The Cadiz sentinel. [volume] (Cadiz, Ohio) 1864-1911, 1868-11-18
''A PLEA FOR MTSCEGENA.
TEONo
Theodore TiIfOu az an Advocate
for TAagl0-Anlerican with
Anglo African Bioodu-His
OpiHion of "What. Answer"
From the Revolution.

for IAagi0-Anertcan with
Anglo African Bioodo-Hts
Opiuion of "what. Answer"
From the Revolution.
We take the liberty OF printing in the
Rero'ution the following private letter to
My DEAR Mas. srAsToN: have ju.t
been. reading in the Rerol,t,ion YOU notice
of Anna Dickinson's look. BY way Of
amiable protest, let me say Though not for
puhication) that you do her 30 slender
justice as to amount to a positive wrong.
A great moral reform elieits psny books
ard speechcs-the best of which are sei>
dom taultless in artistic structure or literary
finish. Uncle Toms Cabin" judged as n
mere work Of art. seems as much out OF
shape as stuffed Christmas stt cking in q
Ghimney;nGok; nevertheless. among oil the
fict;ons that have helped the world, that
unpremeditated and extemporaneous book
stands second only to the Pilgrims Pro-
gress" Wendell Phillips political speecl-
es judged as mere literary essays, abound
in almost as much bad grarnriar as his edi>
torials;; nevertheless, among all the states
men OF his country and tinis he is the con-
spicuoils chiei---the leader, Of. leaders-1the
bright, particular star Of American politics.
There are many precious public utteran-
cs on which one never thinks of rendering
a verdict of mere literary criticism. Does
any body every stop to ask whether or not
the Declaration of Independence is in good
Englishf Does any body mourn over the
Magma Charta BECAUSE it is in bad Latin2
When the Atlantic cable reports to the Tr'-
Junf what John Bright has been saying,
does it take that trouble merely because he
says it well? Did not our hole nation re-
cognlza that Abraham LiDcoln's honiespun
words at Gettysburg were greater than Eds
ward Everett glded Grafton? Once when
Father Taylor, in preaching to his audience
of sean,en, found himself entahgled sudden
| ly in a thicket Of accumulated clauses, he
ex'ricatcd himself by exclaiming, / have
lost track Of The hothihatiIe to my verb,
but my brethren, one thing know an
Jound for the Kingdom Of Hearenf' That
was oratoly superior to rhetoric! 1t was
getting the wine OF eloquence by crushing
the grapes OF style. a-.,. .r s., 4
Now when speech or sermon or hook
happens to be so good that one cares nothing
for the style in WHICH it is expressed, the
substance is thereby proven to be of pccu.
liar and extrao dnary merit.
This is Just my feeling about Miss Dick
inson's story. On taking up the volume,
aud before knowing or suspecting its drift,
rebcled against the opening chapters be-
cause thought them hwkTard-as, indeed,
they are. But as soon as discovered the
duthpt's ohject in wrisuS-an object 50 un>
expected, and so iiiuch nobler than any
mere literary effeet-I Immediately quench-
ed my disposition to criticise Her heroic
atteInptto join the Anglo-Saxon and the
Anglo, Aiiican blood in a true and lawful
marriage, and to make fashionable society
stand by as a consenting and applauding
witness, was a purpose SO much nioIe per-
ilous, humane and Christian than was ever
under'aken bv any other American author,
that said to myself forgetting all literary
merits or defacts), "Thisis the bravest book
in American literature" Tell me what
New England or Knickerbocker book-n, aker
t.as eycr niorr nobly or courageously :defied
Auerican opinion. Not one And in this
value of this Quaker girl book. ;,
SO much to Miss Dickinsen's style as TO her
ing from your pen. surprises me greatly.
You intimate that she might to have turn
ed her book on the pivot of Woman s
signal contribution to Wonun's Rights. 1t
seeks SEE to iifr the most dsspised race among
our country women to Just level with the
hroudeSta Fits object had been mercy to
give to Miss Ercildnune ballet; its pages
would have borne less emphatic testmo-
ny to Woman's Rights than by giving to
stlrh a bride as Francesca such a brides
groom as Surrey. na. ~,
Then, too, as this is white mans gov>
ernment, | owe 20 this book white mans
thanks for vindcating white mans right
to marry whomsoevkf lie pleqses, provided
the lady herself consents. 1t is impossible
for white particularly for such as feel
a mantling and Tammiany pride in their
whiteuesS- to be, eyer considered a truly
superior race 80 long as. they are denied tho
sacred right Of PROTECTING their own private
affections by the solemn sanctions of public
law More tyrannoqs than the worst Radi-.
cal RepuhlicaR tile is the public sentiment
in the South, which forbids an eminent
White Democrat from openly marrying the
lady of his heart. What domestic boon
this little book seeks to confer on hundreds
and thousands of natures noblemen,"
who were formerly the owners Of unmarried
brides, and who are now provided with
golden opportunity to wed their own wives.
But / can pardon the Rerol4tion's neg.
lect to point out this one peculiar mission
to Miss Dickinson's book, because my dear
Mrs. Stanton, your sympathies with the
Democratic party are Of so recent an origin
that you could hardly be expected TO, ap-'
preciate, in a moment, all the obligations Of
gratitude which that party ought to feel, as
white men, toward the. only book in our
literature whic.. directly points out to them
how to be at the same time yirtuous and
happy. tn, ~. 4.
episte in the best of humor because it
comes from, ;..
Your fifend and biographer,
THEODORE Triton