New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1892-07-11

inevitable that he should have maze nlsldheS'
created enemies, evolved an opposition NO
doubt some Eastern politician imagined Lincoln
TO be a sort of stop-gap or igurhead, but this
was simply because they did not know him. All
through the West it was thoroughly well under
stood that he safc shrcwd, cautious ana
rcsolutc man, and emirenty ftte: for the fear
fully responsible post for which he was nominated.
Meantime though the fact seemed TO attract
little or no attention. the South was armlng. us
military preparations were set on foot before the
Charleston Convention. In Congress its defiance
and its intention to secedc were declared so often
that some excuse exists for the incredullty OF
the Northern leaders as 70 the seriousness OF
these threats. But Dr. Hoist rightly empha-
sizes the possibility of the South, for it was en-
traOrdnary Even after the election OF Lincoln.
even after half score OF States had seeded, so
shrewd statesman as Seward asserted, III pub
lie speech, that there was not the least cause
for uneasincss.
Yet at this time Federal property, fortrcsSes.
dock-yards, arsenas, cannons, small arms, ammu-
milton, had been already boldly taken possession
of by the levolted STATES, which were also mus
tering troops in hot haste As to the pretencc
that it was the election of Lincoln which led 10
secession it is thoroughly exposed in these pages
The die had been cast by the slavocracy even be-
fore there was any certainty that Lincoln would
be elected, and months before Inc election. When.
too, the Northern leaders moving heaven and
earth to affect some compromise Southern members
again and again assured them that they were vast
ing their time; that the South had made up Its
mind fully to leave the Union, and that the time
for compromise had passed. The most wonderful
thing is that all this failed to open the eyes Of
the South; that in fact it required the firing on
Sumter to break the spell. Why. for example.
did the firing on the steamer Star of the West"
in January not warn the Northern people Ills
case involved II traltorous attack upon the flag
and the Union nc lCss than the later one. Yet
the curious circumstance that Major Anderson
made 10 effort to defend the Star Of the West
attracted scarcely any attention, though there
could he no doubt that his duty required him 10
reply to the fire of the rcle forts. OF course, no
one could have expected President Buchanan 10
notice an incident of the kind. His function was
10 illustrate the merits of nOn-cocrcion' by
helping the rebels in every way, and paralyzing
the Federal arms
We think Dr.. Hoist has. by his researches
into the close of Buchanans Administration added
something TO the material which constitutes the
basis upon which the condemnation of that false
and disloyal Executive must ever rest The fact
that the density Of the man himself prevented
him from realizing his own treason does not
mitigate his infamy. lie may have played fast and
loose with himself so habitually 10 have lost
the power Of distinguishing between right and
wrong between honor and dishonor; but he had
his choice, and cannot escape full responsibility
II may he conceived that his evil example
tributed to prolong the passiviy Of Congress, but
none the les, it is amazing that the latter should
have remained blind and deaf 10 all the signs and
tokens of the time until not one but many overt
acts Of rebellion had been done before its face
In order, was said, 10 preserve the Union, com
promises were proposed which would have given
all political power into the hands of the South.
and established slavery in perpetuty. Men could
not see that the preservation of the Union, as it
had been, was longer practicable; that even
if the proposed compromises accepted, the
result would not be the same Union, but quite
different one, and moreover n much less ad-
vantageous and desirable one.
Both sections, however. were equally mislcd by
their imaeinations. The North could not perceive
that the South had gone TOO far TO draw back
that it now or never with them. The
South could not believe that any serious attempt
would be made 10 subiugate them. They even
thought that the West would veto any attempt
at coercion, on the ground that Western interests
must suffer through the blockade Of the great
waterways In did not occur 10 the slavocrats
that railroads could than compete with
water transportation, and that it would be i'm
possible 10 blockade the West. But while the
North was deluding itself with futile Crittcnden
compromises and such-likc fantastic Inventions
the South had made up its mind definitely, and
was not to be turned from its purpose. Secession
was resolved upon. There was apprehension Of
serious strife. Then again, the chivllry7 Of the
South was supposed to represent social
nerioritv One Southcrncr. il was agrerd, could
whip at least three "muasll' Yankees and there
fore, if fighting had = be DONE OF course the
vile Yankees would bite the dust.
DR.. Won Hoist has done his work from beginning
to end. He has laborcd under very serious draw
backs. moreover. In his PREDATORY letter h. adj
mits that all the facilities placed at his disposal
in the preparation of this work were not able
to alter in the leas, the fact that essential
prrcondition Of satisfactory solution Of the
problem was a constant and intimate association
with the intellectual life Of the American nation
in its living, progressive development in all lis
phases, and in lis every direction; and this pre-
condition could not. In the nature Of things, be
fulfilled to the extent required and in the right
way, in university Of Southern Germany and
in q city of medium size" Nevertheless, Dr.
Won Hoist has written work the penetration,
Judgment, elaborateness, impartality and breadth
of view of which entitled it TO be characterized as
great We can only regret that its conspicuous
merits should, at least, in the present volume, be
somewhat obscured by the badness Of the transla-
ton and the still worse average Of the proof-read-
ing while the permanent value for reference Of
the entire history is most seriously diminished by
the unaccountable absence of an index