him, on the ground of per-
sonal danger. That is no cause for being in
timidated. He states that he shall repent yield
ing until the last day of his life; and we, too,
regret it for his sake. If eight thousand others
less prominent were not afraid to VOTE why
should he, their leader, be driven from his
right? In this Mr. Bolts displayed a cowardice
Of which he may we'll be ashamed.
Again, in 1861, he urged upon Mr.. Lincoln
the convening of a convention which would
allow the South TO go out in peace. This is, in
the light of late events, a most heinous offense
But when we remember that Mr.. Bolts lived in
a Southern Border State, and was seeking to
save her from the jaws Of rebellion, we cannot
blame him so much as we would others. He
acted from, we believe, a sincere conviction of
duty; and we set it down rather to a misguided
Judgment than to any desire to see the Union
dissolved. He believed that such course
would secure the return of the seceders at an
early day.
His celebrated interview with Mr. Lincoln in
which he ass arts that the President gave MIN
his word that, if the State Convention of Vir-
ginia would to adjourn sine die, he would evacuate
Fort Sumter, is given in fun, and is by far the
most interesting part of the volume. The
appendix, which constitutes two-thirds OF the
volume, is filed with the personal papers of
MI. Bolts. As sort of autograph the work is
interesting. As history of the Great Rebellion
it has no significance. it is well bound and
ably written.