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Book Reviews |
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Free Soil: The Election of 1848. By JOSEPH G. RAYBACK. (Lexington: University Press of Kentucky, 1971. ix + 326p.; notes and index. $12.50.) Rayback's purpose is to analyze the cam- paign of 1848 from its origin in the early days of Polk's administration to the election of the Whig Zachary Taylor over Martin Van Buren for the Free Soilers and Lewis Cass for the Democrats. The author finds that the presidential election of 1848 marked the emergence of antislavery sentiment as a determining political force, and that seces- sions occurred in the ranks of both the Whig and Democratic parties because of anti- slavery opposition to the candidates and platforms of the major parties. The seceders, in turn, organized the Free Soil party, which then drew up a platform opposing the ex- tension of slavery to the territories. The political contest began to take shape early in the Polk administration when sev- eral candidacies were privately launched. The Mexican War, however, brought Zach- ary Taylor forward, first as the "people's candidate," and later as the choice of the Whigs. After analyzing the returns, Rayback concludes that Taylor's victory came largely because of party loyalty and the appeal of Taylor's military glory. The Barnburner supporters of Martin Van Buren are characterized as men of principle dedicated to the prevention of the extension of slavery, rather than as politicians who follow the dictates of political expediency. Thus, in effect, Rayback rejects the Free Soiler George Julian's characterization of the Barnburners as "the compromising and trading elements." When the Barnburners bolted the Democratic party after the state convention refused to endorse the Wilmot Proviso, they declared that they seceded be- cause the Democratic platform, without the Proviso, was a menace to free labor. Ray- back states the Barnburners insisted that their departure was taken on this ground because the Proviso "appealed strongly to the Democratic rank and file" that they |
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hoped to carry with them (p. 80). Even though Rayback admits Van Buren had gone to great lengths as the servant of the "slave power" in the 1830's, he feels the former President would have been faithful to the Free Soil platform of 1848. Although Rayback gives only one short chapter to the Liberty Party, he recognizes the dilemma the Liberty men faced in vot- ing for Van Buren after-the withdrawal of their own candidate, John P. Hale. The Whigs and Democrats delighted in remind- ing the Free Soilers of Van Buren's old pledge to veto any bill abolishing slavery in the District of Columbia, which he publicly retracted in 1848, and the willingness of his administration to permit the reenslavement of the Amistad captives (pp. 230, 246). Van Buren's record, therefore, caused much hesi- tation among Liberty men in accepting the Free Soil ticket in 1848. The election revealed signs of the break- ing up of the major parties. The problem was slavery, and politics was becoming sec- tionalized. The Whigs would soon be in serious trouble, but the crisis for the Demo- crats would be postponed. The returns showed that the Democratic party was al- ready in a state of division, but the impact of the third party vote was not immediately recognized because of the temporary recov- ery of the Democrats in the elections of 1852 and 1856. Rayback's concluding thought is that a solution to the problem of slavery in the territories continued to be imperative, and that the Nebraska bill of 1854, a Demo- cratic solution applying the principle of equality to the territory, was not acceptable. Therefore, passions which had been awak- ened in 1848 were re-aroused, resulting in the ultimate split in the Democratic party, the decline of the Whigs, and the creation of "an enlarged Free Soil organization--the Republican party" (p. 310). The study is well edited and free of print- ing mistakes. The Amistad captives, how- ever, are called the "Amistead captives." The author's style is lively and his research is impressive. Rayback made extensive use |
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of private papers of men involved in the campaign of 1848 and thoroughly researched the newspapers from every section of the country. His book is an important and much needed addition to the study of American political history, since it is the first compre- hensive analysis of the election of 1848. VICTOR B. HOWARD Morehead State University Prelude to Populism: Origins of the Silver Issue, 1867-1878. By ALLEN WEINSTEIN. (New Haven: Yale University Press, 1970. x + 433p.; tables, appendix, bibliography, and index. $10.00.) Professor Weinstein has produced a mono- graph that is certainly a scholarly contribu- tion to the literature concerning the Silver Issue and Populism. No one can question the thoroughness of his research, which took him through a variety of pertinent manu- script collections across the country. Of spe- cial interest to Ohio scholars will be the research he did at the Ohio Historical So- ciety in Columbus, the Hayes Memorial Li- brary in Fremont, and the Oberlin College Library. In addition, he makes fairly heavy use of such sources as the Reports of the Cincinnati Chamber of Commerce for the years in question and the Cincinnati news- papers, such as the Commercial, Inquirer, and Gazette. However, this reader found himself wishing time and again that the au- thor had distilled the material more thor- oughly and avoided the many lengthy quotations and paraphrasings from letters and other manuscripts that crop up fre- quently throughout the book. There is no doubt that Professor Wein- stein brings several new interpretations to certain areas that had hitherto become some- what stereotyped. The best example is his downgrading of the conspiratorial interpre- tation of the "Crime of '73." He also seems to see the entire Silver Question more from the viewpoint of an Easterner than that of a Midwestern Populist. In fact, one almost gets the impression that an Eastern-Urban contingent of politicians pushed the silver issue more than the Midwestern farmers. If |
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we look closely we might even see the hand of an "Ohio Gang" involved which would include such prominent Buckeyes as Murat Halstead of the Cincinnati Commercial, Sen- ator John Sherman, and Congressman James A. Garfield. One regret is that Weinstein's cooly in- tellectual approach to his topic forces the reader to miss much of the deep emotional ferver that swept rural regions west of the Mississippi, and hence the book lacks a bit of the color that was certainly present when the experiences were being lived. Finally, the fact that this monograph is concerned with a narrow topic without much reference to the broader historical area surrounding it, means the book is designed more for the use of the specialist than for the general reader or student of history. In sum, it is a valuable piece of research that is somewhat labored reading. PAUL L. SIMON Xavier University Building Sullivant's Pyramid. An Adminis- trative History of The Ohio State University, 1870-1907. By WILLIAM A.
KINNISON. (Co- lumbus: Ohio State University Press, 1970. xii+225p.; bibliography and index. $8.00.) The struggle to establish an educational phi- losophy for The Ohio State University, which was founded through the generous land grant of 1862, is the theme of Kinnison's book. The author, assistant to the president of Wittenberg University, assesses the impact of the Morrill act on the founding of the Ohio Agricultural and Mechanical College (renamed in 1878) and the influence of that development upon higher education in the state. Since the language of the Morrill act was unclear and did not specify the type of educational institution to be established, the state was made responsible for interpreting its meaning. Aside from the pressures from various cities that competed for the location of the new school, special interest groups represent- ing divergent views of education vied for dominance. The farm element, guided by Norton B. Townshend and others, wanted a school founded upon utilitarian precepts; |
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representatives of industrial concerns wanted an institution that would provide a mean- ingful and uplifting education for the new and growing laboring class; and Trustee Joseph Sullivant and newspaperman James M. Comly envisioned a school broadly based to serve all interestswithin the state. Region- alism also played a part. The liberal arts tradition explicit in eastern institutions was studied, but rejected; what emerged by the turn of the century was a midwestern blend of education that leaned toward an ill- defined utilitarianism which embraced dem- ocratic ideals to serve the needs of the people. At center in this struggle was Ruth- erford B. Hayes, who emerges as a hero figure. Aware of the divergent influences and ever mindful of the political intricacies, Hayes, as governor of the state and again as a member of the board of trustees follow- ing his presidency, was able to achieve com- promises which satisfied all elements. The account of this struggle is the most impor- tant in Kinnison's book. Kinnison speculates that the indecisive- ness in forming a philosophy for the uni- versity was due to the lack of educational leadership throughout the state. Because Ohio had many public and private schools, each with its own interests and ambitions, no specific direction was forthcoming from the state's educationalists. Consequently, the Ohio legislature and the board of trustees were left to their own devices. "Sullivant's Pyramid" was the result--the school's em- phases, pictured on the seal in prerequisite order, are agriculture, arts, science, and letters. Often times, however, due to political motivations, the legislature failed to ade- quately support higher education. After a movement to abolish both Ohio and Miami universities was sidetracked, the legislature focused attention upon the newly-established institution. In this discussion the author missed making a major contribution. An examination of the General Assembly's at- titude toward the state's already established institutions would have provided a helpful contribution to the understanding of the philosophy governing the higher educational system at the time. Also, an important ques- tion left unanswered is, why did Ohio State receive preferential treatment? Not only was |
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this institution the sole beneficiary of the first Morrill act, but also it received the pro- ceeds from the sale of the remaining land within the Virginia Military Tract and the money from the second Morrill act of 1890. One wonders why the author failed to ex- plain why Wilberforce College did not re- ceive any money from the 1890 grant even though such a suggestion had some legisla- tive support. This book was published to commemo- rate the centennial anniversary of The Ohio State University. Its extensive footnotes and useful bibliography are witnesses to Kinni- son's utilization of the University's archives. His work is a testimony to the importance of the maintenance of university archives in order that an understanding of the develop- ment of higher education can be obtained. This book should be of interest to both his- torians and those interested in the develop- ment of American colleges and universities. It is the type of study that should be written about higher education in the United States to replace the many innocuous histories of educational institutions that have appeared over the years. THOMAS H. SMITH Ohio University Architecture of the Western Reserve, 1800- 1900. By
RICHARD N. CAMPEN. (Cleveland: Press of Case Western Reserve University, 1971. xii + 260p.; photographs, diagrams, glossary, bibliography and index. $20.00.) This is the picture book that all lovers of northeastern Ohio (and Sunday afternoon building-watchers) had been waiting for. As is appropriate, it is primarily a layman's and photographer's book. However, the fact that the author, Richard N. Campen, is not pri- marily an architectural historian has not prevented the book from being a competent and reasonably well balanced survey of the architecture of the Western Reserve. An intelligent foreword by Robert C. Gaede properly places emphasis on the worth of such a volume in the cause of his- toric preservation. The arrangement of the book is clear and easy to follow. The build- ings, in nearly 400 photographs, are arranged |
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OHIO HISTORY |
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by counties; this will be especially helpful for those using the book primarily as a guide. Then there is a section on the rela- tionship of Western Reserve architecture to the nineteenth century styles as a whole. This general section, which might have been superfluous or redundant, has been well in- tegrated into the regional picture. Finally, there is a welcome appendix on the lost glories of Euclid Avenue in Cleveland, illus- trated with old photographs of the great Victorian mansions long demolished, which made Euclid Avenue "the most beautiful street in the world." A charmingly illustrated glossary and a brief bibliography complete the volume. The design of the book is exceptionally attractive; Miss Nan C. Jones deserves that word of congratulation which the book de- signer probably hears all too rarely. But the quality of the photographs is uneven. Some are gray, or dark, or fuzzy. Whether this is due to the photographer, or to the vicissi- tudes of the offset printing process, is uncertain. The author's thesis is that the Western Reserve contains excellent examples of all the major nineteenth century styles, from the late Colonial and Greek Revival to the Ro- manesque and Renaissance eclecticism at the end of the century. But his evident com- pulsion to fit nearly every building into a stylistic pigeonhole, and to assign a conjec- tural date, has led to some strange conclu- sions, the invention of some new terms, a curious overlapping of different labels for buildings which are virtually the same, and a liberal use of the catch-all "Victorian." For example, to call a building of 1901 (the Wade Memorial Chapel, p. 40) Greek Re- vival is unusual practice indeed. Similarly, there are few technical inaccuracies, but "walls three bricks thick and plastered inside without furring" is hardly "unique" con- struction (Williams-Bundy House, Geauga County, p. 64). It is good to see some of Mrs. Peter Hitchcock's basic work on Jonathan Gold- smith finally appear in print. We can hope that this may inspire the publication of fur- ther monographs on the builders. Likewise, it is good to see the section on Cleveland architect Charles Schweinfurth, whose works are well represented. On one small point, |
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this book brings us full circle. For at least a decade now a successful attempt has been made, beginning with Grace Goulder Izant, to separate the work of son Simeon Porter from that of his father Lemuel Porter. Here, in the section on the Federal style, a simple oversight has given Lemuel's famous Tall- madge church to his son. But these are minor points. Anyone who enjoys nineteenth century architecture, and northeastern Ohio in particular, will find this an indispensable reference book for many hours of browsing and sightseeing, and Mr. Campen and the Case Western Re- serve Press deserve a strong vote of thanks for bringing this necessary work to success- ful publication. ERIC JOHANNESEN Mount Union College The Expeditions of John Charles Fremont, Volume I: Travels from 1838 to 1844, with Map Portfolio. Edited by DONALD JACKSON and MARY LEE SPENCE. (Urbana: University of Illinois Press, 1970. xliv + 854p.;
illustra- tions, maps, appendices, bibliography, and index. Book. $22.50; Map Portfolio, $10.00.) The high standards of books sponsored by the National Historical Publications Com- mission have been maintained in the Uni- versity of Illinois Press publication of The Expeditions of John Charles Fremont, a pro- jected three volume set dealing with Fremont's career as an explorer. Fremont's life is well known. His western career has been studied in the broad con- text of western exploration by William Goetzmann in the Pulitzer Prize winning Exploration and Empire, while his biography has been written by the late Allan Nevins, and sketches of his life appear in most United States history texts. Explorer, soldier, husband of Jessie Benton, and son-in-law of Senator Thomas Hart Benton, Fremont was a well-known figure in America in the mid- nineteenth century and was the first presi- dential candidate of the Republican party in 1856. It was his record as an explorer, how- ever, that was most significant, for his expe- ditions were made in an age when Americans were looking westward. |
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Despite his nomination to the presidency, Fremont's later career was anticlimactic and was a record of failure: court martial in 1847, political defeat in 1856, controversy with President Lincoln in 1861, and a series of economic disasters that left him almost pen- niless at his death in 1890. For this reason the current series will be devoted to the first forty years of Fremont's life--the years of achievement and the years in which he was a hero to the American people. Volume I consists of unpublished manu- script material combined with Fremont's published reports and selections from his memoirs. Included also are related letters between other individuals, such as scientists Asa Gray and John Torrey, which show the scientific interest in Fremont's explorations. The documents clearly demonstrate the in- fluence on Fremont's career by powerful figures, such as the diplomat and politician, Joel R. Poinsett, and Senator Thomas Hart Benton, as well as the involvement of Jessie Fremont in her husband's work. Regretfully, however, there are still gaps in our knowl- edge of Fremont's life, a fact which may be partially explained by his daughter's decision to burn many of the family papers in 1907. This volume of The Expeditions is attrac- tive and useful. Donald Jackson and Mary Lee Spence have done an excellent job of collecting and annotating the Fremont papers, and historians will eagerly await the remaining volumes. The addition of a hand- some portfolio of maps is an added bonus, but at extra cost. RICHARD N. ELLIS University of New Mexico Wooster of the Middle West. By LUCY LILIAN NOTESTEIN. (Kent: Kent State University Press [1971]. Volume I, 1866-1910, xii + 333 p.; Volume II, 1911-1944, xi + 433 p.: each with illustrations, appendices, and indexes. Each $7.50.) These two volumes make a handsome cou- ple, tastefully dressed and priced. The first volume, however, is much older, having been published first by Yale University Press in 1937, and has become the standard biography of the College of Wooster for the years |
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through 1910. It set a high standard, and its sequel lives up to it. As is usually the case with institutional histories, this is the work of an insider. Miss Notestein's father was professor of classics until his retirement in 1923, and she has her- self more recently served as a trustee. Her own memories are one of her major sources, but she has consulted the written record and solicited the recollections of others as well. The result is a book rich in the details of a close-up, and yet is broad enough in scope to include the contexts of institutional life-- town, church, nation, and, at times, the very Zeitgeist itself.
Fortunately, the author is a professional writer who knows how to com- press her material without simply abstract- ing it. Other insiders will unquestionably be pleased with Volume II. They will appreciate learning E. Kingman Eberhart's first name, comparing memories of Curt Taylor, and correcting the author on minor details such as Aileen Dunham's birthplace (Missouri, not Canada). For the historian who is a stranger to the College, there is something of value here also. Wooster--and its many counterparts--has been an institution owned, operated and cul- tivated by a variety of "WASP," specifically by white, middle-class Presbyterians. Its story illuminates the highlights and some of the shadows of their collective life and leader- ship. That the college's story is not altogether a local one is suggested by the fact that by 1929 its alumni included 32 college presi- dents, 175 professors, 115 missionaries, and over 400 ministers. To see the imprint of this institution on white Protestantism in its time is to see a representative case that helps to penetrate the stereotypes. For the historian of the liberal arts in higher education, Miss Notestein's volumes are equally valuable. Was Wooster typical or not in its inhospitality to the visual arts, its successes in music, debate, oratory and lit- erary studies, its enthusiasm for the sciences, and its relative incompetence (until late in the period) in the social sciences and modern history? How is one to take the views of a president (Wishart in 1919) when he says, "physical science is always conservative, fun- damentally because it is dealing with fixed laws . . . . The vision of faith, however, . . . |
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is the essence of liberalism . . . . Religion has always been the handmaid of democracy." Seriously? In one context, yes, for the man who expressed these views was preoccupied with the problem of restraining the church's fundamentalist faction then being cham- pioned by William Jennings Bryan. There is more worth the historian's atten- tion here than can be summarized in a brief review--more on student life, fund raising, athletics, faculty, even architecture. Take your choice and use the index. This is a crowded but lively book, written with a zest for dis- covery and a love of place worthy of the lives it chronicles. THOMAS E. FELT State Education Department Albany, New York The Woolen Industry of the Midwest. By NORMAN L. CROCKETT. (Lexington:
University Press of Kentucky, 1970. x + 149 p.; illustra- tions, notes, bibliography, and index. $7.25.) As used by Norman L. Crockett, the term "woolen industry" denotes the processing of fleeces into various types of yarn and cloth. The author defines the Midwest as the states of Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Michigan, Wiscon- sin, Missouri, Iowa, and Minnesota. In his book he covers the approximate time span of 1860 to 1920. The author initiated his study as a doc- toral dissertation at the University of Mis- souri and expanded it by subsequent research, with the aid of a Harvard- |
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Newcomen Fellowship. He has rigorously summarized his findings into some 129 pages of text and footnotes. Following an introductory chapter in which he reviews the earlier eastern woolen manufactories, Crockett discusses every facet of the rise and decline of the middle western woolen mills: the assembling of raw wool and a labor force, the production of yarn and cloth, credit arrangements, transportation and freight rates, marketing, sales methods, changes in fashions, and the arrival of ready- made clothing. Crockett has surveyed thoroughly the secondary books and articles on the history of woolen manufacturing, both on the national level and for other regions, and has tested the conclusions in these basic works against midwestern conditions by ex- amining available records of selected mills in such states as Missouri, Indiana, Michigan, Wisconsin, and Minnesota. Basically, this book is a study in business history. At the same time, the author describes the technology of the subject, par- ticularly in connection with the Watkins Mill in northwestern Missouri. He also relates his work to the agricultural and urban develop- ment of the Midwest. Although Crockett has made primarily a regional survey of woolen manufacturing, his work is a useful guide to the woolen indus- try in any part of the United States. His book merits inclusion in any selected bibliography or reading list in American agri-business history. WILLIAM D. BARNS West Virginia University |