The Appeal. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. ;) 1889-19??, 1903-09-26
THE CURSE OF. CASTE.

the second to Ollgarchy. Inc m1dQle way
is best. May the American people ever
walk therein. II 3. : - n.y.. "I
This is a very interesting story, and
being contribution to the race question,
mastery over the accepted literary forms,
it's interest is therefore enhanced. !
1t is the tale of a young boy developing |
into youth in a northern community, and
belonging to the prescribed class of black |
folk. Early in life he begins to curse the |
fate that had cast his lot with that of
the lowly people Of color Being fair of
steal characteristics of the white race, he
could not understand why he should be
called a ''nigger,' notwithstanding the
fact that .Mammy Sally" his ostensible
His attachment to his dark mother was
very pronounced, and when in the course
of time she decided to return to the more
increasing infirmities. and the hard strug-
gle for existence at the North against the
tireless competition of New England
labor, Jack Sally as he was called by
on the plantation Of Colonel Custis, and
was the source of much assistance and
comfort to his hard working mother.
On their way south the boy has his first
encounter with the Jim Crow" car, and
soon after his arrival at the place where
he took up his permanent abode, ne soon
because of his race identity, which Gull
minated in his attempted assassination.
His life as a farm laborer was one
dreary round of uninviting and monoton-
radeship of old "Uncle Kiah,'' typical
ante bellum Negro, and Joe Watkins,
| white boy, with whom he hunted possums
Denied admission to the local public
| school, because of his race, he would have
| been allowed to grow up in illiteracy and
ignorance but for the philanthropic spirit
| Of a New England woman;S living on an
! adjoining plantation who gave him .Drl-
vate lessons. AS his young mind COM
menced to expand, his ambition grew
dr and r. dgett f ca kf 9 % 1 fe
heavily upon his sensitive spirit.
| On hunting expedition one night with
Joe Watkins, he got himself into the
public whipping for a crime of which he
| was innocent but was unable to establish
it, because his comrade, the sole witness
| to the incident for which he had been
| the court in order that there might be no
possibility of his exoneration. Saved,
| however, by a stay of execution obtained
tation, and and is shortly afterward taken
| sick after rescuing drowning woman.
| The rescue of this woman instead Of at
| tracing to himself the friendship of his
hatred and dislike of the white Niger
While in delirious condition, and nursed
by his benefaetress, very dramatic an LII
ing carried to the Great 4sazouse' where
he is installed as one of the family
through some mysterious influence.
Treated as an adopted son, he is finally
second time he meets Theodore Roose-
welt, who once again comes into his life
and influences him for good.
Falling in love with a white girl living
| on an adjoining estate, his suffering be-
comes so intense at the realization of the
| disparity between their race and stations
| that he is nearly driven crazy-was on
| the verge of insanity, when ne contesses
his love to the beautiful daughter of
| Colonel Custis, only to be treated with
| inexpressible contempt.
| known that he is in realty white man of
saly %hU We naa bsSe to ra5e in
order that his mother might be spared
destine marriage with man who had
killed her brother in duel at college.
! The literary power of the writer may
| be seen from the following description OF
| a Negro burying ground:
1T marked the spot of a Negro grave
| yard. Here in the bramble infested with
| reptiles and the haunt of rabbits, slept
| the nameless and unHonored men of toll;
the faithful; sons of Africa who for many
| generations had watered these very
! fields with the sweat of their brow, E-,ar-
! ing with remarkable patience the subju-
| eating yoke Of slavery. going to their
toll from day to day and returning like
| a galley slave to his dungeon night
| after night without change and without
hope only to fall down in the harvest
! field or the long furrOW and be carried out
to find rest at last under the shade OF
/ this old tree
! SOCIAL LIFE IN THE EARLY REPUB-
| Lie.
Social Life in the Early Republic. By
Anne Hollingsworth Wharton Pro
fusely illustrated. svo. @Buckram, giit
phia: J. B. Lippincott Company.
Within the last year or two there has
been written a good deal of interesting
reading matter dealing with the early
life Of the Republic, and of the colonial
period. Much of the matter that has
been given to the public bears the stamp
Of hastiress and ill preparation, and can
hardly be classed as standard literature.
Anne HolliDgsworth Wharton, however. In
| Social Life in the Early Republic has
written historically and well. This lady
has made a profound study Of the, colon
she has written dealing with the men,
the politics and the tragic events of that
most strenuous period of Development and
| evolution was not only wen received by
| the reading people, but caused them to
Hook forward with much expectation to
the present volume, which may be termed
| exhaustive. e., -..-
The first chapter on "a Social Evolu-
| ton carries one straight to the heart
of the subject, without any of the sicken-
| ing little prologues or apologies which
usually characterize works of this class
'.Ine Bostonlans unite, simplicity OF
morals with that French politeness and
delicacy of manner which render virtue
| more aniiable.', wrote Brissot de War
vile, who visited the principal cities Of
America soon after the Revolution. In
the New England city the observing
"neatness without luxury and, if in 9TH
er cities and towns that he visited he
found more luxury and less neatness, in
all of them he met cultivated men and
| women SO charming that he frankly ad
| mitted that for beauty and conversational
ability they, compared favOrably with
those of any court in the Old World. F..
In discussing the landed gentry Of the
southern states she writes: I'm nothing
were the English characteristics Of the
Southern settler more clearly shown than
in his love for field sports. A Maryland
chronicler writes of his countrymen: On
horses that seemed almost tireless, and
with dogs like the horses, they sometimes
chased Reynard across the eastern pen
insula from the Chesapeake to the At
lantic. The return journey and the stops
at hospitable mansions on the way, took
more time than the pursuit of the fox,
and the whole expedition sometimes last
ed a week ~
In chapter on 'Jenersonian Simple
ity'' she writes the following story
Wneu MIS-. 5MdulSOus gave expression 10
her sweeping structures upon Democrats.
she must have made a mental reservation
in favor of Mr.. Jefferson, with whom
she was great favorite. Indeed it was
in consequence of Mr.. Jefferson's having
given the precedence to Mrs. Madison at
a state dinner that he aroused the ami
mostly of the British minister, Anthony
Merry White House etiquette does not
seem to have occupied Mr.. Jeffersons
thoughts very considerably at this time,
and either from carelessness or because Of
his defiant red-republicanism, he quite se-