New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1878-01-15
NEW PUBLICATIONS.
LIFE OF GERRIT SMITH.

of view of rigid impartiality, rather than %
.bip. sympathy, OF personal admiration WIN
inst and tender appreciation OF the traits OF charae
ter which for many years rendered Oeril' "n'i.n
one of the most remarkable personages Ill the state
of New-York he has made no attempt to elevate the
.ubieet of his biography to the position OF an ideal
hero He has painted him in his strength
and his weaknesses. i'll the noble quail
tics which made him attractive Spe-
cimen of humanity, and IN the curious
eccentricties which did not impair the genuine gran
deur of his nature, the wonderful beauty ana eA
cellence of his life The narrative throughout IS
one Of entcing interest. MIR. rockingham mas
brought his unrivalled power of character painting
a. the illustration of the biography. The fidelity OF
the portraiture will be Immediately recognized by
the familiar friends of the subject. He is made to
stand ont from the canvas in massive proportions, III
mn attitude of graceful vigOr and with the glory OF
a radiant manhood upon his Brow but no ELUSIVE
veil is east over the peculiar features which showed
that Gerrit Smith the descendant OF Adam.
hearing in his blood the consequences of tho fats
frut which brought ruin and dismay into the garden
of Paradise.
AS described by his biographer, young Smith early
gave indications of the character which made him
so marked q in subsequent life. In college he
was an excellent scholar, an enthusiastic reader Oh
the books Of the period and interested III the newest
literature and opinions. He was young man OF
uncommon beauty, the admiration of all behoiders'
and affecting the Byronic style in his flowing hair
and expansive shirt-cOllar. His manners were
cordial his action was graceful and winning and he
was popular everywhere. He took part with great
zest in the games and amusements of his companions
bnt though gay and spOrtive, wss never wild" III
any vicious sense of the word. He had passion Tor
cards and would sometimes even violate the Sabbath
by indulgence in the game. The fervent plety OF
his later years not cOnspicu Ill those college
DAYS. As the son of a rich man. he dressed carefully
lived well, aud spent money freely, but never I'D
youthful designations. He is well remembered by
his classmates as detestiDg meanness, seliisness
Injustice He invariably took the part of the weak
against the strong. and never failed to win the
sympathy of the most generous hearts. He was in
tended for the profession Of law but being ntrusted
with the management of his fathers large estates, at
the age of twenty-five, new direction was given to
the whole of his future life.
In this capacity, lie soon exhibited a singular
talent for affairs. He became one OF the sblest bust
ness men in the country and administered the prop
erty intrusted to his charge with practical wisdom
above his years. He was regular. exact, systematic
farsighted, equally bold and just. His working
power was immense He shrank from no burden
Without the passion for land which impelled his
father be purchased largely. In less than twenty
years he became of the most extensive land
holders in the State. The panic of 1887 affected
hun diSastrousy: he was burdened with an exces-
siye accumulation of debt and but for the prompt
intervention of Mr.. John jacob Aston, his fathers
early friend, he could hardly have avoided. bank
ruptcy.
Gerrit Smiths religious character and position in
the prime of life made the subject of an inter
estlng chapter, in which they treated with wise
appreciation, but must pass over the details in
order TO take brief glance at his career pract
cal philanthropst. The sincere love of man, as man.
was perhaps, his most characteristic trait. He cher
ished profound respect for human nature. He
had an ardent faith in human capacity. in human
progress, in the high destiny of the race. His hu-
mainly was the fruit of religious principle not of
natural sentiment. 1t was love for the human be-
ing, without regard to accidents of condition. His
gifts of money were governed by a sound discretion
though on scale rarely eQualled in extent, and
probably equalled i'll the variety of its objects
He regarded his wealth as a fund for the
common good. Ii was an early saying of his
that he meant to die poor. No one will ever know
how much he gave away; record of ii
was made The tide OF benefaction was constantly
flowing, in large streams or in small and must have
taken away thirty, forty fifty Thousand dollars
year. The daily applications from strangers often
amounted to tens of thousands of dollars. More
than once they exceeded a hundred Thousand. His
private benefactons were boundesS. He literally
gave away fortunes TO relieve immediate distress.
Old men and women looked TO him for support in
their infirnity. ITO redeem farms to buy unpro,
ductive land to send children to school, applications
were made from every part of the country. A girl
wants piano; boy wants money to buy watch,
and encloses Photographic likeness of himself, to
be returned in case the request is declined woman
socits the gift of alpaca dress and is particular
that the trimmings be sent with It, The small
cheques flew about in all directions carrying in the
aggregate thousands of dollars, hundreds of which
fell sandy gravelly soil and produced nothing"
But permanent Institutions too, bear witness 10 the
solid character Of his bounty The public subscription
papers of his times usually bore his at the head.
and for the largest sum There we're - 900 tn single
war fund. The English destitute received at time
81 600 the Poles 81 900 the Greeks much or more
The sufferers by a fire at Canastoa received the
morning 900 The sufferers by the Irish famine were
gaddened by Gift OF g. 600. thousand to the
nferers IRON the grasshoppers m Kansas and Nebraska
ibe Cuban subscriptions took $1,000. Individuals in
distress, antislayery men, Temperance refo1ners,
teachers, Woodworking ministers Of Whatever denonina
tiOn, received sums all the way from $500 TO $50 In
cases where money was required to vndicate principle
AS in the Chaplin casetbOusands OF dollars
trbuted To keep slavery out of Kansas cost him &c.
600. He helped on election expenses maintained pa
pers supported editors and their families, perpet-
ual charge for the maintenance of r2snzed
particular reforms The free library at Oswrgo an
wisely selected volumes with less trash than any public
collection OF books its existence his
endowment $4,000 in 1888. JudlcOus mana cement
seconded by the beralty Of the city, makes this library
minister to the higher intellectual culture. His
college. Hamilton received $4,000; Oneida Institute
thousands at time; Obcrin, pet with Inn account
OF its freedom from and prejudice endowed
with land well as aided 10y money. The Central Col
lege al NcGnwvile Appealed to bin, not in vain. The
Normal school at Hampton obtained In response an
appeal for help in 1874, $4,000 Reading rooms, libra
ries, academies OF All degrees drew from HIM.
Summaries In Virginia, Tennessee Georgia Vermont,
tasted his bounty. General K. r. Lees Washington Col
legc a. welcome any 10 what lie had 10 bestow
Berea College Kentucky received In 1874. "a, 20
btOrer College AT Ha pes Ferry received the year.
two donations each q thousand dollars. Fisk Unlycr-
sty al Nashville, the Howtrd University al Washington
drew handsomely from his stores. He nj period