The Appeal., 1905-03-18
THE APPEA1s q 6AT1osA al. AaERIcAN NEWS frh

NJ. q ~ 4 - EE y - ..
A POLITICAL HISTORY OF SLAVERY
liam Henry Smith. With an introduction
BY Whitelaw Reid. Two volumes. Svo
Net 81 so By mail, $780, New York
G. p Putnan's Sons. %zlt
"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.
tury to the close Of the Reconstruction
period in the United States. . +ts"f
There is an Introduction by WhitelaN
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: "Tiis 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, anG
from access to much unpublished infor.
nation, in the papers of President Hayes
and Governor Brough, in the records O.
of the period, and in constant persona
communication with some of the actors.
Again. "As time goes on fuller justice
win Will be ID done, in the history of the move
bounds of freedom to communities ant
to leading men that relied upon typica
Anglo-Saxon means for the correction o
wrongs and the better development. O
Greeley first among pubic educators, U te. t. t,
Chase and Seward, Stanton. and Welles
first among legislators and cabinet min
listers. and finally to the peer, if not TIN
most capable politician of the list, Abra
ham Lincoln
In Chapter I, the author says, IF ther,
is one thing clearly established, it is tina
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 cOntended
and which constitute the basis of our Re
public, refrained from inserting in tina
great charter a name so repulsive to free
dom: we must must conclude that they wer'
1ment of that day. There was, no stat.
free from the taint of slavery and thu
feeling that it was injurious to society
was in no sense dependent upon sectiona
ally confidently expected: emancipation
was to be the rule. This came early nortl
of Maryland, and it is not unreasonabl.
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 ant
Tennessee"
Opposition to the institution of slavery
arose: from religious convictions as to it:
sinfulness or from economic and socia
With Mr. Jefferson condemned it because
of its destructive influence became a:
impotent as his, or succumbed to the VIC
!ence, of political forces; while: that ,hav:
ing it's source in religious feelings played
an important part in the creation of {
third party. The Society OF Friends led al
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 We're not wanting
outspoken utterances in the Presbyterian
Baptist and Methodist cEssrcheS at ar
early day, especially in Ohio, Kentucky
and TenneSSee.'
Some years ago one who had beer
conspicuous as leader in the anti-slav-
cry contest endeavOred to show the un.
faithfulness of current history in dealing
with the genesis of modern abilitionism
and thereupOn a controversy sprang up ir
Osborne was entitled to be styled the first
Apostle Of Emancipation. Geo. W. Julian
the writer who challened 1.-The truth o1
history clearly established the claims OF
Osborne to be mentioned before either
Lundy Or Garrison but strangely over
was striSingly like that or Lundy~Johr
Woolman, a Friend, who was born in New
Jersey about 1920. Then follows an &C.
ingly interesting and ). of his anti-slavery
sentiments. when about &c years Of age
he visited North Carolina. where he
sought to arouse the consciences of, slave.
nOICeIS anu wrote an essay enC1tleO Con
siderations on the Keeping of Negroes >
After. his death in l772, his journal
which was published./had wide circula
ton. It shows that his life was given tc
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. The Nomination of Lin
coin: and in their discussion exhibits a
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 chapter on 1.-The
Outbreak of the War; in which he says
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. When
Mr. Buchanan was brought face to- face
with men reso]ute 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
lS60-61. Would members Of Congress en-
gagged in the work of disunion have been
welcomed 1T the White House? Would
they have buliied him