Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1894-12-16
New Books.

New Books.
FROM THE VIRGINIA PLANTATION
TO THE NATIONAL CAPITOL: OK
THE FIRST AND ONLY NEGRO RE-
Preventative IN CONGRESS
FROM THE OLD DOMINION. John
| Mercer Langston. Hartford, Conn.,
American Publishing Company, 1891.
| In this country Of marvellous change
nothing moro stupendous has occurred
| than the emancipation OF the slaves ana
| their sudden elevation to the duties anu
| privileges Of suffrage and citizenship Le-
| gislation and philanthropy have peeh
| active agents I'm seeking to abolish racial
| differences, reverse the laws Of civilization
and human progress, and overcome thc
effects OF immemorial usage tradition
and heredity. Predictions have iailed'
| laws contradictory OF the history OF nu-
mainly have been repealed, or permitted
| TO fall into desuetuie. and the wise anu
| thoughtful are reaching 4 consensus ol
| opinion that IL is better for the Wnitc
and the black. better for the inter SIS
| of society. that extreme and coerciVe nea-
sures should be omitted, and questions
| OF magnitude affecting the races be lelt
| 10 the slow operating causes when haVe
brought mankind to its high plane OF de-
| velOpment.
The Ouixotic attempt, stupid and cruel
| TO make a negro lowered with httie
| agency of his own. with rights and pre-
rogatives which other peoples had won by
| centuries Of toll and sacrifice, the equal
! IL not the sups rior of the Caucasian, mas
| thus brought no general, permanent goOd
| TO those who needed the discipline OF an
| best influences 10 fit them progressively
| for what they might prove themselves
worthy Of possessing. Nothing In Ameri-
| can history has equalled the sentimental
| and partisan activities Of the North IN
| behalf Of the negro and the se.i-sacrl-
| hclng maCnanimous efforts Of the southern
| white people to give him fullest ana most
| favorable opportunities for his evolution
| +. Is too soon and the results are too
| indecislve TO allow one 10 draw large In
| ferences. or doGmat.ze as to the future
| OF the negro. What has been done is en-
| couragin to continue the educational ana
| religious agencies under conservative ad-
| min.s.ratiOn for his uplifting. The gene
| raj intelligence has been increased. there
are slow accumulations Of property. the
| advancement on certain lines Is very per-
| ceptiDIe and occasionally there are eX-
| ceptiOnal instances of unusual GIFTS or OF
| capabilities equal 10 those possessed by
| other races. Revels, Bruce Elliott. Payne,
Price. Simmons, Washington, Douglas, are
| Instances Of men, of pure or mixed blood,
who. I'm official position, in professional
| life, or in literature, have shown them
| selves equal to the hard competition OF
| the times and superior TO the environ
| ments which tend 50 strongly to drag
down and to keep down.
| The book at the head OF this notice may
| not furnish another name 20 the list or
successful negroes. Iangston's father was
| a white man, and his mother was "of
| Indian extraction, and possessed Of slight
| proportion Of negro blood" Sul, he
| classes himself as Il negro. and he must
| be allowed to make his own choice. The
| book is tediOusly dilfuse but on the whole
| rather well written, and the incidents
| are narrated with spirit. The removal
| from Virginia to Ohio. the school life. the
| college life, the struggles for and attain
| ment Of success at the bar, the labors
| for the triumph Of abolition and the
Union. the congressional canvass in the
| Petersburg district, and other novel and
| difficult experiences are told In such a
manner as to interest the general reader.
| There Is an utter lack. an entire absence,
| of anything like reserve, or modesty, or
| dstrust of self. As specimen Of unadul-
| terated vanity and egotlsm the book IL
without a rival. Nothing Is withheld in
| language or personal incident which will
| tend to exalt the hero and make his career
| from plantation to Capitol other than
unique and merItorious. Sometimes the
| reader Is puzzled to know who wrote the
| book, a friend or the subject OF the bio
| graphy. but he is finally bound to con-
| clude that the writer and the hero are
4 no nj ontN
| negro representative In Congress from the
| Old Dominion" Is not a great and good
man. then Professor Langston is laborlng
| under an incurable deluson.
TALES OF THE PUNJAB. Told by tn,
| People. BY Flora Annie Steel, with
| illustrations by J. Lockwood Kiplnl
and notes by Il. c. Temple. New Yorl
| and London: Macmillan & Co. 3S
| pages. Price, g.
| Although attention has been called Il
the fact that this book is a case of lite
| rary metempsychosis," in that it is almos
verbatim ct literatem a reprint Of wide
Awake Stories" published in ISL Macmil
Ian & Co. have done a service in givinl
1t TO the public. "Wide-Awake Stories
is out Of print, and the only objection L
| the change of name Is that students o
| lglk-lOTe VIII ne SNDlccIrl TO GOHIlslOl
in the matter OF duplication OF reference
| which may hereafter occur. This, how
ever, only applies to the dry but none tn
less valuable notes. Whether we call III,
| volume by its present or its Origina
name. the tales proper are q collection q
| charmingly quaint fairy stories. Mrs
Steel Transcribed them from the lips o
the natives. in not a few Instances |
being the children who furnished the ma
terials. The little ones viii go into costa
cies Of delight over the incantations trans
formations, and srotesque situations de
scribed in the book. and grown person
will discover a daintness In many OF III
ideas that will delight them. The manni
kin plays a very important part In IN
collection. as does the burning OF hair a
methed Of incarnation. Animals fisur
in all sorts OF ludcrous positions, and Il
some OF the stories the poetical concep
ton Is very remarkable. 4 Christina
present that would give more pleasure {
child could hardly be selected. Tn
binding Of the book Is very handsome
and the illustrations are spirited.
A SHELF OF OLD BOOKS. BY Mrs
James II. Field. Charles Scrbners Son:
New York: MDCCCXCIY. The content
Of this book are Leigh Hunt" "Edin
burg" and From Milton to Thacke
ray"
This is a pretty book and n valuabl
one. too. 1t contains much that is REM
nlscent Of the authors named, and VT
prove valuable 10 students OF our litera
ture as well as 10 the general reader.
For sale by j. w. Randolph & Co.
PICCINO AND OTHER CHILD ste
RIES. BY Frances Hodgson Burnett
illustrated by Reginald b. Birch. Ne'
York: Charles Scribner's Sons. 1894
These are sweet stories. and the boo
Is very suitable for a Christmas present
| Mrs. Burnett Is the author of "Littl
| Lord Fauntleroy," and one OF the char
tiers OF this volume describes the real Iii
tie Lord Fauntleroy"-her son-to whor
she read the manuscript Of her story
and who acted, as ii were. both as he
| model and her critic. He is now l6 year
of age. is at college, and plays football.
For sale by j. w. Randolph & c.
Price. $780,
THE SPELL OF URSULA. BY Eff
Adelaide Rowlands. author Of "My Pref
ty Jane" Philadelphia: j. Il. Lippir
colt Company 1894 Price. so cents.
THE CYCLOPEDIC REVIEW OF CUE
RENT HISTORY. third quarter. lS9
Garretson, Cox &c Co., Buffalo. n. !
Volume 4, No. 3. Issued quarterly. 81
per annum; single copies, 40 cents.
This is a publication of great value. w
find II of much use to us. and so will a
readers who consult it. Whoever has IL @
hard and refers TO 1t regularly is alno:
sure to become a well-informed person
/ IL. n In. &c