Peninsula enterprise. [volume] (Accomac, Va.) 1881-1965, 1888-07-21
TON BURTON. .

Catn,n is the title of q new move
from the press Of Rplforl, CLARKE
Co.. New York. tits story ffh
civil war, IN which he tceues ar
laid mainly or the Eastern Slor
and in Norfolk. embracing sucl
matters OF inter bcllnm history u
immediately affected this PENN
snla. its brief defence by the loca
military. blockade running, lima
snhingation by Lockwood, am
quas;miifary government. TIL,
author, u native of the county. lla
also attempted TO weave in, will
the historical threads of his ro-
nance, certain church prejulice'
which are put in the line of cause.
leading MP to ultimate war.
How successfully and fairly hr
has dealt with tile politics and pref
ndices Of the period. his reader.
doubtless, will.juilge for themselves
saIfleshass honestly striy,an,, to lt
simple nsticeto lielssuesinvolyed
hesnecd not be reminded that the
time has hardly come, even after
twodecatles ofreconStruction, when
impartial history will Strike Il bal
alice between conflicting sentiment
and-Set down in cold figures the
snm total of Its Judgment. Graut-
ing, as he does, that the constitu.
tional right of slavery was equally
the sin of both sections, it remains
tn be proved that file North Wis
evenmore inherently patriotic than
tue South. What result q facrion.
al oppression may have wrought
upon eltlley HE Northern or West
rrn States has never yet been de
termined. tertainly it is n dtba
table question, in which the plac
tical considerations ofpnckctnerve,
rather than clivalric courage, may
find u plausible argument. And
certainly, LOO, the party Just now
laying clam toa monopoly OF pa
irlotlsm has yet to establish It's
profession to the satisfaction OF a
oispa 'siOnate tribunal. The so call
Businessman who's .amurpatriae G n
braces only he limits of he RepuO
lican party is a libel on his prelen
si0ns. SectiOnaIiSm is no more
patriotism in the North than i'm file
South, anal the Bob Toomb OF 'Gl
may be safely relegaied to pusierlty
along with the Ingalls, and Fora
krrs flhe present day. At least,
our author must remember that,
while the scars Of carnage are yet
fresh in The land, the grass scarcely
green over the cruelties of war
while army organizations howl
over the glorirs of blood-sllcd
and the negro bobs up II new and
awkward factor in polllics-aUove
all, while the bloody shirt remains
a party slogan and the shrek Of
factious otlice-Seekers can will
the applause Of the popular ear
there will remain Two aspects of
the question: irrecoilcllable By
taulltS Of sectipnaIism. = '---'---'-+l'.,-
That the writer has committed
himself squalely to either side OF
the question can scarcely be assert.
ed, except by implication. Evident
ly he is writing for the future. Aud
yet, 10 readers old enough TO follow
The book back to the stirring times
of which it treats, Il doubt mly re.
main as to The fairness Of its his
turlcal deductions. This fact mlv
grow-and doubtless has growlf-
out of the natural tendency Of the
novelist to Court SenSationalism by
dealing with strong characters aud
highly colored pictures. In spite
of The tension of the pcrio,, it may
be questioned if the soci ostra-
cism of the day-(evidently de
signed to be the pivotal hinge Of
The plot ever reached in Virginia
the prominence given itln he book
IA matter CT no particular moment
did the work not apparently at
tempt to reflect The PROMINENT pref
udices of the period That the
Burton family should free their
slaves at the age of twenty one WAS
by no means all isolated instance
inviting The violent barred depicted
in the story. The present. writer
eau recall too many instances Of
such abulitionism, certainly eNcep
liuna to the rule laid down. Aud
that the family we're Methcdists,
cllnging 10 the Northern CHURCH III
spite of the animosities and sharp
controversies of the day, hardly
jusalties a picture SO highly colore'l
as that set forth. 1t is equally true
that, in such Iumultuous uplleavalS
OF public sentiment, possible ex
amples may do violence To IL fan
aud just estimate Of popular to- U
alton; Slice tllc ilittn WHO, iioiii "ny
motive, attempts 10 confront THE
popular will, must needs lncaSt
hnSelli in Il joinsless armor.
Evidently cur author believes in
u sorL Of historical license, which
not only permits IL broad latitude
Of chronological and de 1actO Incl
dent, (the undispu'ed privilege o
the novelist but the right to re
tct, for his present convenience
an over colured picture OF socia
characteristics and customs as well
As far as such Il license may bt
construed into a new departure il
the realm oil historical fiction, II
naturally invites tie criticism o