Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1876-11-14
REVIEW OF TIE POLITICAL CON.
FLICT In AMERICA.

FLICT In AMERICA.
From the Commencement of the |
Anti slavery Agitation 10 the |
ClTss Of SDutherta accommodation |
--DOmpFistOg Ala0 n tEPaUtu 0f ths |
Career OF Thaddsus stevens, betOg |
~ survey OF the Struggle ssf PAr.
ties, which Destroy ed Ihs Repub-
tic end Vistuslly MOnOrehIsed
its Government = By AitxandeF
HRrrtA. New York: =. AA, Pollock,
Publisher, 81 Park Row.
This is an octave volume Of up
ward of 500 pages, placed on our
table by the politeness Of the au-
thor, and gives a view of the
Conflict from a Northern stand
point, as the work Of Alexander
H. Stephens has from a Southern,
1t comes from the home Of Thad
Stevens, and is from the pen of an
eminent member Of the Pennsyl-
vania bar, who has had singular
opportunities to know and has both
the candor and courage to express
the truth. 1t is a work of great
merit, contains a world Of facts,
and a retrospect valuable to the
man OF letters and the statesman,
and vindicates with simple candor
the integrity of the Southern peo-
pie. lis literary defects, if there
are such, are but .blemishes on the
face of the sun which lights our
way to Justice and truth. We have
never doubted that the historian
would do justice to the South, and
this is a beginning from the right
quarter. The work ought to be in
the library of every intelligent
Southern man. and one which we
should be unwilling to be deprived
OF, for the convenience and value of
its resume of facts not less than for
the mnsterly ability with which
they are handled. AS a specimen
of the work, the price of which is
SO to IS, according to binding, VIC
subiOin the following taken at
random from pages 400 to 403;
The leading revolutionists during
this session Of Congress had a fine
opportunity to inhame the minds ot
the Northern unthinking people by
accusing the rebels of cruelty to-
wards Federal prisoners Of war. Il
was not at all sincere sympathy fol
the Northern soldiers lying in
Southern prisons that excited these
complaints, but the desire to inten-
sify Northern hate against the
re- 'Sals, which was the sole food thai
sustained the revolutionary Repub
Hcan party. Generous breasts were
equally touched VIII pity for prls
onerS of war, whether confined II
Northern or Southern prisons
But the party that had it in theil
power to end the captivity Of al
the Northern prisoners by an eK
change for Southern in their pos
session, and refused to do so, coulC
not be supposed to entertain yer.
ardent sympathy for their captiyei
languishing in the enemy custody
At this time the North held tSic
as large a number of Southern
prisoners as the ConfedPateS hat
in their keeping. Besides, rea
sympathetic men would not hay
spurned the generous tender 0
Lord Wharnclitie, a British noble
man, to mitigate the miseries 9
! Federal prison life, as William +
Seward, the representative Of tn
.. ADMINISTRATION, had the audOcity
do.
Retaliation, eopGscation Snd e1
termination were theeurrent watcl
words of fanatical feeling; aad p
, measures Of Congress received al
dent support, sayeas theyspprox
: mated the attainment OF thei
: righteous standards Of intemPorqi
zeal Even the patriot daughter
the Sanitary and Christian Con
missions, and the other charitab
agencies of the North, could rail
: their five hundred millions Of do
} lars to support Congress in its III
+ constitutional advances; and to n
I. in sending the demon Of war upC
n his fendish mission to the Soutl
Another Madame Roland upon d
American continent might ha