New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1882-11-17
NEW PUBLICATIONS.

n
.ra,rarv attention at the hands of the re-
80 md is likely to receive a good deal more
sh.p ordinary attention at the hands OF the puonc'
~ invites consideration both for what IL Is ana or
That IL suggests 1t is notable alike Tor lts pec"ir
faults and it's unusual merits, and there is an I'M
portant sepse in which even its faults, grave "s
they are enhance its merit, precisely as inc hno"u
sra;rdices of a witness sometimes give additional
vortb 70 opinions and sentiments which are iorceu
1pon HIM in spite Of those prejudices'
The author in Tins case is obviously OF Nilsni"n
birth ana rearing. His sympathies are very sronsy
Sou,borp nor only in politics but all those caste
preludices which have contributed 80 ,"So I's,1
embarrass and POSTPONE the equitable ana pe'c'i"i
s;'..o,,t 90 rocc relations in the SOuth and yet
This yirp1nian. with all the prejudces OF oi"T
,Id dnanlv rooted in his nature. flnds tine mora"
"a ortist;c mot,ye of his work in the wrongs Oh
o,oaroon slave. the mistress OF a white man hc
.aas clearly and very resolutely asserts Vno qua"
,oon's rights Of motherhood, not conteht'he MIN
Golf bv any means with stirring the reauel 70
xa,nelv regretful sympathy with the WIohgeu
,o,hor INIT insisting to the end upon the full anu
t.,dcrly sympathetlc recognition OF the quauioon
,irl's rights as a woman and as mother
This "Haear" does not at any time speak ID 'no
story but She is It's heroine neVerthcless' All" N
first 10 last the readers profound sympathy -
Her humanity is fully and tendeIIy Iosp'0'I" %
a. se had no visible admixture OF Aiiica' oioo"'
- a. ,riI,so eo mother are insisted upon, by art
ond aropment as earnestly as if her relations VIZ"
,ho totber of her child had been those Oh Il "iie'
H. ,.;ov of the slave wOman's inability 10 oecoiuo
1oc,llv the wife of any man, this IS Il pence
Iog,cal and Just position upon tue p''' Vi Wv
autbor; but is it not at once strange anu WOW VII
couroning that writer of the Sonlh' "noS0 -
tenselv Southern preudices are emphaS'Aeu ~ ,uo
hook shoul DO able 10 hold such glouhu' nus
Is why We say that the faults OF the woih-'po o''i
of which is Its blind prejudice upon certain poi'o
md sectional points-Unly emphasize uhe Hsl
merit of the humane ana Truly HIV'9''0
given to this HagaTs ease
r, o,-,l roa,,.r 70 whom story is nothing more
+b,n a means of amusement, and whose conception
.. opovel is of n tale which shall work ltse1 Out
+bronoh a tangled web Of difficulties to hapV
ending. will find little TO please him n Inc
Modern HagaI." Perhaps he Will even Wonuer
why the book has been written at ALL SINCE IL coteS
10 no particular end but the better kind Oh ieaueiS
will find the drama to be wholly consistent III UTE
,osnect and will not complain of any lack OF
drama ic progress toward fixed and worthy emu
Reside Haaar stands Sarah, in the person oil Nate
Hartley. It proud Nirgnan woman oil the lh'ehsSSt
Vircinian type. 1t is at her angry pehesV 'ha'
rog,r aud her child are cast ouC-llagar into the
once set tree; the child into a eilded Punishment
Ills slowly and only through severe suffering that
this Sarah learns TO undertand Iagar, to recognize
in her sister IN sorrow to think Of her justly al
first and with all 1t loving and sympathetic
womau's tenderness at last. II Is thus plTth OF
new and worthy spirit through the tIayall Oh ha'e
Uartley's soul. this full recognition of the wrong
done TO tho negro girl. to which the action OF tAe
drama tends aud this is the artistic outcome Oh the
story.
so far as this part of the work is concerned the
authors hand j. strong and deNterous' Hismorai
vi,iun is clear and his earnestness OF purpose IS
unchecked by any false tradition whatever
T,por is a negro according to the definition siven
in the slave codes and accepted of society IN the late
slave States; she was born slave. too; but neither
her faint of blood and her birth to servitude' nor
her position as H4gar, Is permitted to blind the
authors eyes or to impair his sympathy. Truly IL
IA a noteworthy and encouraging fact that such
treatment of such a theme Is possible 10 an author
boro and bred IN Virginia. and still obviously
hrcathiuc the atmosphere of the old South.-an
author " no goes out of his way TO enlOglIo MI
Jefferson Davis and to defend him against the
ALLEGED Injustice of other southern writer's. And it
* an The more encouraging because this is done
with an artistic skill so excellent that the reader is
fully won to the authors view and sentiment.
We have emphasized this aspect of the work be-
canse il seems to us significant, and because the
,uccessfnl uso of the old relations for artistic
nprposes can scarcely fail to draw attention 10
thl, richest of all fields for American writers oil
fiction. In slavery and the peculiar social sur
roundipgs of slavery we la &c an ineXhadSnOlc mne
OF rare materials peculiarly cur own, materials
better in every way than those furni' he'd by the
Identification of English society, the lack OF whch
jsso often said to fatal obstacle IN the way Oh the
American novelist Now that slavery no longer exists
now that il is no longer moral or political duty
10 fight 1t or to quarrel about 1t or even to discuss
its moral quality it offers the novelist the most
,Am,,,ino themes in infinite variety, and furnishes
him with a wealth of artistic color. 1t will be a
.n,pv day for onr literature when American novel;
ist begin TO mako earnest of this opportunity,
md the present work may well provoke them to
effort in that direction
There are other aspects of the book which require
intention The piece. as we have already limited, Is
somewhat loosely put together. 1t is not one
drama but fragments of many THESE fragments
help forward the development of the one artistic
purpose of which have written, but they
remain fragmeltary. They have their value, how
ever In spite of their Incompetence and in spite of
an occasional touch Of melodrama which mars II cir
presentation. OF these things we have no space 10
write at length but there is one point upon which
wOId is necessary Inc HISTORICAL setIlhg OF inc
tale in its earlier part is i'll the gateway of war"
Its time is circd 1856, and very largo share of
space il devoted to minute picture Of tho Cincin-
matt Convention. which is sngularly graphic aud
full of rich color Inl connection with the cOnvcn-
lion as in connection with some more personal
doings Of tue characters about That time, many
severe and some unjust utterarces appear In the
book bnt here again the faults of the work to
enhance its value. Its worth in this connection is
as a faithful reproduction not only OF the in
Cincinnati. but of the temper of that time. Such
q picture enables to Get the parallax of our
md IN sne nreciselv hnn for anh In ,ul,nt