The Appeal. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. ;) 1889-19??, 1905-03-04

liam Henry Smith. With an introduction
by Whitelaw Reld. Two volumes. Svo.
G. p. Putnam's Sons. ~
"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 MI Smiths career
and which gives quite an extended criti-
cism OF these two very instructive vol
umeS.
MI 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from access to much unpublished nfor-
nation. in the papers of President Hayes
and Governor BrOugh, in the records Of
the state office held during critical part
communication with some of the actors"
Again: AS time goes on fuller justice
Will be done in the history of the move
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 an1ons public educators. to
Chase and Seward, Stanton and WelleS,
first among Legislators and cabinet min
isters: 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 established. it is that
slavery was deprecated by the men who
formed the Constitution: who, recognize
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 that
great charter a name so repulsiVe to free
dom. We must conclude that they We're
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
was in no sense dependent upon sectional
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 unreasonable
bition of the African slave trade. emanci
patton would have followed in Delaware.
Maryland, North Carolina. Kentucky and
''Opposition to the institution of slavery
arose from religious convictions as to it's
sinfulness or from economic and social
policies. The resistance Of those who
with Mr.. jefferson condemned it because
of its destructive influence became as
impotcnt as his. or succumbed to the vio-
lencc of political forbes: while that hav-
ing its source in religious feelings played
an important part in the creation, of a
third party The Society Of Friends led all
other denOmina lions in the employment
the public prints as to whether VIM.
Lloyd GARRISON. Benjamin LundN. or Chas::
of moral influence for the eradication Of
slavery. though there were not wanting
outspokcn utterances in the Presbyterian,
Baptist and Methodist cl:-.rches 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 un-
faithfulneSS Of current history in dealing
with the genesis OF modern abilitionisr,
and thereupOn controversy sprang up in
Osborne was entitled to be styled the first
Apostle Of Emancipation. Geo w: Julian.
the writer who .challencd the truth Of
history. clearly established the claims Of
Osborne to be mentioned before either
Llllldy or Garrison. but strangely over
looked the claims Of another whose career
was strilSingly like that OF Lundy-John
Woolman. Friend, who was born in New
Jersey about 1920. Then follows an &C
count Of his early life and career. exceed
in2ly interesting and of his anti-slavery
sentiments. When about 20 years of age
he visited North Carolina. where he
sought to arouse the cOnscienceS Of slave
holdt rs and wrote an essay entitled Con-
sidera,ionS on the Keeping OF Negroes :"
After his death in IT,. his Journal
which was published. had a wide circula
ton 1t shows that his life was given to
me "ofh OF eluiuc1itllol Tie lldFelcu
from colony to colony. preaching remon-
st:atin2 and counSeling.
The author discusses with painstaking
detail the Free Soil MoEemcnt.' THE
Omnibus BILL Repeal Of the Missouri
Compromise" ''rhe Nomination of Lin
roln.' and in their discussion exhibits a
wealth of information and breadth Of
knowledge. which could only result from
n,Hny years study and contact with the
le;l'}n" men of those stirring; times.
Vol. II opens with Il chapter on The
Outbreak Of the War" in which he says:
I'm the history of nations weak rulers are
t,i atcd with scant respect. They become
the dupeS Of knavcs. the instrument Of
nlprvSsion they impcril governments and
invite disorders to enter in: they are the
real cneri"s TO human progress. When
MI. buchanan was brought face to face
with men rtSOlute 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-
rcutiv": Imagine Andrew Jackson the
executive head Of the government in
l$tn-G1. Would members of Congress en-
gagged in the work of disunon have been
welcomed 1T the White House? Would
they have buliied him