The sun., 1892-12-11
SOME NEW BOOKS.
1hodes's History or the United states-rirst
Notice.

volumes OF History Of the United States
from the compromise OF 1850 to tho inauaura-
tion OF Grover Cleveland In 1894. The present
volumes cover the period from tho compro-
misc OF 1850 to tho election OF Abraham Lincoln
IN November. 1860 hut for tho moment we
Can only direct attention to the first volume.
which carries US to the passage OF the Kansas
Nebraska bill. II was time that history like
that before us should be written. or that at
least an attempt in this direction should be
mndc. and It seems TO us that Mr.. Rhodes has
discharged his dhcult task with fulness OF
knowledge and with nl tho candor to be eN-
pected Of thorouRhgoing believer In the
national theory OF our Government. We do
not suppose that his conclusions will In
all cases commend themselves to the sur
vivcrs or disciples OF the statesmen who
controlled the Southern States before the civil
war. but even they will acknowledge that the
author sets forth their Wow with conf plotencss
and fairness and is. in II word. as Just to Cal
houn MS he is to Webster As the only book
which presents II tolernble approach to an
adequate and trustworthy record of tho poriUd
which the author essays TO dcl;neAte. II is sure
Of large and steadily expanding audience.
In somc sentences OF the Introduction tho
purpose Of the author is set forth. IT is to re-
count the causes OF the triumph o; tho Repub-
lican party In the Presidential election OF 1S,i0
auu u Hlbkc CleuT now tne TONOlutlOn IN pup
lie opinion was brought about thnt led to this
result 1t will be his business to relate tho
downfall OF the Whig party. tho formation OF
tho Rcpublican. and the defeat OF the Demo.
cratic party. which with brief intermissions
had conducted tho affairs OF the Govern.
mont from tho election OF Jefferson. its
founder. The year that this party re.
turned to power under tho leadership Of Mr..
Cleveland. is pronounced fitting close OF his
toricnl inquiry. for BY that time tho great
questions which had their origin in tho civil
war had been settled. us far as they could bc
by legislation or executive direction. His
nomination was nm admission that tho old
questions were settled. and his election bore
witness to the belief OF tho people thnt the
Democratic party could be trusted to cope
with the administrative and economical prob
lens that were likely henceforward to engage
the attention of the country. As regards tho
period which he has undertaken to depict the
author says truly that for Americans it must
always roman lraught with the same interest
that the war Of the Peloponncsus mad for tho
Greeks. or the struggle between the Cavalier
and the Puritan has for their descendants. 1t
does indeed. rank next In Importance to the
formative period. and Lincoln and his age are
MS closely identified will, the preservation OF
the Government as Washington and the
events which he to Il largo degree controlled.
ere associated with the establishment OF tho
nation.
H. the present notice wo purpose to excm-
pliiy the substance and quality OF this hook BY
pointing out what the author has to say about
the early history of tho slavery question
about Clay, Calhoun. and Webster. and about
the political influence OF Uncle Toms Cabin"
We have never seen the history OF the insti-
tuition OF slavery in tho United States. up to
the invention of the cotton gin. set forth moro
accurately. and yet concisely. than It is in the
present work. For fifty years after tho landing
OF the first cargo at Jamestown. only u few
negroes were imported. But America had
vast tracts OF virgin soil and few aGricul-
tural settlers: and these economical condi-
tions and the moral attitude Of Christcn-
dom being given. slavery was. in the
natural course OF things. certain to be ex-
tended. In South Carolina the advan-
tage OF negro labor might lie seon at its best.
for 1t had u climate better suited to the Afri-
can than the northern colonies. and it was.
moreover. essentially u planting State. The
cultivation of rice and indigo was unhealthy
but highly remunerative labor. and 1t became
the great object OF the ON Grants to buy negro
slaves. In less than n century after the set
tlement OF South Carolina capital invested in
planting could easily be doubled in three or
fouryears Consequently the mechanic left
his trade and the merchant his business to
devote themselves to agriculture In the
neGhborinG colony OF Georgia the introduce
t!on OF slaves was Mt first prohibited. but the
promised lucrative returns from negro labor
were moro powerful than respect for the law.
and 1t was not long before slaves were
landed from Africa at savannah. Whiteneld.
believing slavery to he an ordinance OF God
argued earnestly Tor tho introduction OF slaves
into Georgia. and his practice conformcd to
his doctrine for he bought plantation
on which, MT the tmo Of his death. there were
soventy-hve slaves. His contemporary Jona-
than Edwards tho representative Of Calvin
ism in England. left among other property
negro boy. and the opinions OF Bishop Rerke-
Icy did not restrain him from holding slaves.
In the colonies. however. where moral feeling
was rot stitled by golden returns from the
culture Of rico and tobacco by slave labor the
notion that slavery WAS an evil began to make
itself manifest. Virginia for many years took
acreditablo attitude toward the question Of
slavery. although. In Mr.. Rhodes's opinion.
there Is no doubt that ncgro labor was thon or
h"r IN instrument "f wealth. In 1851 the Vir-
ginia Assembly imposed a high duty on i'm
ported slaves. but tho act was vetoed by
I'll. British Government. Nins years later Vir-
strongly favored putin: II stop to tho foreign
slave trade. though the people Of the Old
Dominion wero not rs yet prepared to
give their own negroes freedom In the
draft OF Instructions for VirGinia's dels-
gates 10 the first Congress OF the colonies.
called to meet Mt Philadelphia in l774,
Jefferson gave expression to opinions that
would have made him an Abolitionist had he
lived in 1850 Tho abolition OF slavery. he
wrote. was tho great object OF desire in the
co!onos but previously to the enfrnnc chisement
OF slaves il would he necessary to exclude amy |
further importations from Africa. Tho Con-
gress Of lT76 resolved that no slaves be i'm !
ported into any OF the thirteen united colonies. |
in the original draft of the Declaration OF In !
dependence Jefferson gave utterancc to tho !
following denunciation Of tho sinve trade:
"He George III. has wnged cruel war against
human nature itself. violating its most sacred
tights OF life and liberty in tho persons OF a
distant people who never offended him.