Beloved (review)

Book Reviews101 conviction of the Tightness of his point of view which helps to explain not only his leadership in the struggle but also his uncompromising attitude. His wit, sarcasm, mental agility, and skill in mustering arguments to support his chosen objectives are clearly represented as segments of his power, and — regardless of whether or not one agrees with his position — he is convincingly portrayed as one of the most powerful men in Congressional history. His knowledge of the uses of party machinery and his fanatical adherence to his principles made him one of the most formidable opponents that any president ever had. While Mr. Korngold allows many of Stevens' Congressional speeches to speak for themselves, he brings to the reader a realization of the fire and zeal that burned in the breasts of the abolitionists. They were sincere men driven by a powerful urge, and if one chanced to be endowed with the gifts of Thaddeus Stevens he made an opponent to be feared and respected. The reader is left with no doubt that Stevens was a man who had dedicated himself to a particular goal — the freedom and equality of the negro. The most valuable contribution which Mr. Korngold makes to the historical interpretation of the period is his presentation of Stevens' arguments, and the contrast between them and Lincoln's position with respect to negro emancipation and the plans of both Lincoln and Johnson for reconstruction. It is a clear exposition of Stevens' stand, and there certainly is need for this to be understood as fully as possible. One feels that there is more to be said in support of both presidents than has been presented here, and this perhaps points up the major weakness of the biography as a whole. In his efforts to portray the major facets of Stevens' strength, Mr. Korngold is inclined to be overly anxious to shield him from criticism. Undoubtedly one can always sense the strength of the man, but his weaknesses and the merits of his opponents are not as fully examined. This, of course, is not the definitive biography of Thaddeus Stevens — if, indeed, that will ever be written — but it is one which will be very helpful in future evaluations. Somewhere the middle ground will be found between the extremes. The book is well written, and the selected bibliography is highly useful. Mr. Korngold is inclined to depend on individual memoirs for some of his data, and because of personal bias the accuracy of much of this type of material is questionable. All in all, however, the book is well worth reading, and no student of the Civil War or Reconstruction eras can afford to overlook the provocative point of view expressed in this biography. Myron H. Luke Hempstead, New York Beloved. By Vina Delmar. (New York: Harcourt, Brace and Company. 1956. Pp. 382. $3.95.) t? those who remember vina delmar as author of novels like Bod Girl, Loose Ladies, and Kept Women, her latest book is going to come as a considerable surprise, for it can be said almost categorically that Beloved is one of the better historical romances dealing with the Civil War. Briefly, it is 102CIVIL WAR HISTORY the story of Judah P. Benjamin, the great statesman of the Confederacy. It carries him through his early years in Charleston, his short stay at Yale, his rise as a young lawyer and politician in New Orleans and his marriage there to Natalie St. Martin, his service in Washington as a senator from Lousiana, his activities as Secretary of War and then Secretary of State in Jefferson Davis' cabinet, and his amazing post-war career as a London lawyer. As might be expected, Mrs. Delmar is more interested in Benjamin as a man than as a statesman. Obviously she admires him tremendously, possibly too much since at times he is portrayed as almost too competent and long-suffering. Of his competence, however, there is abundant evidence in other sources. He was in fact a brilliant lawyer and statesman, a shrewd politician, and even a superior military strategist. Had Jefferson Davis been willing to accept more of Benjamin's advice, the Confederacy would in all likelihood have...