Ohio History Journal

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Book Reviews

Book Reviews

 

 

 

Charles Summer and the Coming of the Civil War. By David Donald.

(New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1960. xvii??392??xxiv p.; illustra-

tions, bibliography, and index. $6.75.)

The War for the Union. By Allan Nevins. Volume II, War Becomes

Revolution. (New York: Charles Scribner's Sons, 1960. xiv??557p.;

illustrations, maps, bibliography, appendices, and index. $7.50.)

Charles Sumner played a prominent role in the Civil War era as

an abolitionist senator from Massachusetts before the war, as chairman

of the committee on foreign relations and staunch supporter of Lincoln

during the war, and as a radical reconstructionist after the war. This

volume traces his career from his birth to 1861; a second volume will

continue the story until Sumner's death in 1874.

Sumner is one of the few leading figures of the period who has not,

until now, been the subject of a scholarly, full-length study. A perusal

of this excellent book suggests some of the reasons why Sumner has

been heretofore relatively neglected: the sheer magnitude of the task,

Sumner's lack of positive achievement (at least in the period up to the

war), and his personality, which, though dynamic, was for the most

part repulsive. The amount of material relating to Sumner both in manu-

script and in published sources is prodigious. The author tells us that

his task for the past ten years has been not to discover or unearth Sum-

ner materials but to assimilate them. Despite the bulk of materials re-

lating to his manifold activities Sumner's early life was singularly

devoid of solid achievement. Perhaps he could best be described as

a dilettante. Learned in literature and the law but contributing to neither

field, he dabbled in various lines of activity. He traveled extensively

abroad, and amongst the ruling aristocracies, the literati, and the savants

of Europe he established friendly relations which lasted throughout his

career. As a young man Sumner undoubtedly presented a handsome

physical appearance; he dressed well, talked well. and used flattery

generously--all qualities that would recommend him to upper-class

society. But it must be added that Sumner's enthusiasm for things