New-York tribune., 1906-10-03
T--o Studies of SIaUeyy in Its His.
toricGl AspectS.

--- ,-rsRo AND THE NATION. A History Of
TIE E.-icaT A-Sls slavery and EnfrRnchiEement- BY
George 81 Merriam sVo pp W. ASa Henry
SLAVERY AND ABOLITION Si-,.5 lssl,lsa: by Albert
89s1s isThe American Nation A History"
voi Xvf) $40, pP- XVI $50 Harper & Bros.
s-,. -sce problern Is considered in most OF its
-r,,,r,e phases IN these two volumes. Mr..
,,,,sr, treats the subject historically, from its
-, heginn,ng in America, tracing the develop
-. n slavery as an institution under free
,,cvs-nrnent IN its economic and political aspects
=. v--ites in an agreeable style. avoiding SEQ
,tonsl rancor, and. although his sympathies are
obv,ous!y with the Negro. he succeeds IN pre-
.,-ysnr IN impartial attitude as between North
en- South. He does not hesitate. either, 10 pre-
..,, the favorable side OF slavery as IL existed
a, the Southern States, or 70 critcise the ques-
-,onsbls methods and bitter spirit Of much Of
=. .,+I-slavs-y and abolition movements. Ap-
--,orbinr the topic from many points os view,
=. author LAYS especial stress upon the infu-
,,os sxerted by contemporary literature in
S.sr,nT alive the agitation against slavery. TO
a---oIs Toms Cabin" 70 the writings OF Fanny
x.rbls Butler and Frederick Law Olrnsted and
= Hinton Rowan Helpers The Impending
y,-,s,s" he believes was due a great share Of the
s..,,,s revolt IN the North against the perpetUa-
IN. Of the institution in the United States.
Nr Nerr!am's analysis OF the character and
motives OF John Brown is marked by judicial
,.-,er. the author regarding the acts OF Brown,
bo.h n Kansas and al Hsrpe-'s Ferry, as being
=, orlv inconsistent with hts professions, but
,rn-usttfable under the moral law. he follows
-. story Of the contest over slavery In Con-
r,ess. OF the bartIehelds Of the Civil War and
rh-oreh The troubled days OF reconstruction,
,,,,lu5ing with q chapter entitled Looking
Forwzrd" in which lie takes the more hopeful
thar p-acrlcaI view that the education and de-
yslourert of the Negro viii IN time break down
N. social barrier between the black and white
rac,s. Each of US" he says. dreams his own
dream and thinks his own thoughts
pier as we may. Jet us unite wherever We can can
,ry - Sow t1 realization, hut = Is to-oays
s,r1ightfo-wHr1 step along sore PLAIN naCn r IA
a., svs- dzv 5oes his best work; Tie Waite work
5-- me- -t.- 7rlrs rs doors alike 70 both colors;
lie teacher spending heart and brain toT her
ruLAs, .-s s -r-. -re ers-44 setting his life be
tween his prisoner and ne mob, ne az &c -
rueet fearfu.y accepting lower pace lIleL- -l-s
due n l.fss feast. The Vstce-snned most saylls;
'Fr5nd. come -p higher TX is --lese WIN 1i7
solving the race problem.
Professor Harts own contribution 70 the
which IS SO any cutting -N'---- ~
A-rt volume. under Group ", Trial OF Nation
atty" oe the complete work The period COW
cred Is the decade from 1881 10 1S41, the author
devoting chapters TO the social characteristics
ot The period 10 It's intellectual lie, 20 the sud
deD rise cf transportation as a factor in national
seve,or-nert and 70 the panic of 1887. The
huIk os the book however, IS taken up with
consideration q the slavery question and OF
the GrtI-slavery and abolition movements which
cane suddenly .-to prominence through The
active propaganda carried on by Lundy. Chan
ntng. Garrison and their associates. Professor
Hart is compelled. Of course, IN his study Of the
Subject 20 overlap clronolOgicHIy the periods
covered hy other writer's n the series. going
back Of 1881 70 che beginnings OF slavery and
forward from 1Szl IN G chapter on "The Ef-
tec,s Of Abolition" He concentrates his atten-
tcn upon The events Of the Ten years which he
has assigned 10 himself fo- special treatment in
our coUatrys history. Nevertheless. he man
ages 70 cover very much The same ground as
Goes NJ. Merriam in The Negro and the Ma
uon" and 70 preserve much the same impartial
attitude
Himself tha son If conductor" on the
underground railroad" he enjoyed peculiar op-
poruniries for learning Of The methods OF that
remarkable Organization. He estimates that IN
the thir,y years from 1880 10 1860. "an average
o. perhaps two thousand slaves a year got away
from their masters. Of whom perhaps a tenth
lost themselves 81 -he South and another tenth
got % Canada. This would leave about fifty
thousand Negroes who. ia the thirty years,
took 70 themselves wings and few away 20 the
tree states. AS most Of the -Ugiuives were grown
people the money lost 20 The South was. first
and lasr. perhaps S20oO0000 Nevertheless. II
clc 10- seriously affect the value Of the slaves,
except .n -he border counties of the border
states The author believes. accordingly, that
ne underground railroad was calculated not
50 much 20 weaken slavery as 10 strengthen the
sat-z.aVery feeling throughout the Northern
States He relates as an instance Of the de-
vices employed by escaping slaves 10 evade
capture the case Of Ellen Crafts very light
eolore1 woman. who successfully trnpersorated
white PLANTER while her husband played the
Eo.e ot Ler personal attendant las she ex-
pec-e5. She was called upon at the Baltimore
station -o make a written statement as 10 her
eoi-pa-.cr. but she could not write, and had
oounc uD her arm under pretence that II was
injured. il a tew hours they not only escaped.
Oal were entertained as heroes, and their free
ION was soon pu-chasd for them Another
OSse ctec Is that OF three slaves who associated
themselves together hired a travelling coach.
oTioed white man 70 act as their master and
so'ual-y drove II state from slavery into free
don.