The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1905-03-08
Thomas Dixon Replies to Critics of
The Clansman.
New York Times Book Review.

Mr.. Edwin L. Shuman, of the Chi
cago Record-Herald, whom 1 regard
as one of the best critics in America,
says that my portrait of Thaddeus
Stevens as "Austin Stoneman" is a
gross caricature.
Will Mr.. Shuman print verbatim
the bill and speech Of Stevens which
provided for the confiscation of the
property of the South, its division
among the negroes and the reimburs-
ing of himself for his burned mills and
then defend his character? This
speech is on page 2O3, Congressional
Globe, March 1867, and was delivered
two years after the close of the wal
while the south was yet in her life and
death struggle with starvation.
(Henry Timrod, the poet, died OF in
sufficient nourishment in Columbia
October I, 1857
The following words will identify
this address:
1.-THE laws of wal authorize US to
take this property by u sovereign
power. You behold at your feet a
conquered foe, an %atrocious enemy!
W. have the right to impose confisca-
ton of all their property-to impover-
ish them. This is strict law and good
common sense. To this issue I devote
the small remnant of my life"
No biographer of Mr.. Stevens has
ever dared to print his speeches.
Why? This speech is the supreme
act of his life-au act which lights
with the glare of immortal infamy his
whole character and career.
Ioro not no sootr1r rod him If wQG
necessary to soften, humanize and
idealize his character to make 1t ut TO
print. My only errors are on the side
of mercy. Let my critics put a finger
on a single line, page, scene or insin-
uation. 1.-The Clansman" in which l
do him injustice.
My book will stand or fall as a con-
tribution to the history of reconstruct
ion on this character. Unless I have
sketched him with honesty and accur-
acy I have committed q crime. 1 rest
the book on this issue.
The Outlook declares that l have de-
l~iberately prostituted such talents as !
possess to arouse the worst passions OF
my readers, made a case of all devils
against all angels, and that my book
will retard the harmony so eminently
desirable between the north aud
south. Surely not! Could a literary
fake, written by a deliberate intellect,
ual prostitute, retard anything? 1t is
a psychological impossibility for a ia
kir to write a book of power unless en-,
dowed with super-human mind. !
protest against such high praise.
"Nor Is tie lease of all angels
against all DEVILS" true. I sketch five
negro characters, two good, two bad
and one humorous. I draw full length
the characters of two great Republican
leaders-Lincoln and Stevens-one
good and one had. Should q reviewer
deliberately try to deceive his readers
even to promote harmony between the
north and the south.
Can harmony be gained by false
hood?
The Outlook assume that my facts
are true, but says, Lets hush 1t up
its all over now and we're ashamed of
it." Is it 80? Hear this choice deliv-
erance of calm philosophic criticism
from the Boston Transcript:
"He reaches the acme Of his sect
ional passions when he exhalts the Ku
Klax Khan to an association of south
ern patriots, when he must know, or
else be strangely ignorant of American
history, that its members were as ar
rant %rufians, desperadoes and scoun-
drels as eve went ~unhanged."
Did it ever occur to the Outlook that
I may be trying to reach Darkest New
England with q few rays of Southern
sunligh? One of the best preachers in
Boston, q man Of the sweetest Christ
ian character, a leader of Evangelical
Christianity, whose sermons the
Transcript prints on Mondays, was a
Ku Klox Clansman and at this writ
ing is still unchanged, and very popu-
bar in Boston. Has the Transcript
moved to Salem?
My father is y venerable minister oil
Christ. He has built twenty flourish
ing Baptist churches in Piedmont,
Carolina, in q passionate of sixty years.
BE is one Of those 'desperadoes,' and is
still unhanged. I could give the
names of a thousand of these 'rnffians'
who are today among the noblest men
in America.
The Outlook was founded by Mr..
Beecher to promote Christian union.
Will my father vote eve to unite
with his northern brethren of the
same faith so long as such experts in
ignorance as the Boston Transcript
teach that in saving the civilization OF
the south he was a ruffan, desperate
and scoundrel?
Is it possible to promote harmony by
q lie?
am no sectional fanatic but a citi-
zen of New York, with scores of warm
friends in the great rushing north.
Their support has given me my sue.
cesses in life. This is my country
the whole of it from sea to sea and
from Alaska to the Keys of Florida. I
love the people of the north and I
have promised that if God gives me
strength they shall know mine own
people of the South, and love them,
too. Is this a crime? I am writing
ont of the fulness of life the story OF
INV father and mother and brethren.
Tt ia authentic human document. In
these books I am giving u~tterance to
the deepest soul convictions of eigh.
teen million southern people on this,
the darkest problem of our century.
Can there be harmony until;we under
stand each other?
You cannot "hush up" the history
of a mighty nation. This is no dead
issue. The president of the United
States devoted his whole speech to it
on Lincoln's birthday. We have not
settled the negro problem. We have
not dared to face it as yet.
One ofmy critics accuses me Of buy
IT,, honoe and Yacht ont of the rovaI.