New-York tribune., 1907-10-27
TIE OLD SOUTH.
Frederick Lac OlmSted's Notes D,
Slarery IN the Fiftics.

- .4 s3arst.a
-'llnsted New Edition In two volumes Sy0 !
'p III, ~. S4 Q. p Putnan's Sons '
nat a book Of travel should be repubIished /
@E an interval OF half century is sufficiently
2 and is surely evidence that It is endowed !
is matter or its style with more than ephern- |
interest But these volumes are not simply |
esc7pton Of travel They comprise a phil |
-'Iheai discussion OF slavery in its economical
ects and are marked by a breadth Of vision |
calInncss # statement not commonly ex-
tied by either parry 10 the debate in the |
irs just preceding tie war This IS not tn say
Il the authors conclusions could have been
leonle reading in those circles where any dis
Ssion or the mooted problem was resented
III warmth and sensitiveness that are diff
I 10 understand to-day. But survivors OF the |
-hict whatever their sympathies, and stu
osnts Of the period MAY find in these pages a
faif summing UP of the question in its practical
bearings. besides a very lively picture of the
manners and character OF The people of the IN
l.rd south
Mr.. Olmsted. Who afterward achieved his
g-0at reputation as landscape architect, was at
t.e lime Of the Journey { student Of agriculture
;aL practical farmer, young enough 10 put UP
ST. .-a many annoyances and discomforts in order
g.. study al first hand the conditions Of life and
enjoyment in the back country districts Of lhe
South. He rode through much Of the valley of
and dog. and depended FOR shelter upon The
farmer or planter who first offered accommoda-
ZION al the end Of a days journey. The land
vas not oversuPped with railway facilities IN
chose days, and as for hotels and inns, what
PASSED FOR such We're. of course. confined TO the
taiekly settled communities. OF towns having
81 t0vnllke character there were only six in the
Save states New Orleans, Mobile Louisville,
=. Louis. Charleston and Richmond; all others,
gr1%n villages whose streets were tolerable
lasture But the author was not in search Of
-Ha diversions or the comforts Of travel. His
purpose was 10 make d careful study OF the
r-.inary condition and habits OF the people Of
tae South for the benefit of Northern readers,
au1 he lad already published his observations
on the seaboard states and Texas. Il is worthy
uC mention that in a footnote to his life Of Glad
stone Mr.. Morley pronounces these volumes as
5uterlsting picture of the South the of
.-s great catastrophe as Is given by Arthur
Young Of France the eve OF its Revolu-
ton"
The author has TO idea Of being set down as a
dry ohronicler. he cuts Up his chapters with
--bheads as he fits from subject TO
u,her. now adopting a diary form, now quoting
freely from the current press and ever and anon
recordng al length his dialogues with the natives
I'D true Boswellian style. There is 40 danger Of
lax or interest But. after all, il is picture Of
lnished and not q particularly romantic or
.ctive epoch, Of condition Of society that
50 completely faded into oblivion TO
Tlw apologists nowadays. II is question
whether the undoubted fidelity and anina-
Of the portrait would have resurrected the
were Il not for the broad and opposite gen
atoms and the philosophical provision 50
justified in the event Negroes at thou
loIlars q head and fresh land in Texas ut
> an acre-what was to be expected under
conditions but a waSteful misuse Of tIe
md consequent abandonment Of pianta-
those unprotected hilsides had emptied
ertiIe surface upon the swamps below?
ne lower valley fewer than fifty negroes
7artation were seldom found "a good over
n drive fifty ''niggers'' well as hve),
2 tendency was always to an increasing
p plantation. Where the planter was
holder, owning few slaves and working
them hims.lf they were always better
4 than on the large plantations whose
{ ger was only desirous TO produce results
- 4fsentee landlord. The death Of q negro
- dent or naltreatment meant destruction
cath. 'T do not think that I have ever
The sudden death Of negro noticed in
~.f1thern newspaper OF heard il referred 10 III
.,aversation, that the loss Of property, rather
han the extinction OF life, was not the evident