The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1877-01-21
SOME NEW hooks.


since the enfrancnlsemeuJ OF tue huS-
sian serfs and the emancipation acts OF the
United States and Brazil, the Christian world. at
all events, Is prepared to consider the question
OF slavery from dispassionato and philosophi-
cal standpoint. A comprehensive record, there
re, OF tho institution must he regarded as
timely contribution to the materials or social
science. Tho task has been undertaken by
Cuban gcntlcman--D IN lost ANTONIO SNCO. 10
whose HisiOrit ds Ia Escliuitit desie los ttcmpos
mas emoios hdstt nu,otI0s dtis wo have already
made some reference. We have now received
the second volume, which gives an account OF
Roman slavery as 1t exis ed under the Republic.
ard "a 1t was gradually transformed through the
shifting social conditions OF the Empire and the
influence OF the civil law.
Before directing attention TO some OF the
more interesting facts brought out In Sehor
Sico's work we desire to recognize the pains
taking and well-nigh exhaustive Investigation
which the suit set has received at his hands IA
well as the candid and judicial temper which
marks nls treatment. We may say. In brief, that
none of the important treatises 10y modern Eu-
ropean writers, who have To some extent ira
verscd the same Hcld, appear to be unknown to
him, white original sources of Information In
historical aud Patts'ic literature, and, above all,
In the Tneodosiln Codo and the Digest OF jus
tiniln have been studiousiy and infinitely ex-
amined.
Rome presents us with one singular phenom-
enOn In the history OF slavery, not because the
law and the slaves master appear IN complete
antalOnism. but because 10 this antthesis nor
NAL Interests seem to have been Inverted. In
other countries II ts the law which ntervenes to
break the bonds of the slave. and which encouu-
ters from his owner opposition more or less
vehement. rhat this rule should have one
alla "a hpra tina a ita face
against mauumisson aud found the most reso-
lutte friends Of hOerty in the slavchOlding cl So,
is only oxplicable by anomalous causes pscu-
liar to Roman society.
The facilities for manumission were ALWAYS
great at Rome. but so long as the number OF
slaves was limited the absorption Of freedmen
Into the ranks OF the plebeian class was accom-
pl shed without DIN 'ulty. But when foreign
wars had prodieiously augn ented the inflow OF
slaves to ltalv and determined a correspondent
fail In price, the door WAS OPENED to frequent
alterations. because the freedmen might easily
be replaced. Moreover, tho large measure OF
liberty which many slaves enjoyed supplied the
me ms ~ self-enancipition, since the more in
telligent, according to Cicero, might hone to
buy their freedom after ak years service. 1t
appears to have been not uncommon for mas
ter to accept the cost price. with which he was
enabled TO procure substitute and at the
same time retain the conditional services which
the law enioined OF the freedman toward
his patron or former owner. THIS re-
lation was so advantageous to the latter that IL.
perhaps, sufficiently accounts for the tendency
to emancipation which In the end threatened to
swamp the commonwealth, oy the'admission to
the franchise Of a now and dangerous element
Among other powerfnl Inducements NAV he
mentioned the ti,nt p,sse..ea by the p,tron Of
/ t.N... Ia.
pronertv ~ his freedmen a. wall a. Of re,.,vtn,,
through them a share Of the puolic donations
ba.tnwnd imam ina needy ul.teians Gaining i'm
thi. way too an extr, vote at the elections an
ambitious man might naturally re,lrd the
Wholesale nanumis.ion of his slaves AZ An in
attument of political arrrandtzement
:, nor ssco does not attribute TO slavery the
decline Of agriculture IN the Italian peninsula.
iIe points out that Afric. AMI SICILY. which be-
came the gtan res of Rom ., were equally de-
pendent on slave lab n, aud he reminds US that
IN re- IA: times the cotton : ates Of our own
country. as well Is the Antilles and Brazil, have
occn successfully cultivaiei by the sane agency.
Yet whils ae dls-1ci te- from the instltut on re-
suits which NAV ne exclaimed ON otner grounds.
he f. fully alig, to the untow ird consequences
which unmistlkihly flowed from 1t. He
quotes. for instance. saying Of Monte quien
That through slavery perpetual circulation OF
new blood was mainti Throughout the En-
pre-. since Rome received men slaves, and dis
miss Cd them Romans. nor slco shows us
what kind Of citizens were developed under this
process by adtucing law which pronounced
the barbarian slave newly imported, far less cor
ruut aud better lifted for all honest vacations
than he who had spent wear In sicily.
me writer ot 'h's DOCK does not concede To
'ne Nn'sulh t''1'"h "iF u''evt Wuuehce upon
the an""'''h Oh slavery ne nowhere mus III
'he r"''H"c "rit't7 tue INSTITUTION denounced
a. WRONG IN pr'hc'p'e' OF in'huhlss''h ehJolheu
"a outN. very many p'shops owned slaves
ana oeduea'neu 'ne" !" 'ne'r "'ls' AFTER
ho,lhs other facts not less Significant sown up
ana uo"h the lust e'Hn'eeh centuries. senior
S'co REMINDS Us thar the french St"tes-"eheral
"N''h sssfmhlel III 1853 Vpho'ed the suppress
sion ~ tue s'"N' t''ue' "heIo" the 'dl'h Con
Ne"'l"n' "n'rh P"'h'if tepnulhru 'hilSu niV'
a''"7hed 81 'Ver' mr. 'uGhpuI france hl IT'S col
'"'e7' lh' lhi"e'' PRESSURE however OF re-
H-'"n ""'oh '"'"lV"Veu fraternity ana spiritual
eHAAlt' Il not ohN |l'th'tN aehuo vie isel,
'"t eNeWpHh'd III mueh det"l' Especially
worthy OF rept"lnf''oh Is a passage cltei from
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