The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1910-07-17

| According % Mr. kggl-ston only tbs
circumstance that slavery eShSsssi ans
was defended in one part % the InioI
and that II was aDtaEoniked in the oths'
part on grounds % policy. conviction
and morality kept alive the old s@nti
msnt % State sovereignty and mad'
the war possible In this SENSE and o.
this extent he comedies that slavery
was responsible for the war. In flaming
the an'i-slavsry sentiment az the North
into active fame he attributes almost
! hmitle-s- influence o. the pubhra, isu
Of Uncle Toms Cabin An sn'if.
chapter is devoted 10 the effect 81 this
classic story on the history 81 the UuiDn
1T rubbed out Of multitlIdsa 81 men =
minds every consideration % cons
tutional restriction. every thought "a
States rights. every dogma u the Law
and every decree % the courts " quickl y
bred a new crusade against slavery II
everywhere simulated the thought that
slavery was " ronR for which the whole
nation was responsible and the eHterrni-
nation 81 which at all costs the Union
was bound 20 accomplish az its first and
highest duty. In brief this novel bred
n spirit Of aboiitionism such a. the coun-
try had never before known
The effect which the author thus
ascrihes 20 -Tncle Toms Cabin was
due tn the fact that i: was regarded as
novel which churchgoinR people might
properly and safely read. At that time
all the churches fro~ned upon novel
reading AZ a sin. A few % T =. Arthurs
Temperance tales were cautiously per-
mitted 20 the elect. but as a rule the read
ing 81 novels was rigidly forbidden On
those who constituted the congregations
Of the churches. Even Dickens, Who
was then in the midst Of his extraordinary
popularity was read only secretly and
with shamefacedness by those who sub
mitted themselves To the instruction Of
the clergy. Novel reading was classed
by all the pulpits 81 the time with such
sins a. sabbath breaking. whiskey drink
ing. dancing and other devices Of Satan:
but here in Mrs Stoves work was a
novel approved by all the clergy. a
novel which anybody might virtuouslv
read. and a generation hungry for Gre
alive literature Of date later than the
Pilgrims Progress eagerly welcomed
the opportunity 20 read a novel full Of
flesh and blood interest that appealed
strongly To the kindser and better senti-
ments % human nature This picture
81 the clerical intolerance Of novel reading
which then prevailed il a striking contrast
TO present day methods in the pulpit.
" hen n popular novel il often made the
text Of a sermon.
IL - evident that Mr. Eggleston is in
with the view which the cotton
States took 81 the election Of Abraham /
in 1870. He points out that there
was a popular majority against him Of
about go OOC votHs. He declares that
the sole reason for the Republican party's !
eS istence was hostility Ia slavery and an
Earnest desire to abolish that institution |
by every means available 90 that end |
In the authors view "a party founded |
exclusively upon hostility TO the domestic |
- the southern States had l
rlected President by means Of purely |
sectional and geographical vote against
the expressed will Of the people a. re-
nertsd in a popular ma jority Of nearly a /
million ballots The righteousness ~ /
the southern grievance looms large in /
The Imagination OF the historian who /
\ rites like this. South Carolina adopted |
Inc first Of the ordinances Of secession on
December ~. issO. Six other cotton /
he border States waited to see what
Virginia would do The Nirginians did
lot want To reccde themselves but they
insisted upon the right % secession on the
art 81 such states n desired to leave
he Union. such was the attitude Of
Virginia in April. 1891. when. after the
commandment Of Fort Sumter. President
lincoln issued his first call for 7s.OO0
ioldi"rs TO aid in the enforcement Of the
a Wa Of the Union in the seeding States.
Virginia then seeded unwillingly. ac-
'ording to Mr. Eggleston. SOLELY because
he mother State was forced to choose
,et ween secession on the one hand and
he lending Of active assistance on the
,ther to what all Nirginian- regarded a. a
wicked and wanton warfare 10y the Fed
'ral Government upon sovereign States
or having exercised what all Virginians
leld as most Americans had previously
md sometimes aggrsssively held. TO ba
heir reserved rights under the Con-
This explanation Of the causes
ShiCh led Ia the secession Of Virginia -
N Substantially the same a. that given bv
ir. Beverley y. Munford in his able
published last year under
he It'll. -Virginia'- Attitude Toward
slavery and Secession
The events which characterize the he
inning and the end II a great war always
,irniah pictures u the greatest dramatic
interest Mr. Egglestons account Of the
rst battle ~ Dull Run and the panic Of
he northern forces which followed il ;
Constitutes one II the most interesting
'arts ~ hs work "" call IL the Battle
Z Bull Run instead 81 the Rattle 81 Mnn-
ssas. which il the Confederate appella- ,
on. because IL was thus hest known in .
he North for many years after the fight ,
/ hen the Mon forces under Ger. Mellow
u moved southwark some able military ,
,en deemed the movement UNIV ze. hut ,
here was the utmost implicit confidence
n the part - the public that it would y,
q successful. The campaign was well ,
tanned and the hattie was well fought ,
y 20 the time 81 the insane panic which p,
e-et the Federal troops whom Gen ,
was reinforced Nv Gen ,
Dseph '. JohnSton's command from the
alley. IL was "A combat between raw
odie- 81 soldiery Neither side had any