The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-07-27
SOME OF THE new BOOKS


Henry Smith, was especially well qualihed
to deal with the subject. To a collegiate
education and taste for literature he added
large experience in newspaper work and
in practical politics and extensive ac-
quaintance with public men and affairs.
large part of his adult life was passed in
Ohio when he was private secretary to
Governor Brough and later was elected sec
rotary of state. Thus he had exceptional
opportunities for personally observing the
political combinations and developments OF
the war period relating to slavery, and he
had also been close student of American
history during the early and late years of
the government. "A Political History o.
Slavery is, as the title indicates, an ac-
count OF the slavery controversy from a
political point OF view and as represented
by the movements of political parties, by
popular elections and by acts OF Congress
and of party leaders from the earliest agi-
tation in the eighteenth century to the close
of the reconstruction period. The moral,
economic or sentimental aspects of slavery
are not touched upon at all, but its his
tory as an issue and factor in politics Is
set forth in manner at once comprehen-
sive and full of interesting detail. The early
chapters, relating the beginnings of the
opposition TO slavery, the action of the
churches the period of intolerance and re-
action after 1880, the slave-ship controver-
sizes, the annexation of Texas, and so on
down to the period Immediately preceding
the civil war show wide research and
wealth of information. Some phases of the
| work are pointed out in an introduction by
Hon. Whitelaw Reid:
"A distinguishing feature is that IL is
written by an onlooker and participant
| from the Middle West, whose impressions
and recollections are necessarily more vivid
as to the vast movement which set that
| region afiame, which put forward Lincoln
| for the presidency, and which ultimately
swept down the Ohio and Mississippi val
legs to the sea. little change from the
accustomed proportions of some of the his
| toric figures naturally follows. The great
place assigned to Salmon p. Chase will sur
prise no well-read student, East or West.
| But Brough and Morton, Mclean, Corwin,
Giddings, Julian, Hayes, Speed, Denison.
and Shellabarger, Trumbull and Grimes all
rise larger than has been generally OBJ
| served in the Eastern horizon. The New
| England Emgrant Aid Society is held TO
| have been accorded prominence in the
| redemption of Kansas its work did not
warrant. But the tone of these rec
tifications is absolutely without bitterness
or controversial tendency. The author was
| so situated as to see occurrences In their
| national relation; he knew the actors and
| the authorities, and he recites the facts
| with little emotion as he might show In
a record of the flood. He draws largely
| quotations, availing himself freely of I'M
| published letters and papers from Hayes,
! Chase, Brough, Speed, Morton and others.
but he makes full use also of most of the
| recognized Eastern authorities who have
| traverSed these fields.
| The history of the reconstruction period
| occupies place second only in Importance
/ to that of slavery before and during the
| war. The interesting fact is brought out
| clearly that unlimited negro suffrage was
| not at first the plan of the Republican lead
ers Mr. Lincoln himself had merely pro-
posed to give the ballot to negroes who could
| read and to those who had served as Union
| soldiers. General Hayes, who afterwards
| became so undeservedly hated by the South,
| was strongly in favor of an educational
qualification. 1t was only after the South
had shown a most unreasonable and un-
| was decided on. AS already stated, the au-
| thor of the work was Western man, and
he gives the West much larger recognition
for its influence in shaping the anti-slavery
| contest than it has received in other works.
and he has dwelt with emphasis on the
| work of the three States he knew best
litical history of slavery the work is the
most comprehensive and satisfactory one
that has been written. The untimely death
of the author left the work not quite COM
pleted, but the little that remained to be
| done was well done by other hands. The
| entire work is practically that of Mr.. Smith,
and it is a fine monument to his industry,
research, intelligence and literary acquire
| ments. New York: G. p. Putnam's Sons.
| Introduction to History OF Philosophy
comprehensive and encyclopaedia trea-
tise is Arthur Stone Dewings "An Intro
duction to the History of Modern Philos-
ophy." 1t is work of interest not only
to the student but to the casual reader
who would have a more systematic view OF
the field of philosophic thought 1t does
not take critical or reconstructive atti-
tude, and makes no attempt to trace the
logico-genetic development of modern
thought nor does 1t try to consider every
aspect of historical development but treats
comment the various systems of philosophy
in a manner to give the reader the most
information in the least space. The direct
exposition of each system is supplemented
by a recital of the main facts of the phil.
osopher's life and character as being the
clearest approach to the position he has
| occupied in the world. The authors atti-
tude towards his subject is eminently sen.
| sible There is unanimity of opinion
| concerning the relative Importance of the
earlier thinkers, while the comparative es-
timation of recent systems of philosophy
to the definition of philosophy itself, the
of learning arising from a wider viewpoint
nor is there any other science or art which
defines for itself an ideal so near to the
ultimate meaning of truth. The appreca.
| ton of the value of philosophy is thus init
| mately associated with the intellectual
progress of mankind, yet the various de.
scriptions of the. subject have led to con
siderable confusion. Our general under
standing has been derived from the Greeks
but from them obtain no thoroughly
uniform definition Of philosophy. The diff
Guilty of defining our subject seems to have
arisen from the depth and scope of oul
material, for it is not easy to condense {
wealth Of meaning into few words" II
the later part of the book the monisti,
| point of view is given considerable prom
inence, and an attempt Is made TO interpre
the present tendencies in this direction. ]
b. Lippincott Company, Philadelphia
The LabOrer and the Capitalist.
Freeman Otis Wiley, in discussing tn
problems of capital and labor, shows knowl
edge Of a wide range of questions outsid
} the immediate and more pressing problems
and a broad grasp Of economic and com
mercial principles. The breadth of his sub