The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1892-09-25

10 1880. under whose claims and reserva-
,;on. the Federal Constitution was
aJonted nv n majority of merely ten
votes. and is the main question that
divides parties to-day. Mr.. Trent Win
his peculiar logic, maintains that me iore-
fathers of these 'old today drihklns
ELECTROMAGNETIC founders OF the Kepup-
i;c'"nroclaimed the doctrine which it
no treason In their descendants to assert.
The Federal Constitution remained the
sa,ne and he advances no reason for a
change In ''the intensity OF conviction,
or divergence from the grooves OF
thought on the part Of these Boetian poll
t;cjons. who still adhered TO the right OF
tho sovereign 10 annul compact, which
as sovereign States they had made. Ap-
neal 10 arms. the ultima ratio, was de-
cided forever against the exercise OF the
right of secession, the corollary OF states
rights. but no more affected the JUSTICE
Of the cause than the Norman conques'
gave William the legal title TO me Eng
lish crown, or the power 10 wipe olanu
fror, tho roll of nations justified the Gar
l., hat noIiticol crime The apprehen-
sions that impelled TO secession are ampiy,
indicated by the barbarons war waged
AGAINST the South, the atrocious leglsla-
t;on that followed and the threatening
attitude of the dominant pollticol parry
before the country at present. L.
AZ front has also learned from his
No-thorn Tutors that slavery was the sore
a ~, nf tho war between the States; thai
this stupendous conflict was precipitated
nv the mass Of the people TO protect the
dave property of the arstocratic MINOR
itv Slavery was. indeed, the occasioh,
hit local self-government was the erea,
underlying principle contendcd lot anu
Federal marty. Slavery was no more tne
cause of the late war than the throwing
of the tea into Boston harbor was the
origin of our revolution, or the rlslng OF
the Partisan populace was the origin OF
II has not been deemed requisite to
criticise nartic,ilarly the authors treat
ment of his ostensible theme, for really
that il is so slightingly treated and so
completely overshadowed by his own sell
assertion as to appear merely the occa-
sion and not the motive OF the DOOR,
about one-third of which is allotted u
Smms. H.. Los f..
crrrnd tho Indignation Of his family and
friends. who placed at Mr.. Trents DIS
nosaI aII the literary material that might
illustrate his character and genius. sun
denloring the narrow love Of cast. the
a ris,ocrotic arrogance and exclusiveness,
m which Simms is the victim the greater
mart of his life. he then shows. with char
acteristic consistency. that he returre Cd 10
Charleston poor and unknown boy. soon
made himself felt 10 literature and poll
ti,s. became the pct and pride OF his ma
tive State and fail to be Lieute nant-
Governor by but one vote.
Lack of space rather than materials
has necessitated the omission Of many
biographical details" p. 1913. Space occu-
MED bv feudalsm and slavery.
Mr.. Charles d. Warner, the editor OF
the serial publication styled American
Men of Letters" came among us seek
ing a biographer of William Gilmore
Simms. presumably actuated by the dis
position TO engage a writer in sympathy
with Simms and his people, otherwise he
could have had score OF Northern com
pliers. la furtherance of this view, Mr..
Trent was recommended by too partial
and mistaken friends. and has been de-
livered Of this production 10 the regret
of his compatriots and the mortifca-
ton of his personal friends. Could
Simms revisit these mundane scenes he
would exclaim. on reading this book,
IAN enemy hath done this thing"
1t would be scarcely worthy of serious
consideration. but be relegated to the
limbo of literary ephemera, except that
the author is native here. whose testl-
mony will carry weight 10 strangers,
and is one of the faculty of the Univer-
sity of Tennessee. 10 teach the rising
generation the history Of the country as
he understands it, which may be re-
garded as calamity. X. I. ID.