The Appeal. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. ;) 1889-19??, 1905-02-25
L HISTORY OF SLAVERY

A Political History Of Slavery. BY Will
liam Henry Smith. With an Introduction
By Whitelaw Reid. Two volumes. syo:
G. P. Putnam's Sons.
"A Political History of Slavery by
VIM. Henry Smith, is an elaborated story
OF the go. controversy row, over the slavery cues
fury to the close Of the Reconstruction
period in the United States.
There is an Introduction by Whitelaw
and which gives quite an extended criti
cism OF these two very instructive vol
umeS.
Mr.. Reid says: This Political History
is written with the fullness of knowledge
that comes from having seen many Of the
events from the inside as they occurred,
from lifelong familiarity with and study
Of the entire range of the subjects, and
nation. in the papers of President Hayes
and Governor Brough, in the records of
the state Office held during critical part
Of the period. and in constant personal
communication with some of the actors
Again: AS time goes on fuller justice
will be done. in the history of the move
ments by which free people enlarged the
bounds of freedom. to communities and
to leading men that relied upon typical
Anglo-Saxon means for the correction of
WRONGS and the better development of
Anglo institutions; to Horace
Greeley first among public educators. to
Chase and Seward Stanton and Weiles,
first among legislators and cabinet min
listers. and finally to the peer if not the
superior of them all, and certainly the
most capable politician Of the list, Abra-
ham Lincoln
In Chapter I, the author says: IF there
is one thing clearly esta blished, it is that
slavery was deprecated by the men who
formed the Constitution: who, recognz-
ing that such an institution was inconsis-
, tent with Christian civilization. inconsis-
tent with the. great principles of civil lib
and which constitute the basis Of our. Re
public. refrained from inserting in that
great charter name so repulsive to free
dom; we must conclude that they We're
lnent Of that day There was no state
free from the faint Of slavery and the
feeling that it was injurious to- society
was in no sense dependent upon sectional
lines. Its ultimate extinction was gener-
was to be the rule. This came early north
Of Maryland, and it is not unreasonable
10 suppose that if there had been no inhi-
patton would have followed in Delaware.
Maryland, North Carolina, Kentucky and
Tennessee"
"Opposition to the institution of slavery
sinfulness or from economic and social
policies. The resistance Of those who
with Mr.. Jefferson condemned it because
of its destructive influence became as
lence of political forces while that hav-
ing it's source in religious feelings played
an important part in the creation of a
third party. The Society of Friends led all
other denominations in the employment
the public. prints as to whether VIM.
Lloyd Garrison. Benjamin Lundy or Chas.
of moral influence for the eradication of
slavery. though there were not wanting
Outspoken utterances in the P.'esbyteria n,
Baptist and Methodist cl..-.rches at an
early day, especially in Ohio, Kentucky
and Tennessee
Some years ago one who had been
cry contest endeavored to show the un-
faithfulness Of current history in dealing
with the genesis of modern abilitionism,
and thereupon controversy sprang up in
Osborne was entitled to be styled the first
Apostle Of Emancipation. Geo. W. Julian,
the writer who challenet1 the truth of
history clearly established the claims Of
Osborne to be mentioned before either
Lundy or Garrison. but strangely over
looked the claims OF another whose career
was strikingly like that OF Lundy-John
Woolman. Friend who was born in New
count Of his early life and career, exceed
ingly interesting and of his anti-slavery
sentiments. when about 26 years Of age
he visited North Carolina. where he
sought to arouse the consciences of slave
holders and wrote an essay entitled Con-
siderations on the Keeping of Negroes -
After his death in 1772, his Journal
Vnlch was puDHShed. had wide clrcula-
ton. 1t shows that his life was given to
the work Of emancipation. He Travelled
from colony to colony. preaching remon-
strating and counseling.
The author discusses with painstaking
detail the Free Soil Movement THE
Omnibus Bill Repeal of the Missouri
Compromise 1.-THE Nomination of Lin
coin and in their discussion exhibits
wealth of information and breadth of
knowledge. which could only result from
many years study and contact with the
leading men of those stirring times.
Vol. II opens with a chapter on ",rhe
Outbreak of the War; in which he says:
I'm the history Of nations weak rulers are
treated with scant respect. They become
the dupes of knaves. the instrument of
oppression; they imperil governments and
invite disorders to enter in: they are the
real enemies to human progress. When
Mr.. Buchanan was brought face to face
with men resolute III purpose to disrupt
the Union and overthrow the government
he construed the fundamental law to be
as impotent as he was in fact as the ex-
ecutive. Imagine Andrew Jackson, the
executive head Of the government in
1S6O-61: Would members of Congress en-
gaged in the work of disunion have been
welcomed at the White House? Would
they have buliied him