The Appeal. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. ;) 1889-19??, 1903-10-24
THE CURSE OF CASTE

Cato. Dedicated to President Roosevelt.
o. "Antipodal as they may seem, the
Ellerson Publishing Go.
and Caste. The first leads, to anarchy
the second to oligarchy. The middle way
walk therein.
|. This is very interesting story, and
being contribution to the race question,
and written by an author who exhibits
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
complexion, and possessing all of the ply
steal characteristics of the white race, he
could not understand why he should be
| called '.nigger," Notwithstanding the
| fact that "Mamn ~ 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
! congenial climate of the South, because of
| gle for existence at the North against the
tireless competition of New England
labor, Jack Sally" as he was called by
his playmates, worked as farm laborer
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
he took up his permanent abode, he soon
| became the Victim of petty prosecutions,
because of his race identity, which cul-
! minated in his attempted assassination.
| His life as a farm laborer was one
! dreary round of uninviting and monoton-
| GUS toll, relieved occasionally by the com
| radeship. of old "Uncle Kiah," typical
ante bellum Negro, and Joe Watkins, a
| white boy, with whom he hunted possums
! at night.
Denied admission to the local public
been allowed to grow up in illiteracy and
ignorance but for the philanthropic spirit
| of New England woman, living on an
| adjoining plantation who gave him pri-
to- Az MS hs
under the "cu rse Of caste" Which fell
| heavily upon his sensitive spirit.
On hunting expedition one night with
! Joe Watkins, he got himself into the
| tolls of the law, and was condemned to a
public whipping for 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
tried, was sent out Of the jurisdiction Of
the court in order that there might be no
however, by a stay of execution obtained
| by friend, he returns to his lowly habi-
tation, and is shortly afterward taken
SICK aIter reSculnS drowning WOlndn
The rescue Of this woman instead Of at
! tracing to himself the friendship of his
neighbors only served to increase their
hatred and dislike of the white niger y
by his benefactress, very dramatic
scene is enacted, which results in his be-
ing carried to the Great House" where
he is installed as one of the family
Treated as an adopted son, he is finally
sent to Harvard University, where for the
second time he meets Theodore RooSe-
| welt, who once again comes into his life
and influences him for good.
Failing in love with 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 Isl nearly driven crazy--was on
the vergeznf insanity when he confesses
his love 70 the beautiful daughter of
| inexpressible contempt.
| 1t is just: at this climax that it becomes
known that he is in realty a white man OF
good birt5 who had been i given raf1a to to
order that his mother might be spared
the humiliation and disgrace of clan
| destine marriage with a 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
| the nameless and unAonored men of toll;
the faithful sons of Africa. who for many
generations had watered these very
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 nlght
| 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
:oc1AL LIFE IN TT TIE EARLY REPoB-
Anne Rollingsworth Wharton. Pro-
fusely illustrated. svo. Bucl1ram. gilt
tor. uncut edges. SO net. Philadel-
Rhia: J. B. Lippincott Company.
! Within the last year or two there has
been written 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
of hastiness and i'll preparation. and can
hardly be classed as standard literature.
Anne Hollingsworth Wharton, however, In
| Social Life in the Early Republic has
written historically and we'll. This lady
| has made a profound study Of the colon
ial period, and the previous volumes which
she has written dealing with the men,
the politics and the tragic events of that
! evolution was not only we'll received by
the reading people, but caused them to
| look forward with much expectation to
the present volume, which may be termed
exhaustive.
The first chapter on "A Social Evolu-
| tom carries one straight to the heart
Of the subject, without any of the sicken-
s g y'e %orks of this eass
''lne Boston1ans unite simplicity OF
morals with that French politeness and
delicacy of manner which render virtue
vile, who Visited the principal cities of
America soon after the Revolution In
the New England city the observing
Frenchman recorded that he discovered
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
those Of any court in the Old World
In discussing the landed gentry Of the
southern states she writes: I'm nothing
We're the English characteristics of the
Southern settler more clearly shown than
in his love for field sports. A Maryland
chronlcler 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 hOSpltable mansions on the way, TOOK
more, time than the pursuit of the fox,
and the whole expedition sometimes last
ed a week." 3
In chapter on "Jeffersonian Simple |
1ty she writes the following story: j
When Mrs Madison gave expression to |
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 [