Huntsville gazette., 1883-01-06

end OF the last century. 1T shows the
dates and circumstances of its introduce
tIoA into every one of the Ii colonies.
the treatment of the slaves, their num-
Der and increase, their legal status,
their position and action during the
Revolution, the early efforts to prohibit
the slave trade, the significant actions
OF Individuals, and the enactments OF
Colonial Legislatures, and the actions
OF Cengress-in word the details OF
the Introduction and growth of slavery
until it became part and parcel of Amer
lean society, and subsequently the very
foundation of political and social and
agricultural life in the southern states.
A chapter is devoted to every one OF
! the IL colonies: and every puslic act
touching slavery, all the statistics that
! have been preserved, and almost num-
| berleSs indications of the social condi-
| ton of the slaves have been studiOusly
compiled. 1t is shameful and humili-
| ating record. If written justly it must
be written with indignation. Yet so
calm is Mr.. Williams temper that his
indign atiou never becomes personal -
His purpose is purely an historical and
| encouraging purpose, and he has search
| ed the annals Of crime not to wreak ven
geance on the criminals, but to tell the
| truth about the victims, and 10 find in
their sad history eviden Ges of manhood
and reasons for encouragement. His
magnanimity is above praise. Nor
does he fall into error. which would
have been natural and almost pardon
able, to magnify the deeds he praises
or to applaud too highly the race that
he encourages. There are bitter words
in this narrative, but truth is not al
ways sweet; and this bitterness has
not been provoked by prejudice or re-
venge. From the wide reading that
such task made necessary, he has
gathered his facts neither to glorify nor
to blame, but to present the truth.
The chapter on the Negroes as soldiers is
narrative of conspicuous deeds of brave
ry done by black soldiers during the Rev
olutionary war-of '.the colored man Sa,
lem," to quote from Everett's Grafton on
Bunker Hill, ''who is reported to have
shot the gallant Pitcairn, as he mounted
the parapet," Of Poor's gallantry in the
same battle, of the Negro who captured
General Prescott, of the Negro regiments
brave bearing and of statistics and COM
mendations by distinguished soldiers
Washington favored the enlistment ct Ne
groes, and Alexander Hamilton said,
Their natural faculties are as good as
ours. The Negro fought, but he did not
enjoy the fruits Of the victory he helped to
win. Encouraging to all colored men, also
is the account OF the intellectual achieve
ments of Benjamin Banneker, the Negro
astronomer and almanac maker; OF Fuller.
the Virginia Negro mathematician; of
Derham, the distinguished physician of
New Orleans, and of PULLS 'Wheatly, the
poetess of Massac husetts, one OF whose
poems addressed to General Washington
was acknowledged in a courteous letter
wherein be said: ''However underservlng
l may be of such encomium and panyge-
ric, the style and manner exhibit a strick-
ing proof OF your poetlcal talents; In hon
nr II wi nd Int ~
you, would have published the poem,
had not been apprehensive that, while 1
only meant to give the world this new in
stance OF your genius, l might have incur
red the lmputatIon OF vanity But hap
PLY the time has long siuce passed, also,
when there was need to construct arg u
ments to show the intellectual capaci ty OF
the race. The important question now is
not to find evidence of extraor Ii nary men,
tai power shown by slaves, bat to educate
all the freedmen.
Mr.. Williams grasp of his whole subject
is SO sure that his book is as full of courage
as OF encouragement. His arrangement of
his matter and the satisfactory, indeed the
scientific method of its presentation, makes
his DO ok worthy of its subject. The mi
nor faults that nigh be found with his
style in certain declamatory passages are
really unworthy of mention, SO great are
its essential merits. More than all, the
phllosophic temper with which he has
written. and the calm purpose, SO steadily
maintained to lift up his people in the es
them to development, m axe his work great
and of permanent value. The other vol
ume which will cover the period from
1900 to 1880 is awaited with high expecta-
ton. n.-Iedependnnt.