New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1885-10-11
NEW PUBLICATIONS.
THE LIFE OF GARRISON.

The two beautifully printed volumes before us
are the first fruits of pOus labor which has b'eh
performed with affectionate and most notable care
The preface signed by Wendell Phillips Garrison
of New-York, and Francis Jackson GARRISON oil
Boston, gives account ofthe stores OF maelI''
largely in manuscript. which have been cohsu''eu
nv the authors and even slight inspection of tire
book indicates the rcmar, able thoroughne's WIN
which their study of these sources of information
has been pursued. In a clear. straightforward IN
ambitious style, with marked literary aptitude
and no slight art in construction, they have io'd
their story in such way that no
reader who cares for the subject 1t
all will wish to leave 1t unfinished
That they have sustained the interest through so
long and complicated a narrative Is high tribute
to their skill. Only a small part OF the tale is oc-
cupied with such stirring incidents as tn" 80 ION
mob and most of the second volume is concerned
with ouarrels aud controversies which are FAST
fading into oblivion. Yet even these are made 10
contribute striking illustrations Of GarrlsonS CHAR
octer and temperament. We might wish that the
resentments and harsh judgments of half a century
ago not against the enemies of freedom but against
certain Of its friends. had not been so fully trans
mitted to posteuty but we must concede great
deal to flIal fondness and, after all, there would
fave been something unreal and unSympathehc IN
n perfectly temperate and judicial biography OF
the wrathful reformcr whose sweeping lnvectveN
have rarely been cqualcd in the records OF any
good cause.
The present +ament Of the Life" extends to the
wear 1S4O-the thirty-ffth of GarnSon's age. There
is n long career therefore still to be treated; we
have only reached the beginning of the conflict be-
tween the Garrsonaus and thoSe abollhonlsts VINO
favored political party action; and we have
vet to trace most of what the preface calls CARR
81, fl,sl l.,
lieye. however that they have here presented 1.-THE
fundamental charac of the man. We THINK
that they might have gone 50 far as to say that
they have presented the uoblcs part Of his achieve
meDt and the highest title to ms fame, Gauison's
earliest work wa his best and it was included IN
the pcriod bet voeu 1920 when he joined Benjamin
Jupdv in the publication Of The GepiUs o. tRircsoi
Emancipation at Baltimore, and 1850 Wien he
was dragged through the streets of Boston with
n rope around his BODY, and only saved
from death by being locked III Jail
What he accomplished in that short period Of six
years would have been enough to fill long lie
with honor. Only those whose me. oIy reaches
back nearly a generation and a half can realize th'
general dehasement of the American intellect ana
conscience i'm everything thai re ated TO slavery, ar
the time when q pcnnIesS pIiIter ana deaf sad
der united them,elvc, IN the cause of cmanc'"-
ton Brutal as was the slave system of the south.
If was not so dishaarening to he pmlauthTopist as
the evidences Of a caIlous heart, scared co DO
science. and base postpoucmenr mora! consider
atops to material interests exhibited ira Northern
pubic opinion. There vas not trucuent demand
Of the STAKEHOLDER 20 which the North seemed bold
enough to say No. States which would
not tolerate slavery on their own
soil were ready to cooperate with the southern
bully in forcing il upon the common ter tory. To
placate Linn they would deny their own citizens
the right Of free speech and free plcs';
and they would treat any discussion OF
the most terrible problem of the ae"
as a criminal attack upon public order Anti
slavery societies had indeed been formed but they
were weak and made little impression upon
craven community. The Am ricln Colonization
Society enlisted the support of many benevolent
friends of the blacks, but instead of relieving the
slaves II was shipping the free people of color ont
Of the country and was thus PLAYING so directly
into the hand, of the shareholders thar they becaw"
its strongest backeIs me prospect was dark M
deed when Garrison lifted up his solitary voice 10
demand universal emancipation, without delay,
without compensation, and without COM
ditious. In the Inslstence upon I'M
mediate as opposed to gradual emancipation even
his partner Lundv did not agree with MN. Tile
Genius encountered only a contcmptuous Iuditcr-
of Ncwburyport ship when had loaded at BaIu-
more with a cargo of slaves for Ncw-pr.cans. For
this he was Indicted convicted of iibo', and fined
and IN default OF payment ne sent to JAIL where
he lay until Arthur Iappln procured ms release,
after seven weeks by paying the fine and costs.
The persecution seems TO have been pr,vldentiaI
for it led to Garrson's removal to Boston, aud the
establishment of The LibHdfor, and il gave him at
once al attentive audience. which he might have
wanted long in a place like Baltimore.
The biography describes, with aniutcresting fpl-
ness # detail and quotation, the tua, of tlc
new paper. and the double fight winch Gar
rson carried on against the Colonization
Society on the one hand and the defenders Of
slavery on the Other Certainly he had now got a
hearing. Southern Governors officially complained
of him. and the state Of Georgia offered a reward
of 50 900 for his capture Glrrisons method Of
attack. whatever else might be sand about It, wl-
sure to make disturbances; and disturbance ju-t
then was what the morals Of the country most
needed He refused, from the first, to make any
distinction etween the wickedness of slavery and
the wickcdncss Of he Shareholder As well try g.
distinguish between the guilt of murder aud the
guilt of the murderer. 10 hold man in slavery
was a sin with which there could be no paltcung
for which there could be no palhation. All who
abctted the STAKEHOLDER III any WAY. all who acted
with him, all politicians who used ms votes all
churches which admitted him to fellow ship, all
ministers who failed to denounce HIM from the
pulpit we're participators in his crime. All alike
were dashed in the pages of The Liberdtor
Slavery was the of all vilancs,
the supporters of slavery were the chief of all vii
lains and no measure was to be observed in de
them Miss Martineau, who describes
Garrison in her Retrospect of Western rravcl'
was struck by the gentencss Of his speech, the
calmness and serenity Of his manner. and pro-
nouuced him the most bewitchinG parsonage she
had met in the United States" The severity Of hrs
printed language she wholly condemned, but she
believed that ne adopted il warily" and without
passion. In this she was wrong Garuson's mild