The commonwealth. (Scotland Neck, N.C.) 1896-1929, 1905-02-16
~THE rLANSMAN."

not, or that you could forget It, so that
Won might vet have the rare pleasure
and tingling excitement which come
from the first reading. When Mr..
Dixon was pastor Of the Tabernacle
Baptist church in Raleigh in 1887, one
of..his most prominent members sad
to us that he grew hungry from Sun
day to Sunday 70 hear the great orator
again. So, whoever has read one of
Mr.. Dlxon's books feels hungry to read
his next. "The Clansman is some
what after the order Of his first book,
''The Leopard's Spots" but surpasses
it In tone and finish In his preface
Mr.. Dixon says that The Clansman"
is tb~ second book of series OF histor-
ical lis planned on the Race Con-
fIct. It has been stated that the third
book in this series will be ''The Trait
orr
1.-The Clansman" opens about the
time Of Lees surrender at Appomat-
tox, and graphically describes the wild
enthusiasm in Washington where he
introduces his hero, Ben Cameron,
Young Confederate Colouel, being
nursed back to life from an almost
deadly wound by his heroine, Elsie
Stoneman, a Yankee girl who was act
ing the sister OF mercy to wounded
soldiers from either side of Mason and
Dixon line.
The novelist attributes to Abraham
Lincoln greatness and magnanimity
which have not been told so we'll by
any other writer OF this age. Presi-
dent Lincoln is shown as the true
friend OF the South after the war bad
ended and in mapping out his concil-
latory policy he clashed opinions with
Austin Stoneman, the Radical Aglta-
tor, whom Mr.. Dixon says was the
whole Congress OF the United States,
and who later headed the impeach-
ment proceedings against A n DIR g W
johnson. Ut is SAID that Sto1 eman
represents Thaddeus Stevens.) A most
graphic and realistic description is
given of the Assassination of President
Lincoln. The stormy scenes that follow
in the preparation for the impeach.
ment OF johnson, Lincoln's successor
are masterfully portrayed,
The love story which runs through
the book makes Ben Cameron, the
Confederate Colonel in the hospital in
Washington, and Elsie Stoneman
sweethearts- She is the daughter oil
the great leader in Congress and hel
attachment for the young Confederate
finally brings scene between her and
her father.
Stoneman lecomes feeble and is SEN
for health by his physician to South Jar
DINA, the home o! Ben Cameron. There
the outrages against white men anc
white women consequent upon Recon
struction developed the Ku Klux Khan
that "Invinsible Empire" which saved
the honor of the South, after all.
Old Stoneman lives to recant and re
pent Of his bitterness towards thu
Southern people, and the love stor,
ends we'll between Ben Cameron ant
Stoneman's daughter, Elsie. OnI,
comparatively few pages of "The Clans
man" are devoted to the organization
and the effect of the Ku Klux Khan
but the story which leads up to it is s,
artistically told that the brief conclu
sion is complete.
"The Clansman," like "The Leonard
Spots" is great book. Some of it
characters are made to think and spea]
In very strong terms, and Doubtless tn
book will elicit sharp and severe crit
cism at the North but for even on
friends in the North to read the frs
chapter means to read it through.
We are under obligations to MI
Dixon, our college friend and class
mate, for copy of "The Clansman."
Published and for sale by Double
day, Page & Co., New York. Pric
$3.50.
GRAVE TROUBLE FORESEEN.
It needs but little foresight to tel