New-York tribune., 1899-06-17

This is a valuable addition to the lives OF
American worthless Hannibal Hamiin was ho'
n statesman Of the first rank put ne was "'.
ardent patriot, a man OF absolute integrity. anu
an able and honored leader In the poi'icai
movements which resulted in the salvation OF
the Union and the annihilation or slavery III
addition. he possessed attractive and some
what picturesque personality. which is "orthy
of study on its own account. Both 70 the h'aii
and TO the political history of which ne was
mart the author has dene justice. furnishing an
entertaining biography of the one ana very
readable commentary on the other.
Senator Hamlin both In ancestry and IN the
"details Of his career, a representative New
r,glan6er The founder Of the family was
James Hamlin OF Devonshire, one Of those VINO
followed the pioneer Pilgrims of 1870; man
spparently of education and certainly or ster-
ling character who established his home on
Cane Cod becoming of the founders OF 'he
town of Barnstable His descendants carry az
qured the reputation OF good citiZehs' anu pa
trotsm and public spirit ran in the oiooo' 1"o
Of his sons served with honor against hins
Philip; many Of his name fought In the frehch
and Indian wars: and others. including Major
Fleazer Hamlin. the grandfather or the oeha-
tor won distinction under washington III the
Revolution When the war was over the MaJor
received from the Massachusetts General Court
. GRANT of land in the District of Maine which
he advised the Court to return TO It's orislhai
inhabitants who happened to be bears" But
his sons decided TO accept the gift. ana 10 push
their fortunes in the wilderness and 1t was
thus that the family became Identified win the
later State of Maine. from which it received
and upon which II has conferred so much homer
or the sons DR. Cyrus Hamlin. who settled at
Paris Bill In oxford County, was the father OF
the future Vice President. who was porn III
1909 His biographer gives a very readable ac-
count of his early life. and Of the conditlohs oi
success in a primitive New-England commun-
~ The picture is the familiar one OF s'ihpie
living unremittng industry, intellectual act'-
fly and the development Of solid and vigorous
character Forced by unfortunate circumstances
10 abandon the hope of collegiate eouca'ion'
Hamlin passed through the school OF sei1-heip
from which so many forceful men have peeh
Graduated. working his way farmer, teacher,
printer and law student to successtul prac'ice
Of tho bar And il is noteworthy that the good
luck which followed him through life marked
the opening of his career for he not only won
his first case but also with 1t his wife, whose
father Judge Emery his defeated opponent
concluded that the young lawyer who could beat
him was able to care for his daughter. FROM
the law TO politics was but short step. and II
was one which he destined by nature to
take though he always maintained that IN be-
coming a politician he had spoiled good
farmer In 1884 he elected to the state
legislature and from that time until his re-
tirement from the Senate in 1881 his political
activity was practically continuous.
For those who are attracted by the history OF
Maine politics this volume contains much that
is interesting During the many years that
1.-the news from Maine" has been eagerly
watched for. few did more to determine its
character than Hannibal Hamlin. But it is for
his labors in the field OF National politics that
he will be remembered and upon these he en-
tered in 1913, when he was elected to Congress.
like so many other Unionists and leaders Of
the later Republican party, he began as an en-
t thusastic Jackson Democrat. But from the
outset his opposition TO slavery and the aggres-
sive attitude Of the Shareholders firm and
q. out spoken. Early in the thrties he declared to
General Fessenden: Il hate slavery and would
fight II If ever I got chance. | believe In abo-
lition, and hope 1t will come" But he was no
Abolitionist. Like Lincoln and Stanton. he be-
lieved in the enforcement of the Constitution
and the laws, and was prepared TO aid the South
, in the maintenance of all its Constitutional
rights But when the Southerners went further
and attempted TO abrdge the rights Of the free
had he entered Congress than he made it clear
that If the Democratic party gave them aid and
comfort in this effort he would abandon it,
This is the key to his entire antebellum career.
He favored the annexation Of Texas but stout
ly opposed the attempt Of the slave power to
obtain unfair advantage from 1t, supporting
the Douglas amendment, which provided that
slavery should be excluded from any territory
formed out OF Texas that should lie north OF the
line of the Missouri Compromise. In this he
was followed by twenty-nine other Northern
Democrats. who like him. were ready ito put
their country before their party" In the de-
bates upon the Oregon question (upon which
the book contains very interesting chapter)
ne opposed the surrender Of National interests
and the abandonment of the declaration Of the
Democratic platform by Calhoun and other
Southern leaders, and joined the Northern
Democrats and few Wings led by John
Quincy Adams. in defending the clear right Of
the United States to the entire territory UP to
54 degrees 40 minutes. Though not entirely
successful. the energy and patriotism of these
men. as the author well says. saved Washing
ton and half of Oregon to this country the
slave power betrayed the territory that is now
British Columbia into the hands Of the British
Government, and would have fastened its pc
culiar institution on Oregon had II not been
defeated by the same men who rescued this ter
ritory from the other danger"
Through all the great political events that fol-
lowed-the Mexican War. the anti-slavery con-
Test. that frst reached the acute stage in the
struggle over the Wilmot Proviso cthe first
plank Of the young Republican party) and the
compromises of 1S50-Ham!in maintained the
same consistent attitude Of fidelity TO the prin-
ciples of Democracy and resoute antagonism
10 the usurpations of the slave power The
crisis for him came with the repeal of the Mis-
souri, Compromise and the Kansas troubles.
Great political pressure was brought to bear
upon him TO force him to abandon his opposi-
ton to this conspiracy in the interests Of slav-
cry, but without avail The Administration