The times., 1899-04-02


and free States. OF course with the admis-
sion Of successive States from the North
I wes; Territory. which lies above the line
marked out in the Missoar Comp omse tn
. SOutn would have found itself overbalanced
in Congress, and would have desired more
concessions of territory for the sake OF
protecting its political rights. 1t is alsc
! impossible that with a strong anti-slavery
| sentiment in the Northern States and CON
stant opportunity for the human property
( held in the border States to escape over tbs
line into freedom. there should not have
been continual conflict on that point. Even
If the Southern States had seeded and es-
tablished their own government peaceably
1 there would have been continual friction
between the two sections OF the continent
and the result would, sooner or later, have
/ been war.
In short, il became plain that, as Lincoln
said, this country could no longer exist
half slave and half free The great ques-
/ ton of human freedom had to be settled
one way or the other. The conflict was
| precipitated by foolish and misleading re-
J ports on both sides. The South was led to
believe that the North would not fight.
The North was led to believe that the con-
ditions in the South were different from
what they actually were. All these things
intensified bitterness of feeling; but they
did not, after all, affect the actual ques-
tion. That had to be settled, and owing
TO difference in character, in sentiment.
| IN customs, in institutions in laws VIII ch
had been growing up for a hundred yea. S
| between the North and the South IL was
! impossible that the two sections should
understand one another or be brought to
any sort of agreement except by n trial
| or force These facts are clearly brought
out In the chapters of this biography
which hp
The author expresses great respect for
some of the Southern leaders, and admits
that, as a rule, they were men of higher
character and greater ability than most OF
the Northern Senators and Representa-
tives. In connection with this he points
out one fact which may not be generally
understood; that in many Northern States
during the years Immediately preceding
the war, the best men were not sent 10
congress because they were badly needed
at home.
The great man of a Northern State was
more apt to be college president, cler-
gynan, an author. or capitalist than 4
politician. The North was busy in de-
veioping the Western States, an undertake
ing which consumed men and money at a
great rate. and her rising men did not
regard craftsmanship as a profession in
exactly the way that the best men of the
when the best people are not paying partic-
ular attention TO politics. many of the
Northern representatives in Congress were
trucking. cowardly. but shrewd men. who
gave their Southern associates false idea
Of the Northern people as a whole and
were the predecessors OF some OF the car
pethaEgers who figured In reconstruction
days. and who lined their own pockets at
the expense OF everyone with whom they
came IN contact. The Southern man was a
born orator aud politician; the Northern
man, with few exceptions. was not. Hence
Southern ascendancy In Congress; hence
IN fact, half the differences which resulted
In the war.
In 1856 the excitement on the slavery
question in Washington grew 10 an inten-
sity which II had not before reached. Per-
sonai encounters were not infrequent, and
week after the attack on Charles Sum
ner Hamlin wrote Senator Fessenden:
We are having rare times here such as have
never seen. II is my candid opinion that some
viii be shot down before the session closes.
All have TO say i, let it come II we do not
stand mAnfully and fearlessly 10 the work be-
fore Us We ought 10 be slaves.
This utterance is the more noteworthy
from the fact that Hamlin. one OF the most
outspoken OF the anti-slayery men, went
about unarmed. though many of his col
leagues carried reyolyers. In all his ca
reer as Congressman and as Senator he
never carried a pistol except once, and
that was during his early residence at the
Capital. One of his most forcible speeches
was made against the practice of dueling,
which, at that time, was more or less
common.
Hsmlin was not a speechmaker in any
sense of the word. He talked. His speech
es quoted in this book are characterized
by nothing remarkable except a certain
sturdy, fearless conviction. and faculty of
going straight to the point.
The part which Hamlin took In the war
was not inconsiderable, for he not only
rendered advice and assistance to the
President and to the high officials of the
Government, but he gave two of his sons to
the cause, one Of whom. Cyrus, died OF
yellow fever in New Orleans. He also hed
his own ideas on the reconstruction of the
Southern States after the close of the war
and some Of these ideas were valuable
The whole condition of things at that time
was so thoroughly confused and upset, the
minds of men still SO infiamed with sec
tional, personal. and political feeling, and
the Southern States so demoralized by the
consequences of invasion. that 1t would
have been impossible for the wisest and
most far-sighted of men to have avoided
making some errors.
The entire situation was the result of one
big mistake, and blunders were inevitable.
The cupidity of a few and the well-mean-
ing ignorance of others made matters
worse; and there was no strong man at the
helm fit to cope with the innumerable
difficulties presented. What Hamlin would
have done had he been President Instead
of johnson it is useless TO consider He
would undoubtedly have avoided some of
the foolishness peTpetrated by Johnson
but he believed in radical measures in deal
ing with the Southern leaders, and he
would probably have been the best hated
man in the whole country before he had
completed one year of his term One of
the questions which he asked, with some
point, at this time. was: did we fight
down the rebellion TO give the South more
power?" He felt that since the North had
given the blood of her bravest TO secure
freedom TO the negro, that freedom ought TO
be made absolute; and he was In favor of
giving land and chance for an education
to deserving colored people
There is one thing which can be safely
asserted, that Hamlin would have done
without hinching what he believed TO be
right, and that such mistakes as he might
have made would have been due not to
personal desire for gain or applause but
10 ignorance of conditions and of the best
mode OF dealing with them. II was per-
haps, impossible at that time for any
Northern man to understand Southern civ
iliZation without residence in the South:
and the animosity between the two sec
tions did not encourage such residence or
conduee to the enlightenment of Northern
ers.
During the years Immediately following
the war Hamlin was occupied near home,
but he presently reappeared in the Senate.
ready for work. II is interesting 10 note
that early in that term he made some pun
gent remarks in regard to wasting the time