The Appeal. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. ;) 1889-19??, 1905-05-13

A POLITICAL HISTORY: OF SLAVERY.
A Political History of Slavery. By Will
liam Henry Smith. With an Introduction
Net. $3.50. By mail, $500. New York:
"A Political History of Slavery, by
! VIM. Henry Smith, is an elaborated story
of the controversy over the slavery ques-
ton, from the early days of the 18th CEN
| fury to the close of the Reconstruction
period in the United States.
There is an Introduction by Whitelaw
Reid, which tells of Mr.. Smiths career
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
from access to much unpublished infor-
| 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, las time goes on fuller justice
will be done. in the history of the move
ments by which a 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 Saxon Institutions; - to Horace
Greeley first among public educators. to
| Chase and Seward. Stanton and Welles,
first among Legislators and cabinet min
superior of them all. and certainly the
most capable politician of the list, Abra-
| ham Lincoln.
In Chapter 1, the author says: IF there
is one thing clearly established it is that
! slavery WAS deprecated by the men who
formed the Constitution; who. recogniz-
ing that such an institution was .inconsis-
! tent with Christian civilization, inconsis-
| tent with the great principles OF civil lib
| erty for which the colonies had conterded,
| 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 were
percipient witnesses to the public senti-
ment of that day. There was no state
free from the faint of slavery and the
feeling that it was Injurious to SOCIETY
lines Its ultimate extinction was gener-
ally confidently expected: emancipation
was to be the rule. This came early north
of Maryland. and it is not unreasonab BILE
to suppose that if there had been no inhi
; bition of the African slave trade. emanci-
patton would have followed in Delaware,
Maryland. North Carolina. Kentucky and
| Tennessee.
deposition to the institution Of slavery
arose from religious convictions as to its
sinfulness or from economic and social
| policies. The resistance OF those VINO
with Mr. Jefferson condemned it because
| Of it's destructive influence became as
! impOtent as his. or succumbed to the VlO-
| lence of political forces: while that hav-,
ing it's source in religious feelings played
third t1a party. The Society Of Friends led all
other denominations in the employment
the public prints as to whether VIM.
Lloyd Garrison. Ben amin Lundy or Chas:
of moral influence for the eradication of
| slavery. though there were not wanting
| outspoken utterances in the Presbyterian,
Baptist and Methodist cE-.fches at an
early day. especially in Ohio. Kentucky
, and Tennessee
Some years ago one who had been
conspicuous as a leader in the anti-slaV-
cry contest endeavored to show the UNI
with the genesis of modern abllltlonlsm'
and thereupOn controversy sprang up IN
! Osborne was entitled to be styled the first
Apostle of Emancipation. Geo w. Julian.
the writer who challened 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 or Lundy-John
Woolman. a Friend, who was born in New
Jersey about 1920. Then follows an ac-
ingly interesting and of his anti-slavery
sentiments. when about rs 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,
| which was published, 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 painstakin XII
detail; the Free Soil Movement, The
Omnibus Bill , mRepeal of the Missouri ~
coln,'' and in their discussion exhibits a
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 The
In 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. W hen
Mr.. Buchanan was brought face to face
with men resolute in 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
1s6O-el. Would members of Congress en-
gagged in the work of disunion have been
welcomed at the White House? Would
theyi have buliied him
| civic WAR TIMES.
Howe author of the Puritan Republic
Syo; Pr 421. $3.50. Indianapolis: Dobos-
The war of 615 will never cease-at
least in the present generation. to be a
! perennial and never failing topic OF alb
sOrbing interest. This is so, because it
was war Of giants; because many OF
| those giants still survive its vicssitudes
| it's hair breadth escapes and the immi-
nent deadly breach; it's long and dread
full marches; it's Gettysburg and Chicka-
maugas: because the finale of that con-
fict profoundly Influenced the civilizations
of the world; because it's echoes still re-
| vertebrate in all the various activities OF
American life.
because of these things the authors
volume is Interesting. 1t can be read
with prof: by any one and many Incl
| dents Of the great strife which has hith-
erto remained unwritten, is brought forth
| by Mr.. Howe.
One Of the most Interesting s1: ne chapters
lation Of the Confederacy toward the NE
gro Soldier. The author tells US. that
nearly every important Confederate COM
mander favored the enlistment of black
soldiers: that the matter was finally de-
bated ir the Confederate Senate, anu the
bill author izing the enlistment of Negro
soldiers, was defeated by but one vote
that of Senator Hunter. That when the
| desperate circumstances of the COnfed-
| eracy became so visible that the leaders
saw the doom of Richmond and the
! 'cause,'' a draft order was issued to force
the black soldier to fight under the Con
made effective, the fall of Richmond, and
the flight of Jefferson Davis was at hand
| This chapter is especially interesting al
under its banner.
There are other very interesting chap
tiers in the book The style is clear unin>